Geneva is one of the world’s most expensive cities to live in. It is typically located in the north of Switzerland, near the French border.
As with most expensive places, Geneva has its good and bad neighborhoods. The best parts are around Place Jean Jaunes and Place des Champs-de-France, where you can enjoy some nice scenery and interesting shops and restaurants.
However, you will need a high Social Security payment rate to live there, as Geneva is significantly less affluent than nearby cities like Lucerne or Zürich. As a result, it has a more exclusive feel to it.
This feeling continues even after you move in as people will ask if you are from elsewhere, because of the high cost of living there. If your response is no, they will assume that you are from rich country and that they do not want to live there due to the higher cost of living.
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Nice restaurants
While Geneva does not have the abundance of restaurants and food trucks you’d expect in a big city, it doesn’t mean there is nothing to eat!
Yes, there are a few nice restaurants, but most are located in the vicinity of Place des Villemarks. For street food enthusiasts, this is a plus!
Fortunately, it is also affordable so you will most likely go back. The number of cheap restaurants has decreased since the emergence of high end dining and millennial tastes, but that does not mean you must pay high prices to eat.
There are also plenty of budget restaurants that offer good quality food at reasonable prices. If you are hungry, look for them! They are typically found near Place des Villemarks.
Global events
2018 is our year of global events. The more the merrier, right?
Each year, there are large events that take place all over the world. The Summer Olympics happen every four years, and this event re-invigorates the sports world.
The Tour de France cyclists travel around Europe on a bike race every month with November being their month. These occur in both summer and winter to give a wide range of weather conditions.
The Atlantic Hurricane season occurs in June and July where teams can test their hurricane making skills.
Finally, there are Easter Week Events which take place in both May and June which see many people attend local churches to visit with family or friends during these week-long events.
Shopping mall
Geneva’s most recognizable feature is the Geneva Clock, a movable white and black clock tower that visitors can climb for an amazing view of the city.
Many hotels and upscale neighborhoods are located in the western half of the city, making it an attractive place to visit. The eastern half of Geneva is relatively more residential and less shopping focused.
These differences create unique challenges when planning a trip. For example, if you wanted to go shopping but didn’t feel like walking or couldn’t afford a car trip, you could visit one of the many large department stores in the middle part of town.
With such high prices for goods and services in Geneva, many people find other ways to save money while visiting the city. Here are some ways to tell how expensive Geneva is based on your needs.
Beautiful scenery
Geneva is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It was built on a lake area, making it surrounded by beautiful scenery.
The city was founded in 1299 and has been re-established as a settlement several times since then. At that time, it was called Savoy, a name for a piece of land belonging to a nobleman.
When the Savoy became a city, it received some new buildings and a new name: Geneva, which comes from gala, which means brilliant or shining.
The surrounding countryside is full of beautiful churches and towns, making an attractive journey route. The Lake Geneva is another attractive landmark that helps guide people to the city centre.
An important symbol for Geneva is its steeple, which can be seen from across the lake. The steeple was once used to celebrate bishop Peter de Fribourg as well as his successors.
Well-known lake Geneva
Geneva is one of the most recognizable cities in the world, and for good reason.
The city is beautiful, with a sunny waterfront area and historic neighborhoods filled with charming buildings. Add in its close proximity to Lake Bienne and you have one of the best lakeside cities in Europe.
While Geneva does not have much snow, it still makes an excellent winter destination. The city is host to several skiing regions, so you will find some great ski resorts close by. You can also visit Laax, Colmore, Senechal-Bourgqiel, and Beyel-Jean-Pigué-Beyel-Jeannet as summer destinations.
As mentioned earlier, Geneva has a nice lakefront area that makes for a nice park or public beach location. If you are traveling with your family, be aware that Geneva has many waterparks and swimming areas where children can enjoy themselves.
High real estate prices
Despite its status as one of the world’s most expensive destinations, Geneva is not well-known outside of the money-off countries. This is mainly due to high real estate prices and lack of accessible areas.
This may be changing though, as more people are made aware of Geneva’s attractions via the rising real estate prices. Being able to afford a place in Geneva is a sign of success and recognition in society.
In order to maintain your status and gain recognition, you have to continuously add impressive features to your property. A good example of this is how many owners update their property’s exterior look and location privaceness over the years.
As it continues to gain popularity and success, real estate prices will continue to rise which will help lower demand and decrease competition which will decrease price further. Overall, property prices in Geneva remain expensive but location makes it desirable.
Famous for its Rolex store
Geneva is very known for its Rolex store coupled with its high cost of living. A lot of people visit this beautiful city to look for luxury watches and stores.
One of the most popular places to find watches in Geneva is the Rolex store. This is the second-largest Rolex store after ones in New York and Tokyo, making it one of the more prominent watch brands in Geneva.
They have a wide range of models available, from entry-level models to more expensive ones. Most expensive model I saw was probably a GMT watch, which goes by the time zone setting you have on your watch.
This is what people use to set their timezone as their watch needs to be factory set as an hour and minute clock or equipped with a timezone feature.
Near the airport
Geneva is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, with visitors coming from all over to see its ancient buildings and serene surroundings.
Because of this, Geneva has a very active transportation system, with several walking and car poolsing options. The main railway station is located just west of the centre and serves as a hub for suburban trains as well as some intercity services.
The largest airport in Switzerland is also located west of the centre, giving you more choices for transportation once you are there. There are also large cruise ship ports in Geneva, making it an ideal destination for holidays due to the water views.
Tourists also use the railway station as a way to arrive in Geneva, as there are many buses and trains that stop nearby. This helps keep costs down by avoiding expensive taxis or car rentals.