Discover what is life in Geneva like?
I feel, therefore I probably exist
The most common feeling when I am visiting one of the world metropolia is “how wonderful, regulated, cared for and clean it is” or at least I think so.
Usually, it is like that, at least for the time that I am spending there. Then, I wish to change the town in which we live for the one that is extra, mega beautiful like this one, where we are currently on a trip.
Are all these cities so fabulous and brilliant for a living as it seems to us at first sight?
…
Perhaps, sometimes the first impression is deceiving.
Geneva life
Is one of the towns on my wish list suitable for living. A Very beautiful town about which I wrote last year. Very glamorous and well-off life.
Surely I recommend to first read my first impression here, and then to continue reading about another side of the coin.
That other side is not so bad, don’t get me wrong….nowhere near blooming roses every day and sometimes you need to try a little bit harder for success.
But, those who like and wish enough could be the part of one of this world metropolis.
If you are asking me …
Carouge and Versoix….and these are the reasons.
Carouge
With specific Franco-Italian architecture.
Full of cafes and handicraft workshops, pastry shops with delicious cakes and cookies. Yummly 🙂
Full of bohemian life with perfect jazz music.
Nearby is one of the most popular and one of the best nightlife clubs in Geneva, after which you will need, as the name of the club is telling you, a bypass.
If you are already there, without children, on something like a honeymoon, then you have to visit clubs like Le Chat Noir, Bar la Forge, La Plage, Le Borsalino and Le Marchand de Sable.
Carouge has its own museum, cinema, lot’s of galleries and studios which could be also visited during your stay in Geneva.
Versoix
If you are tired of nightlife, food, fast food, drinks and fun then Versoix is the right location for you.
Everything under the thread, quite, lot’s of places for quite walking and driving bicycles.
Versoix is situated on the road for Lausanne on the lake coast. It has it’s own marine and sailing is very developed.
Vacation with lying in the sun and in the beaches on the lake, or making a picnic in green parks is a good choice and a “must do”.
The coffee you can find almost everywhere, but if you really want to eat something sweet, for example, chocolate, you have an entire factory for yourself 🙂 .
One of the Suisse chocolate factories is in Versoix, Favarge, and about it, we already know a lot from here.
Beautiful nature is almost everywhere.
Usual reasons for living in the suburbs
- Security and relatively small possibilities for street crimes
- Privacy
- Better schools
- Friends and relatives (family)
- Better and cheaper real estate
How much does it cost living in Geneva?
Generally speaking, Switzerland is a very expensive country, but Geneva is in the top 10 most expensive towns.
If your professional occupation is one of the most wanted in Switzerland, like IT, and you are thinking of starting your life from begging, these are the things that you have to take into consideration:
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The rent
Real estate prices are quite high. But the quality of the real estate justifies the prices.
Two bedrooms apartment/flat is about 1500 CHF which is the same amount in euros. Because of such large price of apartments, expats often choose to live in France near the border with Switzerland, commuting every day from one country to another to work.
I have already written about one of that kind of cities in France Ferney Voltaire.
Not to mention the kind of qualifications that should be met to rent or to change the place of residence (apartment or flat) 🙂 .
While fulfilling all the requirements (if you’re an average citizen with an average salary) half of your life will pass 🙂 .
Therefore, when you are choosing, choose for life 🙂 . -
Costs of public transport
In this case, it is not millions, but the cost is really not negligible.
How much those costs are, you can read here. -
Education
Before I give you some information regarding the costs of education I have to mark up that the state invests a lot of money into education and in this way, education is on very high level. Graduate children leave school like very independent people.
But that pleasure has its price of course.
International schools are about 35 000 CHF per year plus school trips, books, and uniforms.
As you can see, it is not so easy to step in the high class of citizens, but the education is one of the major tickets for that.
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Costs of food and restaurants
We are used to going to restaurants at least once a week. However, the Geneva image of our bohemian life would be somewhat different.
For example, taking in consideration McDonald’s Big mac meal which in Serbia costs only 2,8 euros, is 14CHF in Geneva, the same price in euros in this moment.Thanks, but I am not hungry 🙂
Cappuccino 5 CHF, Coca Cola 0,5 l is 4,5 CHF.
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Free time
Vacations are exorbitantly priced like everywhere else, but the choices are very wide, from riding a bike to hiking and trekking.
The only thing that I’m not accustomed to is that almost anything works on Sundays.
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Healthcare
Which again depends on the coverage, and so the price is a matter of change.
What are the suburbs of Geneva?
- Acacias situated between the city center and Carouge. Lots of companies there have their headquarters, and according to that, expats decide to find the real estate on that location.
- Paquis is a cosmopolitan part of the city, with very high prices and bohemian atmosphere. International cuisines, cafes, even the center of drugs and prostitution.
- Cologny for the ones who love nature and space.
- Grottes/Saint Gervais even if it is very close to the city center you feel like you are in a village.
- Chenes Bougeries, Champel….something for everyone 🙂
My experience
Two portions of cakes ( not so small) plus two coffees are 23 CHF, but despite that, I wish to go there again 🙂
Numerical indicators of the cost for 2016 downloaded from the site for expats.
