All-Inclusive: How Much You Really Save in Coliving (The Table)

The "cheap rent" trap

When comparing housing, the first reflex is to look at the rent. A studio at 750 € seems cheaper than coliving at 1,380 CHF. Logical, right? Except this comparison is misleading. Rent is just the tip of the iceberg. The real cost of housing is everything that comes after.

We often hear "coliving is expensive." Fair enough. So let's do the reverse calculation: how much would it cost to recreate the same services as coliving by paying for them separately? The answer surprises everyone.

What a "standard" rent covers (and what it doesn't)

A listed rent of 750 €/month for a studio on the French side (Annemasse, Ville-la-Grand) covers the walls only. Here's what you need to add for normal living.

Electricity and heating represent 50 to 120 € per month depending on the season — winters in Haute-Savoie are harsh, and a poorly insulated studio can easily reach 100 € in January. Hot water adds 20-30 €. Fiber internet (Free, Orange, SFR), count 30-40 €. Home insurance, 15-25 €. Garbage collection tax, about 10-15 €.

Then come "comfort" expenses that are actually essential. A gym membership: 30-50 € at a basic gym (Basic Fit, Fitness Park), 60-100 € at a decent one. Netflix/streaming: 15-25 €. Cleaning? If you do it yourself, that's time. If you pay someone, it's 60-120 €/month for twice-weekly cleaning.

And furniture. An empty studio requires a bed (300-600 €), a desk (100-300 €), a sofa (200-500 €), a table and chairs (100-300 €), appliances (microwave, vacuum, iron: 200-400 €), household linen (100-200 €). Total: 1,000 to 2,300 € minimum, amortized over 2-3 years meaning 35-95 €/month.

The truth table: adding it all up

The real gap: not what you think

Looking at this table, the 750 € studio actually costs 1,070-1,280 € per month when living normally. The gap with coliving is no longer 600 € — it's 70 to 280 €. And coliving includes a heated pool, sauna, sports classes, and a community. Try recreating that for 280 € per month.

For flatsharing, the 400-550 € gap exists, that's true. But flatsharing provides no pool, no sauna, no professional cleaning, no organized community, no premium amenities. And it comes with compromises (noise, cleanliness, roommate turnover).

Coliving isn't the cheapest option. It's the option offering the best ratio between what you pay and what you receive.

Invisible savings: time and mental load

Nobody talks about the cost of mental load. When you live alone in a studio, you manage everything: bills, repairs, cleaning, shopping for toilet paper, descaling the water heater, finding a plumber at 10 PM when the toilet leaks. Each micro-problem eats 15-60 minutes.

In coliving, a team handles everything. Cleaning is done. Maintenance is preventive. WiFi works. If something breaks, you send a message and it's handled. At La Villa Coliving, our average response time for a technical issue is under 24 hours.

By conservative estimate, managing a studio takes 4-6 hours per month (cleaning, shopping, admin, small repairs). At an average cross-border hourly rate of 35 €/h, that's 140-210 € of "lost" time. Coliving gives you that time back.

The initial investment: the real comparison

This is often the deciding factor for someone arriving in the area. Here's what you need upfront before even moving in.

For a studio in Geneva: 3-month guarantee (5,400-6,600 CHF) + agency fees (1,800-2,200 CHF) + furniture (3,000-7,000 CHF) = 10,200 to 15,800 CHF before your first month's rent. That's 2-3 months' salary for many cross-border workers.

For a flatshare on the French side: 2-month deposit (1,000-1,400 €) + bedroom furniture (500-1,000 €) + small equipment (200-400 €) = 1,700 to 2,800 €.

For La Villa coliving: 2-month deposit only = 2,760 CHF. No furniture, no agency fees, no setup. You arrive with your suitcases.

Coliving has the simplest and most predictable initial investment. That's a major advantage for someone arriving from abroad or another region who doesn't want to tie up 15,000 CHF before even starting work.

3 profiles, 3 calculations

Léa, 26, first job in Geneva, 4,800 CHF net. Recommended housing budget: 1,440 CHF max (30%). The Geneva studio is out of budget. The flatshare at 650 € fits but isolation scares her. Coliving at 1,380 CHF is just within budget and offers an immediate network. Optimal choice: coliving.

Marc, 32, engineer, 7,500 CHF net. Housing budget: 2,250 CHF. All options are accessible. But Marc values his free time and hates cleaning. The studio is comfortable but management-intensive. Coliving frees 4-6h/month and offers pool + sports. Optimal choice: coliving or studio depending on autonomy vs community priority.

Sofia, 28, in transition, 5,500 CHF net. Budget: 1,650 CHF. Sofia arrives from Madrid, knows nobody. A studio would isolate her. A flatshare is a gamble (which flatmates?). Coliving combines housing + network + services at 1,380 CHF (25% of salary). Optimal choice: coliving, without hesitation.

What you can't put in a table

Numbers don't capture everything. Coliving is also coming home to find people in the living room to share a spontaneous drink with. It's the Saturday barbecue by the pool in summer. It's the advice from a co-liver who knows a good doctor, a good mechanic, a good accountant. It's the professional network that naturally forms when 10 people from different sectors live under the same roof.

No studio will provide that. And no random flatshare will guarantee it.

Ready to see for yourself? Check our pricing or submit your application.

---

Also read:

• Studio in Geneva vs flatshare in France: the real budget
• Furnished room in Annemasse and near Geneva
• The advantages of coliving for young professionals