Hiya all,

I've got a job in Geneva with relocation sorted. I don't speak French but want o learn (quite excited by the prospect). From a financial perspective would it be cheaper to live in France and commute to Geneva? In-terms of rent, and would I need to buy health insurance? I'm a UK citizen so don't need a visa to reside in France, and I getting my visa sorted for Switzerland.

Also, would there be a problem not speaking French and living on France if I live in an area full of expats (if there is one). I'll be living by myself so might not even be worth moving if there is no cost save from a tax perspective.

Look forward to your replies,
A

Try using the search function. Should take you about the same amount of time to find your answers as it would be for me to tap out the explanations on my phone.

It's a matter of personal choice..
Renting in geneva will generally be a lot more expensive compared to renting in france and commuting. However, the reason it's more expensive is also because it's - generally- a lot *nicer* too. If you had a large family, were looking for a big house etc perhaps commuting made more sense, but if you are single, looking for a studio for example, it's perhaps not worth the hassle, having to venture into another country after a night out. Also note if you rent in france you then pay tax on your salary in France too, which is also higher than Switzerland. Plus you'll most likely need transport eg car, so also no drinking in Gva possible. Visa advantages are not an issue, even in Fr you'd need to get some documentation to prove u are not a tourist, eg for opening bank accounts and the like.

Do the search as recommended above. You WON'T be taxed on your salary in France.

I like to joke that "France is very French", so as a single person without French it is not much fun. The most expat place is probably Pays de Gex (West of Geneva under the Jura mountains), which is a melting pot of people from all over, many working at either CERN or the UN. However, it is basically just one big housing estate. I think that living in Geneva is probably a better option, while you "get a life".