Finding a place to live in Geneva is complicated and hard work.
First you need to decide where to live. There are so many options including, for many people, the option to live outside of Geneva, or not in Switzerland at all.
Frontaliers
The word frontaliers is used to describe people who work “across the border”, living in one country and working in another. In the case of Geneva, this is usually people who live in France but work in Switzerland, because France is so much cheaper to live in. Living in France is an option for some people who come to Geneva.
If you do think about living in France, again you have many options. Ferney Voltaire is ery close to the UN, ICRC, and other international organisations in Grand Sacconex. However, it’s a small town and has limited amenities. Annemasse is amuch bigger town to the south of Geneva, which has many more amenities. It used to be a crappy, industrial town near Geneva but it is gentrifying rapidly and now feels more like a Geneva subburb. The downside is that it’s far from the UN, etc. If you’re working in Eau Vives, it’s ideal. There are a few more options which I will explore later.
Which area of Geneva?
The parts of Geneva differ greatly and you should decide on one before looking for a