Purchase Budget in Geneva: Calculator, Equity, Costs and Income
A purchase budget in Geneva adds the price and the purchase costs, financed by equity and a mortgage, and is capped by household income. Two constraints apply at the same time: the cash available and the household's gross income each set a ceiling on the price. The calculator on this page applies these two limits to your own situation and shows which one is binding.
This article covers how the budget is put together, the equity and income that banks require, and the affordability calculator. It sets out the costs added to the price, the Geneva cantonal assistance schemes and the steps that follow once the budget is fixed.
What does a property purchase budget in Geneva consist of?
A purchase budget in Geneva consists of the price of the property, covered by a mortgage and your equity, plus the purchase costs. Swiss banks finance at most 80% of the price; the buyer contributes at least 20%.
The mortgage is split into two ranks: the first up to two thirds of the property's value and the second for the balance. Under the guidelines of the Swiss Bankers Association (section 2.2), the second-rank mortgage is amortised linearly over no more than 15 years; the first-rank mortgage is not amortised.
Purchase costs are added to the price and are not covered by the mortgage. In Geneva they come to about 6% of the price for 80% financing, including the deed of sale and the mortgage note. For a purchase at CHF 1,000,000: CHF 800,000 borrowed, CHF 200,000 contributed, CHF 60,000 in costs, making a complete budget of CHF 1,060,000.
The diagram below shows the three parts of the budget to scale, using the CHF 1,000,000 example: the bar is almost entirely taken up by the CHF 800,000 mortgage, the CHF 200,000 of equity forms the next block and the CHF 60,000 of purchase costs is only a thin strip, but the brace is a reminder that these last two segments, CHF 260,000 together, are paid in cash.
Two constraints limit this budget: the equity available on one side, the household's gross income on the other.
How much equity do you need to buy in Geneva?
You need at least 20% of the price in equity to buy in Geneva, i.e. CHF 200,000 on CHF 1,000,000, according to the financing guides of Swiss banks and insurers (Mobiliar, Helvetia, 2026).
Of these 20%, at least 10% must come from sources other than the 2nd pillar, whether withdrawn or pledged. This "hard equity" rule, set by the guidelines of the Swiss Bankers Association (section 2.1), limits the share of retirement savings committed to the home.
Banks accept five sources of equity for the buyer's own home.
- Savings: available immediately.
- 2nd pillar: withdrawn or pledged, main residence only, CHF 20,000 minimum per withdrawal.
- Pillar 3a: withdrawal every five years at most, or pledge.
- Advance on inheritance or gift: family capital, counted as hard equity.
- Securities or life insurance policies: pledged, without being sold.
Withdrawing 2nd pillar assets (art. 30c of the federal law on occupational pension provision, LPP) brings in cash and reduces the debt, but the future pension falls and a separate tax applies. A pledge (art. 30b LPP) brings in no cash: the security replaces the contribution and the debt remains higher.
On CHF 1,000,000, the cash to bring together comes to CHF 260,000, i.e. 26% of the price: CHF 200,000 of equity and CHF 60,000 of purchase costs. The household's gross income sets the second limit.
What income do you need to buy in Geneva?
To buy in Geneva, the household's gross annual income must reach three times the property's imputed costs. The banks' affordability rule caps these costs at one third of gross income (Mobiliar's property financing guide, August 2026).
These imputed costs have three components. Interest is calculated at an imputed interest rate of 5% on the debt, against 1.5 to 2.05% for a 10-year fixed rate in the first half of 2026 (Swiss mortgage comparison sites). The bank tests for a rise in interest rates.
Amortisation of the second-rank mortgage is counted at one fifteenth of the balance above two thirds of the value. Maintenance is counted at 1% of the price per year, or 0.75% at some institutions.
The gross income taken into account is the sum of the household's salaries before social security contributions and tax.
In Geneva, an existing 100 m² apartment on the open market costs about CHF 1.09 million at the 2024 median price of CHF 10,853/m² (cantonal statistics office, November 2025), which corresponds to the CHF 1,100,000 price point in the table. The table below applies the three components above to six price points: debt at 80%, costs of 4% of the price and 2.5% of the loan, excluding Casatax, rounded to the nearest thousand.
| Price | Equity | Estimated costs | Total cash | Imputed costs per year | Min. gross income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHF 700,000 | CHF 140,000 | CHF 42,000 | CHF 182,000 | CHF 41,000 | CHF 124,000 |
| CHF 900,000 | CHF 180,000 | CHF 54,000 | CHF 234,000 | CHF 53,000 | CHF 159,000 |
| CHF 1,100,000 | CHF 220,000 | CHF 66,000 | CHF 286,000 | CHF 65,000 | CHF 194,000 |
| CHF 1,400,000 | CHF 280,000 | CHF 84,000 | CHF 364,000 | CHF 82,000 | CHF 247,000 |
| CHF 1,800,000 | CHF 360,000 | CHF 108,000 | CHF 468,000 | CHF 106,000 | CHF 318,000 |
| CHF 2,500,000 | CHF 500,000 | CHF 150,000 | CHF 650,000 | CHF 147,000 | CHF 442,000 |
At every price point, the cash to bring together exceeds 1.4 times the minimum gross income: close to a year and a half of gross income to gather before the purchase. In Geneva, a salaried household relying only on its savings hits the cash limit before the income limit. The calculator below applies both ceilings to your situation.
What is your affordability given your income and equity?
Your affordability given your income and equity is the lower of the two price ceilings, the one set by cash and the one set by income.
The calculator below works it out and shows the binding constraint, the cash to bring together and the monthly costs.
Your household
Parameters as of 16 September 2026: 20 % equity of which 10 % outside the 2nd pillar (SBA guidelines), 80 % mortgage, 2nd rank amortised over 15 years, 5 % theoretical rate, 1 % maintenance, charges capped at one third of gross income; Geneva purchase costs ≈ 4 % of the price + 2.5 % of the loan, Casatax rebate CHF 20'924 up to CHF 1'394'928. Indicative estimate: each bank applies its own parameters.
It uses the usual bank parameters (debt at 80%, imputed interest rate of 5%, amortisation over 15 years, maintenance at 1%, as at September 2026) and applies the Casatax discount to the purchase costs if the home is the main residence and the price does not exceed the Casatax cap. Each bank applies its own parameters: the result is an estimate, and the financing decision rests with the bank.
Example excluding Casatax: a Geneva household has CHF 200,000 of gross annual income and CHF 220,000 of available cash. Income allows a price of CHF 1,132,000 (200,000 ÷ 0.1767); available cash caps it at CHF 846,000 (220,000 ÷ 0.26): cash is the binding constraint. At CHF 846,000, the cash required comes to CHF 220,000 (CHF 169,000 of contribution, CHF 51,000 of costs) and the imputed costs to CHF 49,800 per year, or CHF 4,150 per month.
What costs are added to the purchase price in Geneva?
Four costs are added to the purchase price in Geneva: registration duties, the land register fee, the notary's fee and the duties on the mortgage note (the security instrument handed to the bank).
They come to nearly 4% of the price for the deed of sale, plus 2.5% of the loan for the mortgage note, payable out of equity at signing.
Each item follows its own scale.
- Registration duties: 3% of the price, levied by the State on any deed transferring ownership for consideration (art. 33 of the law on registration duties, LDE).
- Land register fee: 0.21% of the price, capped at CHF 40,000; 0.085% of the secured claim for the pledge.
- Notary's fee: cantonal scale with decreasing rates by bracket, about 0.5% of the price, plus VAT and disbursements.
- Duties on the mortgage note: 0.65% of the amount plus additional centimes, i.e. 1.365%, paid to the State (art. 84 and 85 LDE).
On a CHF 1,000,000 property financed at 80%, the deed of sale costs nearly CHF 40,000 and the CHF 800,000 mortgage note about CHF 20,000: CHF 60,000 to add to the CHF 200,000 of equity. The duties and fees, grouped under the common name of notary fees, follow the same scale at every Geneva notary.
Four cantonal assistance schemes reduce this budget for a main residence: three State schemes supporting access to home ownership and the Casatax tax discount on registration duties. The purchase process starts once a bank has validated the budget.
Which cantonal assistance schemes reduce the budget in Geneva?
Four cantonal assistance schemes reduce the budget for a purchase in Geneva, provided by the State and by the cantonal bank, for a main residence, according to the Geneva cantonal administration.
Three schemes concern cash: the first helps you build it up, the other two reduce the contribution required.
- Home savings account: the State doubles the interest credited by the cantonal bank, with a premium capped at CHF 1,200 per year for ten years and no income condition.
- State guarantee: the State guarantees a second-rank mortgage up to 95% of the property's value and brings the equity required down to 5%, subject to conditions on price, income and wealth.
- State loan: a cantonal loan fills the shortfall in equity as soon as the buyer contributes 5% of the acquisition cost.
The fourth reduces the deed costs. The sale duty on a main residence falls by CHF 20,924 if the price does not exceed CHF 1,394,928, a discount known as Casatax (art. 8A LDE). The same scheme halves the duty on the mortgage deed, in return for a commitment to occupy the home for three years.
Can you buy in Geneva with 10% equity?
Yes, you can buy in Geneva with 10% equity when the State guarantees a second-rank mortgage up to 95% of the property's value. These 10% do not come from the 2nd pillar; the guarantee even allows a contribution of 5%, compared with 20% without it.
The debt then reaches 90% of the price: the imputed interest and the amortisation of the second-rank mortgage increase, and the income required rises accordingly. The guarantee is reserved for the main residence, subject to ceilings on price, income and wealth.
What should you do once the budget is set?
Three steps turn the budget you have set into the ability to make an offer.
- Put together the financing file (salary certificate, latest tax assessment, debt enforcement register extract): the bank asks for it from the financing meeting onwards, then again for the confirmation tied to a specific property.
- Have the bank confirm the budget before the first viewing, with a written agreement in principle: the seller often asks for financing confirmation as early as the reservation, and at the latest at the notary's office.
- Focus the search on properties whose price fits within the budget, deed costs included: the advertised price includes neither the duties nor the cost of the mortgage note.
For anyone who wants to buy in Geneva, a confirmed budget opens the full process, from searching for the property to signing the deed.