Cost of Living in Zurich

Summary about cost of living in Zurich, Switzerland:

Four-person family monthly costs: 6,072.32$ (5,630.73Fr.) without rent (using our estimator).
A single person monthly costs: 1,642.00$ (1,522.60Fr.) without rent.
Cost of living index in Zurich is 32.22% higher than in New York.
Rent in Zurich is, on average, 35.90% lower than in New York.
Cost of living rank 2^nd out of 576 cities in the world.
Zurich has a cost of living index of 132.22.

Restaurants	[ Edit ]	Range
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant	26.96 $	19.41-37.74
Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course	107.84 $	86.27-161.76
McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal)	16.18 $	14.56-17.25
Domestic Beer (1 pint draught)	7.55 $	5.39-8.63
Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle)	7.01 $	5.84-9.17
Cappuccino (regular)	5.47 $	3.50-7.55
Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle)	4.77 $	3.24-5.39
Water (12 oz small bottle)	4.03 $	2.70-5.39
Markets	[ Edit ]
Milk (regular), (1 gallon)	6.59 $	5.10-8.16
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb)	2.70 $	1.17-4.40
Rice (white), (1 lb)	1.38 $	0.98-2.45
Eggs (regular) (12)	6.10 $	3.24-8.52
Local Cheese (1 lb)	12.15 $	7.34-29.35
Chicken Fillets (1 lb)	13.65 $	7.34-18.59
Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)	25.08 $	14.67-39.13
Apples (1 lb)	1.89 $	0.98-2.93
Banana (1 lb)	1.46 $	0.83-3.91
Oranges (1 lb)	1.89 $	0.98-3.91
Tomato (1 lb)	2.10 $	1.00-3.91
Potato (1 lb)	1.29 $	0.73-1.96
Onion (1 lb)	1.32 $	0.73-1.96
Lettuce (1 head)	2.68 $	1.40-4.31
Water (1.5 liter bottle)	1.20 $	0.27-2.16
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range)	16.18 $	7.55-21.57
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)	1.92 $	1.08-3.24
Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle)	2.92 $	1.29-5.39
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro)	9.27 $	8.63-9.71
Transportation	[ Edit ]
One-way Ticket (Local Transport)	4.75 $	3.34-7.33
Monthly Pass (Regular Price)	91.67 $	86.27-134.80
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)	7.55 $	6.47-8.63
Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff)	7.81 $	6.60-13.36
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)	74.41 $	53.92-86.27
Gasoline (1 gallon)	6.60 $	5.72-7.02
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car)	29,656.66 $	24,695.91-32,352.72
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car)	27,591.14 $	26,960.60-30,195.87
Utilities (Monthly)	[ Edit ]
Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment	211.28 $	107.84-352.56
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans)	0.41 $	0.16-0.70
Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL)	57.75 $	43.14-86.27
Sports And Leisure	[ Edit ]
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult	95.78 $	53.92-161.76
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend)	39.00 $	26.96-53.92
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat	20.49 $	18.33-26.96
Childcare	[ Edit ]
Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child	2,683.05 $	1,941.16-3,235.27
International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child	33,708.99 $	25,882.18-38,823.27
Clothing And Shoes	[ Edit ]
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)	120.53 $	81.96-161.76
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...)	56.11 $	32.35-86.27
1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range)	124.35 $	86.27-161.76
1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes	191.24 $	107.84-323.53
Rent Per Month	[ Edit ]
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre	2,089.18 $	1,617.64-2,696.06
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre	1,537.19 $	1,294.11-2,156.85
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre	3,874.44 $	3,019.59-5,392.12
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre	2,724.06 $	2,156.85-3,666.64
Buy Apartment Price	[ Edit ]
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre	1,286.75 $	1,001.88-1,522.86
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre	809.50 $	500.94-1,202.26
Salaries And Financing	[ Edit ]
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)	6,931.99 $
Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate	1.29	0.90-1.80

Prices in Zurich

This city had 2714 entries in the past 12 months by 318 different contributors.
Last update: September 2020

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DeutschLebenshaltungskosten in Zürich
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ItalianoCosto della Vita a Zurigo
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43 Comments so far

#f77741@aol.com on Jul 23, 2020 :

Hello Everyone, why wasting your precious time online looking for a loan? Invest with $500 and get a return of $5,000 within 3-4 business days. Contact now

#Monica on Jun 30, 2020 :

Hello, I’m transferring from our Japan office Switzerland (Zurich office) in March 2021. I’m UE citizen.
The salary will be 83-86K gross + bonuses.

I’m rather cheap person and even here in Japan I was saving 50% of my salary. In Switzerland it will be difficult.

I was planning to spend:
1,7K flat
1,6K living costs (food, spending, weekly cycling / hiking trips)
1,1K investment
1,1K savings

What are your thoughts of that? Is is possible to life well like that? Or should I prepare that I will not be able to save as much?

Cheers,

#anonimousss on Jun 05, 2020 :

@#Anonymous, 3400 in Bratislava means you can save half of that, in Zurich with 10.000 you can save half of that, it means much better life, and when you go retired, you will have much higher pension, and home of 1 million, while in Bratislava you will have 10 times less. I could not compare Bratislava to Zurich, it is pointless in any sense. By the way I live not too far from you.

#Anonymous on May 31, 2020 :

UBS or Credit Suisse?

I'm considering applying for a job in either of these 2, but I'm honestly finding it difficult to "translate" my current income in Central Europe to the salaries and costs of living in Switzerland. I'm earning around 3400 EUR per month (net) here which is a pretty good salary, around 3x times the local net salary where I live (Bratislava).
Looking on Glassdoor and other sites I see salaries ranging between 110 - 170 000 CHF/year including bonus, for a position I would be looking at, but I'm guessing this is gross? Considering that, do you think I would be better or worse off in Zurich or Geneva vs. Bratislava?

#Jay on Mar 01, 2020 :

I am a masters in physics looking forward to, get my phd at eth zurich and research and live in Switzerland. How much would I be able to save?

#ala on Dec 05, 2019 :

hi friends

How to get a job as a simple worker without the need for language in Zurich and Switzerland?
Nothing can be found at job sites .

#Marco on Oct 31, 2019 :

Could you please clarify why the cost of Health Insurance is not included? In Switzerland the health insurance is mandatory and it is about 250 CHF per person. In other countries (e.g. UK, France, Italy) this is covered by taxes. When you compare salaries and cost of living, other countries may have lower salaries but health insurance is already paid.

#Anonymous on Sep 23, 2019 :

Look all of this immigrant violence propaganda is bullshit. This is all coming from people who have no idea. Go look at the statistics. Switzerland is objectively the best country in the world and Zurich is one of her best cities. The economy is booming and people are prosperous. Yes the cost of living is very high but so are the wages so you’ll be living the best possible life for the profession and income level you have.

The comment about electricity prices is absolute bs. For a family of 3 living in an apartment the average price of electricity (with everything meaning you also cook with electricity) is 1500 Franken A YEAR.

The average rents are very accurate here so the whole „you need 8k to rent an apartment“ ist absolute horseshit

Also the comment about Morocco is also bullshit. Morocco is a VERY poor country. They’re also in a civil war. Just go look at Casablanca here on Numbeo and see how little you earn there.

You’re alternatives to Switzerland in the same ballpark are Singapore and Norway.

#Anonymous on Sep 13, 2019 :

Furthermore it gets very cold throughout Switzerland and winters normally last five months minimum. Just to heat your apartment would cost on average 4,000 chf each month and that's just a one bedroom apartment.Add another 4,000 on top of that for electric.

#Anonymous on Sep 13, 2019 :

You couldn't find a one bedroom apartment in Zurich for any less than 8,000 chf each month.You need to get a tourist visa and look at the prices in Zurich for yourself instead of depending upon prices on Numbeo.The only thing Numbeo is interested in is money they make on others advertising that's all and it's always been like that. I'm a lifelong resident of Zurich so I personally know prices of rental apartments and rental houses since I own some I rent.If you can only save 5,000 to 6,000 chf each month then you shouldn't even think about moving to Zurich,just being honest.

#Anonymous on Aug 26, 2019 :

Hello,
I am thinking of moving to Zurich. My plan is to save around 5000 to 6000chf each month for having a decent living. Single person looking for a 2 bedroom apartment near the city center. Do you believe that it's enough? Is it better to get a 2 bedroom apartment near the city center or something that is outside? I was thinking of a 30min commute to Waffenplatzstrasse. Any idea on house prices?

Thanks in advance!

#Anonymous on Aug 09, 2019 :

To SOMEONE# Being a lifelong resident of Zurich I wouldn't recommend trying to find work anywhere in Zurich currently especially since Zurich is way overrun with migrants.The influx of migrants has severely affected our economy throughout and many companies have already left Zurich over the past 6 months and more leaving too.Germany is having the same problems.I'd recommend Morocco since their economy is booming plus new infrastructure projects are advancing rapidly.

#Someone on Jul 28, 2019 :

Hi.
What is the wage of a Python developer, and is this possible to live "more than normal" with that wage in Zurich or outside from the city (20-50 km)?

Thanks :-)

#Nikos on Jul 17, 2019 :

Hi guys
I want to ask what is the minimum wage in Zurich and I wanted to ask how easy it is to find a job as a bus driver?
and about wages?

#Anonymous on Apr 28, 2019 :

To Zurich Migrant I don't believe what you said about migrant violence, nothing's farther from the truth.I'm a native Swiss citizen all of my life.Nobody in Switzerland beats up Americans, never have.You've got your information backwards obviously.Migrants from Africa and other Arabic countries are hell bent on major violence Afghanistan being one of the big groups in Zurich.Look at the crime blotter at the police station,read it in the paper,look around it's easy to find violence all over Zurich.If you actually lived in Zurich you'd know how it is,but you don't so cut the BS with your promotional skills which are severely lacking.

#Zürich Migrant on Apr 28, 2019 :

Don't believe everything you read on the internet, folks. These comments are open for anyone to write their political bias into. Do your research.

There's no migrant violence happening in Zürich. Swiss people don't verbally beat up Americans. Source: I am a B permit American migrant working in Zürich.

Cost of living is very high though, so this site's indication seems pretty accurate to me.

#Anonymous on Apr 10, 2019 :

Like ANONYMOUS mentioned from Zurich I'm another person from Zurich living outside of Zurich due to civil unrest from migrants. Blame is blame some true and some not true.My family's safety means more to me than living in a hotbed of violence around most every corner as Zurich is sadly.I've had the pleasure of meeting Americans visiting Zurich over the years.I've also had the displeasure of many Swiss verbally beating up the Americans in general just because they're culture is much different than ours.Americans have been called most everything negative around Europe for so many years unjustly.The Americans helped all of Europe with their military might for as long as I can remember.I'm afraid Europe has lost a very important Ali with the Americans forever.I'm sure if Europe and the Americans were on good terms the Americans would rid all areas of Europe and the growing migrant problems.Oh how I wish Switzerland and the rest of Europe would've been more civil to the Americans. Tristan

#Anonymous on Apr 10, 2019 :

# Steve No matter how you paint it Zurich and other parts near Zurich are being saturated by migrant violence plus many of the Swiss are joining the march to civil unrest unfortunately.At this point it's needless to promote a country that was once peaceful.Sad part is Switzerland has inherited all the migrants that's arrived and the migrants won't leave either.You have an American name STEVE and obviously don't have a clue about Switzerland.You're just typing nonsense,get real.

#Steve on Apr 10, 2019 :

As evidenced by the comments below, rising xenophobia and nationalism have become a problem in switzerland recently. Don't mind them though, most of us are friendly :)

#Anonymous on Apr 05, 2019 :

# Anonymous2 I'm a native of Zurich asshole and I still live in Switzerland but I moved outside of Zurich in February due to migrant violence.You sound like a troll with your haha bullshit.The world knows that Zurich has become very violent due to the influx of migrants pouring in.Yes I'm talking about you migrant.Get the fuck out of my country,all of you shit eaters.

#Anonymous2 on Apr 04, 2019 :

@Anonymous: sounds like you have not been to Switzerland - it is one of the most peaceful countries ever, haha. But I guess if you're trying to agitate against foreigners, the truth is unimportant.

#Anonymous on Mar 07, 2019 :

7,000 is a better amount each month Sila.Avoid Switzerland due to violent protests by migrants.

#Sila on Feb 25, 2019 :

Hello from Turkey;

I got a scholarship from my government. They offer me 3300 CHF per month just for living. So you think it is enough?

#Someone on Jan 23, 2019 :

Does anyone know any major websites for apartment rentals?

#Philippe on Jan 10, 2019 :

CHF 3'500.00 (3500 USD) in Zurich per month as a single person is the level of poverty.
With this, if you want your own appartment, you cannot have a car, can't go on holiday, only go to the cheapest restaurants or so. In addition, it will be very hard to find an appartment to rent in a city center, as the price of the rent must not be above 1/3 of the salary.

with 4'500-5'000 min. it's more comfortable. The average salary in Zurich is CHF 6500.00

#Ronnie on Jan 06, 2019 :

Hey everyone! I want to move to Zurich with my family of four me my sister mom and dad is it possible for us to live in Zurich if my dads the only one working among the four of us? I mean with the health insurance and all things

#نشکخسشک نشکخسشک on Dec 06, 2018 :

I am going to stay in Zurich for three months for clinical training program at Zurich University ....Can any one guide me about the least least possible monthly expenses regardless of the monthly apartment rent....any one help .

#maz on Sep 19, 2018 :

part-time Subway hot-dog-flippers are paid 3500$ a month, of course you cannot expect Zurich to be a cheap city

#Walter on Aug 29, 2018 :

I am planning to buy an apartment for 500.000 chf in Zurich, or 20km from the city center. How much yearly canton or federal tax should I pay?

#First Name on Aug 23, 2018 :

@Weinachtür
You're lying. Even if you somehow manage to share a cheap apartment and cook all the food for yourself every single day, that makes it as you put it at €450 (~CHF512). What about CHF350 health insurance, CHF85 public transport, CHF30 cleaning/personal hygiene? €858. That's an absolute bare minimum, living like a robot without ever visiting a doctor or indulging into any recreational activity.

#P.K.S.Perera on Aug 09, 2018 :

Hi,
Im Perera from Srilanka. i like so much to Zurich city. and i like work that city. can you give me a some work, pls send to me an e-mail. thank you.

#Pavel on Jul 26, 2018 :

Hi I am interested in working in Zurich on a engineering position (electrical power engineering, high voltage engineering). My question is what is the real range of a salary after tax for a position where is needed at least a university title (Ing. or higher). Thanks

#Mark on May 29, 2018 :

@D. Bova stop trying to reason out that people need money here, we don't need your money or marketing.

The problem with these real-estate idiots is they keep making the price of the land up - we need to stop this culture and make a referendum about these "profiting" attitude

#Weinachtür on May 16, 2018 :

I am firmly convinced that with at least 600 Euros you can easily get buy monthly. As for food, I spend no more than 100 euros per month. For a bedroom in a shared flat I spend 350 euros (bills and taxes included). Many people complain about the extremely high cost of living in here, but honestly I do not understand the reasons.

#Jerry on May 09, 2018 :

@D. Bova

So you say if you don't invest to property you can't amount to anything?

Tell that to Warren Buffett, Soros,Icahn, etc. etc., all the way down to the "humble" millionaires that made their money with investing rather than putting it all on real estate. Real estate itself is NOT bullet-proof and you can easily lose money on it too, not to mention the "liquidity" of owning property is usually quite thin, not as easy to sell a house as it is to sell some shares or ETFs.

So stop trying to fish for investors or to convince people its such a great idea to invest in real estate.

#Anonymous on Mar 19, 2018 :

Please don't forget to add these expenses: Compulsory private health insurance (roughly 350 CHF monthly per person), Garbage taxes (2 CHF for each trash bag), Childcare for infants (3000 CHF monthly per child), Billag tax (450 CHF yearly), Banking services (10 to 40 CHF monthly).

#Monwar Ahmed on Oct 16, 2017 :

How much is the net salary for a waiter in Zurich..thanks

#AJEET SHARMA on Sep 04, 2017 :

Hello....! Iam switching to Zurich for work ..! Could u please tell me the living expense..

#joanGargi on Nov 17, 2016 :

hello i would like to know if you can open easy a shop in zurich

#Grisha on Sep 16, 2016 :

These costs do not mention childcare, which is super expensive in Zurich.
I used to pay 3000 CHF to have one kid in Kindergarden full day.
These costs gradually decline as kids grow and enter state-funded system, by age 7 they largely disappear though.

#Josh on Sep 13, 2016 :

Helen is right.Real net wages in Switzerland considering what she wrote in the reality are much lower than declared.

#Helen on Sep 13, 2016 :

Dont forget the insurance that everyone has to pay in Switzerland. It could be from 200 CHF per month and more. We pay 350 per person per month.

#Anonymous on Aug 20, 2016 :

D. Bova, the thing is in Switzerland no one needs 2-3 cars. The mentality of people is a bit different. People there really care for the environment. And public transport is also just great. In such city like Zurich for example there is no need really in having a car. Government also encourages people (in different ways - some good, some maybe not so, but nevertheless) to refuse using cars.

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