Cost of living in Switzerland

Sent by Karen in oct 2006


in Switzerland:

> accommodation prices = Apartments from CHF 800 to unlimited. For CHF 800 you have the minimum and usually undesirable neighborhood. A 2 bedr. apt about 95 m2 with DW and mostly 2 bathr. nowdays, runs around CHF 1600.00 to 2000.00, garage always CHF 120.00 a month and utilities about CHF 60 to CHF 200 depending on the apt and then once a year an extra bill for heating.

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...) = About CHF 100 to 200 per month depending where you live and how far you go.

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?) = CHF 1400.00 for 2. Includes detergent, toothpaste and all that stuff one picks up at the supermarket too. Does not include fancy food or steaks.

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance) = Everybody needs medical insurance :-) around CHF 300 a month per person - private insurance.  The best doctors only take private or semi private insured patients as do the best clinics.

> eduction prices (if you need to pay) = For something that gives you a govt.approved diploma you pay thousands and this is not full time school but adult eduction, night school a couple of times a week.  It is something I happen to have gotten into a hassle with the govt. department of education about because this is awful. There is nothing that is free once you leave school and are an adult. You can take courses that are cheaper but you don't get the diploma that you need if you're doing this to get a better job. They only accept government approved diplomas paper is more important than what the person can actually do or what he/she knows.

> energy prices (oil, electricity) = CHF 900 and  more per year depending how you live.
> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone) = cable TV around cHF 300 a year, internet cable from CHF 43 to over CHF 200 (for businesses of course), ADSL same prices, phone has a monthly subscription rate ISDN is CHF 43 per month, mobile with swisscom is 25 p/mth on one of their plans.

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant = a good meal wtih wine is around CHF 120 to 200 for 2 people. Pizzerias cheaper of course but not much.

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub = It depends, the prices vary wtih the Kanton and the place. A glass of beer can be CHF 4  to CHF 6 and a coffee between CHF 4 and 6 too. It all depends. In Lucerne they were charging tourists CHF 9 for mineral water until some American tourists complained to the state tourist agency and the you know what hit the fan then LOL. That was a couple of years ago.

To live decently with a car you need to earn at least CHF 5,000.00 per month. Taxes will run you one month's salary to 2 months salary depending which Kanton you live in. Avoid the Kanton Bern at all costs. It is disgusting what they take you for in taxes.

You pay your state and community taxes, one bill. Then you get a second bill, Govt taxes, then you get a bill for road taxes which varies depending on what kind of car you drive. Oh, a car that costs more than a certain amount, like CHF 30,000.00 I think it is you have to declare on taxes as your estate which puts your tax rate up. I lease my car.
A pack of Marlboro Lights 100s is CHF 6.10. I know because I just quit 62 days ago after lifetime of puffing away. :-(((

Switzerland is very very expensive. I think it's on the same level as Tokyo, Hawaii and New York on some index of most expensive countries to live in.

sent by Kro in March 2007

I just add some comments about Geneva in BOLD

Karen wrote:

In Switzerland:

Karen spoke about all Switzerland and she's right on main points. I will just add some things about Geneva: the price of the accommodation is really high, specially because 98ù of the apartments are full. And it's not getting better soon
> accommodation prices = Apartments from CHF 800 to unlimited. For CHF 800 you have the minimum and usually undesirable neighborhood. A 2 bedr. apt about 95 m2 with DW and mostly 2 bathr. nowdays, runs around CHF 1600.00 to 2000.00, garage always CHF 120.00 a month and utilities about CHF 60 to CHF 200 depending on the apt and then once a year an extra bill for heating.

In Geneva, you pay CHF 70 for a month, or CHF 600 per year. The system is really good and secure! That's a good point, specially as having a car is really expensive + no parkings:unsure> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc ...) = About CHF 100 to 200 per month depending where you live and how far you go.

> food prices(per month, how much does it cost you?) = CHF 1400.00 for 2. Includes detergent, toothpaste and all that stuff one picks up at the supermarket too. Does not include fancy food or steaks. I would just say, that close to France, you have to go there to buy some things...

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance) = Everybody needs medical insurance :-) around CHF 300 a month per person - private insurance.  The best doctors only take private or semi private insured patients as do the best clinics.
Nothing to add: really expensive...

> eduction prices (if you need to pay) = In geneva, it depends: are you in a public or private school? For public, it's free. For private, there are quite a lot (thanks to expats:P), but also quite expensive

> energy prices (oil, electricity) = CHF 900 and  more per year depending how you live.

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone) = ADSL is CHF 75/months, mobile depends how much you call. It's like in France. TV and radio are CHF 112 / 3months

> prices of a good menu in a traditional restaurant = a good meal wtih wine is around CHF 70 to 200 for 2 people.

> prices of a beer and of a coffee in a regular pub = It depends, are you going to expats places or not...
To live decently with a car you need to earn at least CHF 5,000.00 per month. Taxes will run you one month's salary to 2 months salary depending which Kanton you live in.

Geneva is really an expensive town, but it's a pleasure to live here:top:, if you can...


Kro

What with the exchange rate issues going on right now, gasoline, cigarettes, food, electronics and a lot of consumables are actually cheaper here in Switzerland than anywhere else right now.  People come here to buy stuff.

About taxes, sure the way one of the writers wrote, one thinks taxes for cars etc. are expensive.  In the main though, Switzerland is the lowest taxed place in Europe.  23rd in the world actually.  In Canada my tax rate was about 50&.  It is about 10 per cent here.  And the VAT is 7.6 %  Germany is around 20 as are most other countries about. 

And you can walk around to different stores without getting mugged or knifed so you can take your time shopping.

COST OF GAS;


Just filled up my car today (Oct 21) in Fribourg.  The gas cost 1.66 CHF which is exactly 1.10 Euros.

Hello,

Do you think 4355 CHF gross per month salary would allow me to cover my expenses (without excessive living expenses, food, a coffee, accomodation, transportation, no car, going out maybe once a week, no smoking) in Geneva?

Thank you very much!

"[i]To live decently with a car you need to earn at least CHF 5,000.00 per month. Taxes will run you one month's salary to 2 months salary depending which Kanton you live in" - from Karen
Is the 5K per month you quote gross or nett (after taxes?). Does that apply to a couple or to a single person?
Thanks for explanation!

Hi everybody,
I have a job offer in Swiss for CHF 200,000 a year and still have few days to answer. Do you think this is a good salary for family of 4 in this very expensive country?

Hi ak1002,
DON'T THEY HAVE ANOTHER POSITION AVAILABLE? IF SO - LET ME KNOW, PLEASE. I AM EVEN WILLING TO TAKE 25% CUT, AND STILL BE OVER THE MOON...

Before you ask that sort of question have some homework done, please. Or even read some posts on this forum.
I would not think twice and accept as it is. And keep in touch should something similar crops up! Thanks!

ak1002 wrote:

Hi everybody,
I have a job offer in Swiss for CHF 200,000 a year and still have few days to answer. Do you think this is a good salary for family of 4 in this very expensive country?

Looks like a good salary, will you be a manager?
If you don't want it, think about us.

Hello to all,

I live in the north east of Switzerland - german speaking part -. Costs of living are not that high.
First rents are different from Canton to Canton. As well as the wage taxes.  I live much much better in Switerland than in Germany (where I lived 2 years - I can tell you that I paid a lot of taxes!!) and in France. In some cantons rents are much lower, but higher taxes compensate or rents are higher, and taxes lower... The insurance system in Switzerland is completely different from the systems we know from EU countries - this was the most tricky part as far as I am concerned.

Would say that the public transportation system is pretty good and reliable.

Is it possible to get us citizenship if you are 25% Swiss and 75% German? Also is it possible to live there if your medical for the family and me is part of my retirement package. And income is greater than $5,000 without working? How much does it cost to buy a house or can you buy a house in the German section? Do they need nurses? I am a retired eng, nursing after retirement, my wife is getting her nursing licnese.

grafrohner wrote:

Is it possible to get us citizenship if you are 25% Swiss and 75% German? Also is it possible to live there if your medical for the family and me is part of my retirement package. And income is greater than $5,000 without working? How much does it cost to buy a house or can you buy a house in the German section? Do they need nurses? I am a retired eng, nursing after retirement, my wife is getting her nursing licnese.

What is your official citizenship?
I think Lamal insurance is mandatory anyway.
to buy a house, try homegate.ch
they need nurses, check if they recognise licences from abroad.

hint hint U can buy beer at denner for 55 rapas with a 30 rapa deposite on the bootle and its good beer sure miss my kokanee but thats truly the only thing i am saveing money on sense moveing from Canada

Hi Everyone,

I am a Software Developer living in Ahmedabad, India. I have a small family with my wife and a daughter who is in Grade I. We all are British Citizens.

I am working as a Software Developer [VB, VB.NET, SQL SERVER] and have experience of around 10 years. I was in UK before and relocated to India 2 years ago. I am thinking to move to Switzerland where I can get good job in same field [Software Development]. I will be moving along with my family.
   
I have a few queries and it would be really helpful if someone can answer any of the below questions:

1. Is there any extra benefits being British Citizen?
2. In which city can I get good job in IT?
3. What would be the average salary as a Software Developer?
4. How much is an average expense including house rent, tax, transportation, health care, food etc?
5. Is it possible to get Indian food?
6. How much I would be spending for schooling of daughter? Is it free for British Citizen?
7. Do we need to learn Danish for better earning and communication?
8. The last and most important question is “Should I relocate?”

I kindly request you to take your time & clear my doubts please…...

In advance many thanks for your time.

Regards,

Ramesh Chaudhari

1) yes for sure
2) Geneva, Lausanne, Zurich and biggest town
3) no idea
4) depends
5) no it's prohibition on Indian food
6) British citizen get many advantages, but not this one
7) for sure, Danish is almost mandatory
8) up to you

Hi Ramesh,
CH is extremely expensive, no matter what city you move to. You mention moving with family, you' probably need another fam member to work as well to make ends meet, especially if you have kids or an elderly relative needing special care. CH is very provincial, if one doesn;t look west european people look at you as if you were a dangerous animal, or are going to rob them. Indian food - extremely expensive, few restaurants and very much adapted to the insipid swiss palate. Good luck.

Is it possible to live working say, for a hostel or something along those lines? I am interested in living in Switzerland for about 12 months. ( yes i understand there are lots of generalizations and assumptions but possible?)

Hi All,

Thanks for sharing all the information.

I am planning to do my PhD in Lausanne. I might get something around CHF4000 to start with.

I need to know whether this is good enough to live with my wife (no kids as yet )..Specifically the cost with respect to

1 bedroom apartment + food and other utilities (electricity + cable + internet + cooking gas + water) ..

It would be helpful for me to take a decision If I could get a near approximate estimate for these.

Thanks in advance,
DS

Hi digital_spy,

My wife and I had a similar discussion at the end of last year when I moved to Switzerland; she was working but I had not yet found a job, and we were looking to move into our own apartment (having lived with her parents for a couple of months).

My wife earns approximately 4,500 CHF after the initial deductions, and we worked out that on this salary alone, we could afford an apartment for a maximum of 1,000 CHF per month (not including monthly bills). Depending on where you would look to live, this would probably be enough for a 1-2 bedroom apartment.

Although a salary of 4'000 CHF should cover a small 1 bedroom apartment plus the associated bills (for food, electric, health insurance, taxes, petrol, etc), it would mean living a very basic lifestlye with little money for luxury things like restaurants, cinema outings, etc.

Fortunately for us, I managed to find a job just before we took our apartment (a 3 bedroom apartment in a nice village for approx. 1'500 CHF including taxes) so we didn't have to try to live on such a tight budget.

Like any country, living in the cities costs a fair amount of money, so a smaller salary tends to restrict what you can do. Luckily Switzerland is a country full of natural beauty, so you can spend a day out at one of the many lakes, or walking in the mountains, for little or no expense (especially if you bring a picnic with you).

My wife tends to take care of our bills (she is Swiss so she knows what to pay and when to pay it!), so I am not sure what the approximate amounts we pay are. I'm working abroad at the moment but will see if I can find out and will post another reply - hopefully that will be helpful to you!

Regards,

Paul

Hi Paul,

Thanks a lot for the detailed answer. Any relevant info is helpful and I really appreciate it.

If a basic living (who wants vacation if living in swiss ) is possible with 4K CHF then I think it should be ok..

My wife would have couple of years of experience in IT by then..but since we are non EU citizens I am not sure whether she would be able to apply for jobs there.

Any information on that would be useful as well.

Will be waiting to hear the updates.


Best Regards,
DS

Non-EU citizens can work in Switzerland. There are plenty of people from India, Brazil and Turkey working here.

Some costs September 2010 in a small town near a well-known lake.

Cleaning and ironing shirt 7.5 chf, and don't expect it back for 3 days at least.

draught beer 4 chf.

McDonalds big mac small menu 12 chf.

Reasonable meal without drinks from a Turkish caff - at least 15 chf  - that's compared to less than 10 euros for the same in Brussels.

Veg samosa - 3.5 chf. Same in Brussels - 1.5 euros.

Basic cheese or ham sandwich from supermarket - at least 4 chf. 

Laundrette - if you can find one - at least 5 chf for one wash and 5 chf for a tumble dryer.

Registering with commune - approx 100 chf per person.

Mandatory private health insurance - at least 200 chf per month per person.

Hotel room with single bed next to noisy railway station - sharing shower and WC - 80 chf per night (includes breakfast).

Two-hour mountain railway trip - 50 chf, unless you have the annual half-price rail card in which case it's 36 chf.

Entrance fee to 25 metre indoor swimming pool - 4 chf.

If you're coming on a temporary contract - for example for a IT contract job - beware the initial costs in your first month or so. Reasonably priced accommodation is hard to find, so count on being in a hotel for a few weeks at least. If possible, insist on at least a 6 month contract - anything less is just not worth it.

Monthly bus pass at least 60 chf for a very restricted local area (one town and suburbs) - compare this with 27.50 euros for the whole of the northern half of Belgium. 

In my opinion what you might save on taxes is very easily taken back by the Swiss in the high cost of almost everything.

You have been warned.

its really expensive living there..i guess

"its really expensive living there..i guess"...

yes...when you dont have a job or very good incomes (and most people are more or less well paid here, no matter the job they do). otherwise, life is not that expensive, especially if we consider what you get for your spending

I agree with meetnewface.com - Switzerland is expensive for tourists, but for people who work here it is probably about the same cost as living as other countries like England and France.

Things cost more here compared to other countries, but the salaries here tend to compensate for that.

Hello everyone.

I've been offered a position in Zug, Switzerland.

pay is 122,000,00CHF

This roughly pays 79,000,00 GBP

Is this pay comparable, i need some advice whether this is a good salary, i understand it will be comparable to my living standards, but 79k in the UK is a very good pay.

1. how do i send money home?
2. Also, tax etc.
3. Does it equate to that GBP once i transfer it to Sterling?

Sorry if this doesn't make much sense.

Thanks in advance..

Mr_C wrote:

Hello everyone.

I've been offered a position in Zug, Switzerland.

pay is 122,000,00CHF

This roughly pays 79,000,00 GBP

Is this pay comparable, i need some advice whether this is a good salary, i understand it will be comparable to my living standards, but 79k in the UK is a very good pay.

1. how do i send money home?
2. Also, tax etc.
3. Does it equate to that GBP once i transfer it to Sterling?

Sorry if this doesn't make much sense.

Thanks in advance..

above 120k is considered as a very good pay
tax depends of county, try comparis.ch to have a rough idea, but above 120k you can avoid the source taxing (but not much difference, you'll save a bit more)

Even though the cost of living is high, there is a very high quality of life.  Just think: clean toilets, no dubious burger/taco/fish n' chips joints in parking lots (I heard even the parade wagons at Carnival have a health inspector) a public transport system which really works (and get a halbtax or General Abo if you travel a lot).  Public schools are high quality and kids walk to school by themselves from the time they are in kindergarten.
Just ask your tax accountant first for the pitfalls, that is probably the biggest expense, I have heard high earners have to pay here and there...

Hi evererybody,

many thanks for all the information,given above!I was offered a job as a nanny in Switzerland.These days considering the offer.Could anybody please kindly give me more information about the salary in that branch?

Regards

Welcome on the forum mila_sim

May be you shall also start a new discussion with your salary query on the Switzerland forum. (It will more visible & will help you to get responses quicker)

Hi Yud,
thanks for your advice!
Tried to follow it but unfortunately didn't manage ...
Will try later.

hello everybody I will come in winter for studies in Switzerland and after 6 months I will begin my practice there as a pastry cook and would give me 2700 or 1650 euro,can i live with that money Decent?
thank you very much best regards from Greece thessaloniki

Hi alexis1993!

Welcome on Expat.com

Armand

I have received an offer to work in Geneva ... 66,300 Gross a year
My wife is pregnant, she is swiss and i have been told that the government gives 1000 francs after the birth and 220 francs each month as a support money.

Monthly i will be making around 5500 swiss francs gross, will this be enough to support my family??? considering I have some savings.

Hi druiz!

I would suggest you to start a new thread on the Switzerland forum for better visibility

Regards
Armand

MrsCrocodile wrote:

Even though the cost of living is high, there is a very high quality of life.  Just think: clean toilets, no dubious burger/taco/fish n' chips joints in parking lots (I heard even the parade wagons at Carnival have a health inspector) a public transport system which really works (and get a halbtax or General Abo if you travel a lot).  Public schools are high quality and kids walk to school by themselves from the time they are in kindergarten.
Just ask your tax accountant first for the pitfalls, that is probably the biggest expense, I have heard high earners have to pay here and there...

THANK YOU for taking good note that even if life is expensive here, in Switzerland, the level of it is really appreciable.

And I can tell you that life is expensive for everybody, even for the one living here and/or being Swiss.....

But I guess it is the price to pay to live quietly, to leave our kids going to school and playing outside by themselves, to go around towns and villages without being bothered by any "bad" guys...

hello , i am a young canditate (aged 25) that i am candidate for a trainee program.
i dont need a big appartment, i dont own a car etc, i was offered 2,5 USD monthly at the region of Bern (before taxation)

will that amount be sufficient to live on my own decently?

thanks in advance for your time and responses

aposp wrote:

hello , i am a young canditate (aged 25) that i am candidate for a trainee program.
i dont need a big appartment, i dont own a car etc, i was offered 2,5 USD monthly at the region of Bern (before taxation)

will that amount be sufficient to live on my own decently?

thanks in advance for your time and responses

It's a quite low salary, but if you adjust your lifestyle and only support yourself, you'll be fine. I've lived with half as a student (lot's of canned tuna and pasta, though )  . But you need to consider living in a shared appartment. I mean, you can probably get a crappy studio apartment depending where you want to live, but sharing you allow you to live in a nicer place. If you're moving around Lake Geneva, you'll have a hard time finding an apartment. But you will barely pay taxes.

Side note:

I wanted to emphasize something someone wrote a couple of years ago on the previous page: taxes are low compared to other countries. I worked in California: taxe rate over 30%, preparing to move to Italy: 38% tax rate. In Switzerland, I've paid from nothing up to two salaries when I had a good pay (2 out of 13, that 15%) and no car or kids to deduct. Yes, healthcare is expensive, food and housing too and many people just don't eat out or go to the movies on a regular basis. And you can buy smart in CH as anywhere else: compare the shops, the prices, go to local markets for fruits and veggies, etc. Moreover VAT is only 7.8% (as opposed to 20% in most if Europe), gas is cheap compared to the rest of western europe and you probably don't even need a car. Many low qualified jobs are paid a mere 3000CHF a month gross, sometime with kids to support and they manage to survive. So if you're an expat offered a manager position at 200K a year, which most Swiss people won't evenn dare dreaming of, you'll be able to support your family: you'll be making 3 times the median swiss salary.

Switzerland is an expensive country. In these days even more expensive for those calculating in euro's or US dollars, as the exchange rates of these currencies are dropping dramatically. Therefore, I'll keep to Swiss Francs (CHF) in this posting.

First the good news: salaries are usually higher than in other countries, and taxes are usually lower.

Taxes vary highly from canton to canton and from town to town, so check at www.comparis.ch for the tax rates in the town where you would like to live.

Housing is very expensive, particularly in the cities of Zurich, Berne, Basel and Geneva. In smaller cities and villages, rents are considerably lower. In the cities, you may pay over 1'000 CHF/month for living in a cupboard, and double or more for a small flat.
Buying a flat or house is rather unusual in Switzerland. Mortgage interest rates are low (you should be able to get rates well under 2.5% at the moment), but a bank won't finance more than 80% of the value of the house - the rest you'll have to bring in on your own.
In cantons with low taxes like Zug, expect to pay more for housing.

Health insurance: a basic insurance is mandatory. Prices depend on age, sex, and the canton where you live. Check out the rates of the (hundreds of!) insurance companies at www.comparis.ch

Transportation: car and fuel prices tend to be lower than elsewhere in western Europe (though this is changing because of the low exchange rate of the euro at the moment). Motorways can only be used by cars that carry a "Autobahnvignet" (40 CHF per year).

Public transport is excellent but full fare tickets are expensive. Almost anyone using public transport a bit more than once a year should buy a "Halbtax" (Half Fare Card) at 165 CHF per year. It gives 50% off almost all public transport fares. Commuter season tickets are more reasonably priced than single and return tickets. 3'300 CHF will buy you a "Generalabonnement", which gives you free travel on almost all public transport for a full year. There are reductions when several members of the same family buy a Generalabonnement.
Several cities and towns sell day rover tickets for public transport at a price of about 40 CHF. This is a bargain, as the day ticket is valid for almost all public transport in Switzerland. But the number of tickets per town per day is limited, so it is worth to book well ahead.

Other expensive items:
- groceries, in particular meat, is more expensive than in other western European countries. Many families that live close to the border shop abroad.
- health care, but also anything that has to do with hygiene or personal care (soap, toothpaste, shampoo, ...) is heavily overpriced compared to the neighbouring countries.
- Keep in mind that basic health insurance does not cover the first 300 CHF (or more, if you want a lower monthly rate) per person per calender year, and only pays 90% of the next 7'000 CHF. Getting ill can be expensive in this country!

A monthly gross income of CHF 4'500 may seem a lot at first sight, particularly if you convert to US Dollars or Euros with today's exchange rate. But here it is not that much, and if you need to feed a family with two kids with it, you'll be on a tight budget.

Many cities and towns offer health insurance compensation payment to people living on small salaries, if you haven't got much to spend it is worth informing.

Hope this helps,
Twan.

ramesh_chaudhari wrote:

Hi Everyone,
1. Is there any extra benefits being British Citizen?
2. In which city can I get good job in IT?
3. What would be the average salary as a Software Developer?
4. How much is an average expense including house rent, tax, transportation, health care, food etc?
5. Is it possible to get Indian food?
6. How much I would be spending for schooling of daughter? Is it free for British Citizen?
7. Do we need to learn Danish for better earning and communication?
8. The last and most important question is “Should I relocate?”

1. Yes: immigration is much easier as there are no work permit quotas and companies hiring staff from outside the EU have to prove that they cannot find Swiss/EU nationals for the job.
2. Usually the larger cities like Zurich, Bern, Geneva, Basel.
6. If you live in Switzerland, normal education is free. If you'ld want a private school for your daugther, you'll have to pay for that (and a lot).
7. Hardly anybody in Switzerland speaks Danish, as Danish is the language of Denmark which is about 1'000 km north of Switzerland. German (about 65%, north, middle and east of the country), French (25%, west) and Italian (10%, part of the south) are the languages of Switzerland. In an international environment, you might find a job in an English-only-speaking environment, but English will not at all enable you to blend in with the local population.

Hope this helps,
Twan.