Living in Zürich, Switzerland
Zürich is a mid-sized inland city in Zurich, Switzerland (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a cool climate, averaging 11°C over the year with about 1,083 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €4,815 a month to live centrally, and Switzerland sits in our low to medium tax tier. For citizens from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, long-term residency in Switzerland is possible, with conditions, with a self-funded route from about $2,178 a month in income.
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- Est. cost
- €4,815
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Low to medium
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 11°C
- 1,083 mm rain a year
- Size
- Mid-sized
- 250,000 to 1 million people
- Safety
- 78/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~230 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Possible, with conditions
- outside free-movement blocs
What stands out about Zürich
- Pricier than 100% of the cities we compare
- Safer than 92% of the cities we compare
- Colder than 88% of the cities we track
- Stronger healthcare than 86% of the cities we compare
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €4,815 a month to live centrally in Zürich, 76% above the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 0% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Safety and stability
Switzerland scores 78 out of 100 on safety, safer than 92% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 9.1 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Switzerland. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Climate
Zürich averages 11°C across the year with about 1,083 mm of rain, which makes it cool and wet. It is warmer than 12% of the 1225 cities we track.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Healthcare
Switzerland scores 75 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 86% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Switzerland.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Switzerland runs at about 230 Mbps, faster than 77% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Residency and visas
Possible, with conditions, for people from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland. Realistic self-funded routes are residence without gainful activity for the financially independent (open to EU/EFTA on a sufficient-means test, but restricted to applicants 55+ with cantonal discretion for non-EU) and the lump-sum (expenditure-based) taxation permit for the wealthy, while ordinary work permits for non-EU nationals are quota-limited and employer-driven.
Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights here.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Switzerland:
- Income: about $2,178 a month (Switzerland residence without gainful activity, sufficient-means guideline = supplementary-benefit (Ergänzungsleistungen) general-living-expense threshold of CHF 1,722.50/mo (CHF 20,670/yr) for a single person; CHF converted at 1 CHF = 1.264 USD (June 2026).; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 93 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 105 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Language and culture
Main languages: German, French, Italian. English proficiency: good. Social openness scores 84 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Taxes
Switzerland sits in our low to medium tax tier: moderate personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at zero or very low will not see Zürich in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Questions couples ask about Zürich
Is Zürich a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Zürich scores well on safety, healthcare, internet speed, English, political stability and social openness. It is weaker on affordability. Expect a cool, wet climate (11°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Zürich and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Zürich?
We estimate about €4,815 a month for a couple living centrally, 76% above the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Zürich?
Switzerland is in our low to medium tax tier (moderate personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make zero or very low tax a must-have will not see Zürich in their results.
Can foreigners live in Switzerland long term?
Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights. Our assessment for everyone else: possible, with conditions. Realistic self-funded routes are residence without gainful activity for the financially independent (open to EU/EFTA on a sufficient-means test, but restricted to applicants 55+ with cantonal discretion for non-EU) and the lump-sum (expenditure-based) taxation permit for the wealthy, while ordinary work permits for non-EU nationals are quota-limited and employer-driven. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: income, about $2,178 a month (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Zürich?
Zürich averages 11°C across the year with about 1,083 mm of rain, which makes it cool and wet. It is warmer than 12% of the cities we track.
Compare Zürich with
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