Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aarau and Zurich

For one person, living is cheaper in Aarau: $2,813 a month against $4,270 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Aarau
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Aarau Living Index
207

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
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Zurich Living Index

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Aarau

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,813

/mo nomad

Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aarau and in Zurich

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aarau and in Zurich actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,813 per month in Aarau vs $4,270 in Zurich, rent included.

Aarau $2,813
Zurich $4,270

A couple spends around $4,613 per month in Aarau vs $6,666 in Zurich, rent included.

Aarau $4,613
Zurich $6,666

A family of three spends $6,413 per month in Aarau vs $9,061 in Zurich, rent included.

Aarau $6,413
Zurich $9,061

Aarau is about 34% cheaper than Zurich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Aarau and Zurich sit above the global median – Aarau by 107%, Zurich by 214%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.72 CHF 24.52

$33.89 CHF 27.95

-12.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 CHF 88.7

$146 CHF 120

-26.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.33 CHF 15.12

$18.10 CHF 14.93

1.27%

Cappuccino

$5.90 CHF 4.87

$6.88 CHF 5.68

-14.24%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 CHF 4.35

$5.73 CHF 4.73

-8.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 CHF 3.96

$5.25 CHF 4.33

-8.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 CHF 4.91

$9.61 CHF 7.92

-38.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 CHF 5.35

$8.37 CHF 6.90

-22.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 CHF 1.71

$2.11 CHF 1.74

-1.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 CHF 2.96

$3.95 CHF 3.26

-9.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 CHF 2.20

$3.81 CHF 3.14

-29.92%

Eggs

$7.06 CHF 5.82

$8.40 CHF 6.93

-15.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.59 CHF 26.06

$27.05 CHF 22.31

16.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.34 CHF 24.20

$28.85 CHF 23.80

1.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.32 CHF 34.09

$59.4 CHF 49.00

-30.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 CHF 2.36

$4.13 CHF 3.40

-30.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 CHF 1.40

$2.86 CHF 2.36

-40.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.99

$3.50 CHF 2.89

-31.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 CHF 4.74

$4.56 CHF 3.76

26.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 CHF 1.40

$2.55 CHF 2.10

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 CHF 1.60

$2.31 CHF 1.91

-16.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 CHF 1.89

$2.47 CHF 2.03

-7.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CHF 0.92

$1.29 CHF 1.07

-13.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.84 CHF 8.94

$11.04 CHF 9.11

-1.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 CHF 8.63

$14.00 CHF 11.55

-25.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 CHF 2.11

$2.88 CHF 2.38

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 CHF 2.37

$3.18 CHF 2.62

-9.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.95 CHF 4.08

$5.44 CHF 4.49

-9.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$147 CHF 122

$105 CHF 86.3

40.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 CHF 3.72

$8.14 CHF 6.71

-44.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.87 CHF 2.37

$4.56 CHF 3.76

-37.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.8 CHF 50.2

$89.8 CHF 74.1

-32.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.81

$2.32 CHF 1.91

-5.60%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$38.6K CHF 31.8K

$38.9K CHF 32.1K

-0.75%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.6K CHF 31.9K

$39.0K CHF 32.2K

-0.95%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$121 CHF 99.6

$282 CHF 233

-57.23%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$28.73 CHF 23.70

$39.00 CHF 32.17

-26.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 CHF 47.26

$55.0 CHF 45.40

4.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.2 CHF 80.1

$84.6 CHF 69.8

14.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.5 CHF 50.7

$61.7 CHF 50.9

-0.31%

Cinema Ticket

$21.92 CHF 18.08

$24.31 CHF 20.06

-9.83%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$3,172 CHF 2,617

$3,444 CHF 2,841

-7.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K CHF 20.2K

$41.6K CHF 34.3K

-41.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 CHF 74.3

$138 CHF 114

-34.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.5 CHF 59.0

$55.0 CHF 45.39

30.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 CHF 89.8

$159 CHF 131

-31.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 CHF 138

$249 CHF 206

-32.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 CHF 1,041

$2,878 CHF 2,374

-56.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 CHF 859

$2,143 CHF 1,767

-51.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 CHF 1,874

$5,559 CHF 4,585

-59.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 CHF 1,777

$4,003 CHF 3,302

-46.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.2K CHF 23.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.1K CHF 10.0K

$16.9K CHF 13.9K

-28.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,963 CHF 5,744

$8,230 CHF 6,789

-15.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.31

2.09

10.53%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Aarau: October 26, 2026

Last update for Zurich: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Aarau

$1K 37%

Zurich

$2.1K 50.2% 106% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Aarau

$595 21.1%

Zurich

$674 15.8% 13.3% $79

Eating Out

Aarau

$447 15.9%

Zurich

$517 12.1% 15.7% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aarau

$207 7.4%

Zurich

$376 8.8% 82% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Aarau

$197 7%

Zurich

$270 6.3% 37.1% $73

Getting Around

Aarau

$186 6.6%

Zurich

$157 3.7% 15.4% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Aarau

$141 5%

Zurich

$133 3.1% 5.5% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,263 in Aarau versus $2,878 in Zurich. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 18% higher in Zurich, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in Aarau versus $146 in Zurich. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $595 vs $674 – making Aarau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Aarau

🇨🇭 Zurich

🕒 Local time

10:34 10:34 AM

Same time as Aarau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,191

443,037

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Aarau Zurich 37 km

From you

Aarau
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Aarau vs Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zurich costs about 52% more than Aarau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,220 per month in Aarau and $6,406 in Zurich. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aarau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,263 there versus $2,878 in Zurich.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Zurich. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $3,172 per month in Aarau and $3,444 in Zurich. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,813 in Aarau and $4,270 in Zurich. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Aarau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Aarau. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zurich makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.