Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Altstätten and Zurich

For one person, living is cheaper in Altstätten: $3,362 a month against $4,451 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Altstätten
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Altstätten Living Index
217

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
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Zurich Living Index

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Altstätten

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,362

/mo nomad

Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,451

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Altstätten 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 Altstätten and in Zurich actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,362 per month in Altstätten vs $4,451 in Zurich, rent included.

Altstätten $3,362
Zurich $4,451

A couple spends around $5,134 per month in Altstätten vs $6,817 in Zurich, rent included.

Altstätten $5,134
Zurich $6,817

A family of three spends $6,905 per month in Altstätten vs $9,184 in Zurich, rent included.

Altstätten $6,905
Zurich $9,184

Altstätten is about 24% cheaper than Zurich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Altstätten and Zurich sit above the global median – Altstätten by 149%, Zurich by 230%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.51 CHF 24.30

$34.71 CHF 28.59

-14.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 CHF 97.2

$144 CHF 119

-18.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.80 CHF 14.66

$17.69 CHF 14.57

0.62%

Cappuccino

$5.94 CHF 4.89

$6.91 CHF 5.69

-14.04%

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

$5.13 CHF 4.22

$5.86 CHF 4.83

-12.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 CHF 4.01

$5.15 CHF 4.24

-5.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.25 CHF 7.62

$9.70 CHF 7.99

-4.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 CHF 6.03

$8.28 CHF 6.82

-11.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.80

$2.20 CHF 1.81

-0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 CHF 2.93

$3.78 CHF 3.11

-5.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 3.03

Eggs

$7.71 CHF 6.35

$8.54 CHF 7.03

-9.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.63 CHF 21.11

$27.22 CHF 22.42

-5.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.49 CHF 23.47

$27.67 CHF 22.79

2.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.80 CHF 33.60

$61.7 CHF 50.8

-33.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 CHF 2.96

$4.14 CHF 3.41

-13.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 CHF 1.67

$2.68 CHF 2.21

-24.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 CHF 2.21

$3.54 CHF 2.91

-24.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 CHF 3.91

$4.45 CHF 3.67

6.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 CHF 1.52

$2.54 CHF 2.09

-27.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.73

$2.21 CHF 1.82

-4.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$2.52 CHF 2.07

-11.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CHF 1.07

$1.24 CHF 1.02

4.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 CHF 8.83

$10.62 CHF 8.75

0.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 CHF 10.63

$13.83 CHF 11.39

-6.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 CHF 2.32

$2.66 CHF 2.19

6.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CHF 2.56

$3.18 CHF 2.62

-2.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.63 CHF 3.81

$5.39 CHF 4.44

-14.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 CHF 82.7

$106 CHF 87.2

-5.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 CHF 6.15

$7.93 CHF 6.54

-5.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.66 CHF 3.84

$4.50 CHF 3.71

3.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.3 CHF 61.2

$89.4 CHF 73.6

-16.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.84

$2.28 CHF 1.87

-1.75%

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

$40.5K CHF 33.4K

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

3.92%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

0.12%

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

$277 CHF 228

$276 CHF 227

0.27%

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

$32.44 CHF 26.72

$36.80 CHF 30.31

-11.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 CHF 45.95

$56.0 CHF 46.10

-0.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.5 CHF 75.4

$91.3 CHF 75.2

0.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.93 CHF 37.01

$60.0 CHF 49.43

-25.13%

Cinema Ticket

$22.65 CHF 18.66

$24.81 CHF 20.43

-8.71%

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

$2,646 CHF 2,179

$3,505 CHF 2,887

-24.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.1K CHF 28.1K

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

-18.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$143 CHF 118

$139 CHF 115

2.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 CHF 47.30

$58.3 CHF 48.04

-1.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 123

$166 CHF 137

-10.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 152

$260 CHF 214

-28.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 CHF 1,374

$2,916 CHF 2,402

-42.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 CHF 1,168

$2,308 CHF 1,901

-38.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,868 CHF 2,362

$5,918 CHF 4,874

-51.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,429 CHF 2,000

$4,092 CHF 3,370

-40.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

$26.8K CHF 22.1K

-41.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 10.0K

$16.2K CHF 13.4K

-25.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,928 CHF 6,529

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

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

Last update for Altstätten: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zurich: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Altstätten

$1.4K 42.2%

Zurich

$2.3K 51.9% 62.7% $890

Groceries & Markets

Altstätten

$590 17.5%

Zurich

$671 15.1% 13.9% $82

Eating Out

Altstätten

$462 13.7%

Zurich

$523 11.7% 13.2% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Altstätten

$365 10.9%

Zurich

$369 8.3% 1% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Altstätten

$241 7.2%

Zurich

$281 6.3% 16.6% $40

Getting Around

Altstätten

$150 4.5%

Zurich

$158 3.6% 5.5% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Altstätten

$137 4.1%

Zurich

$141 3.2% 3% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,668 in Altstätten versus $2,916 in Zurich. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in Altstätten versus $144 in Zurich. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $590 vs $671 – making Altstätten the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Altstätten

🇨🇭 Zurich

🕒 Local time

04:03 4:03 AM

Same time as Altstätten

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,145

443,037

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Altstätten vs Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zurich is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,043 per month in Altstätten and $6,676 in Zurich. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Altstätten, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,362 in Altstätten and $4,451 in Zurich. That's a gap of about 32%.

Public transport costs about 6% less in Altstätten. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,362 in Altstätten and $4,451 in Zurich. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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