Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Switzerland

Name: Switzerland
Address: CH

For one person, living is cheaper in Australia: $2,589 a month against $3,620 in Switzerland, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
175

Cost of Living Index in Switzerland
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Switzerland Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,589

/mo nomad

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,620

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in Switzerland

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

A single person spends $2,589 per month in Australia vs $3,620 in Switzerland, rent included.

Australia $2,589
Switzerland $3,620

A couple spends around $3,789 per month in Australia vs $5,567 in Switzerland, rent included.

Australia $3,789
Switzerland $5,567

A family of three spends $4,990 per month in Australia vs $7,513 in Switzerland, rent included.

Australia $4,990
Switzerland $7,513

The regional cost range is wider in Switzerland ($1,992–$5,115) than in Australia ($1,068–$3,299), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Australia is roughly 28% lower than in Switzerland on average.

Both Australia and Switzerland are pricier than the global median – Australia by 91%, Switzerland by 168%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.24 A$24.57

$30.05 CHF 24.58

-42.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 A$121

$123 CHF 100

-30.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 A$15.93

$18.06 CHF 14.78

-38.10%

Cappuccino

$4.01 A$5.71

$6.00 CHF 4.91

-33.17%

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

$2.90 A$4.13

$5.55 CHF 4.54

-47.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 A$3.28

$4.80 CHF 3.93

-52.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.74 A$11.03

$9.08 CHF 7.43

-14.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 A$11.63

$7.49 CHF 6.13

8.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 A$2.46

$2.26 CHF 1.85

-23.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 A$3.83

$3.81 CHF 3.11

-29.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.19

$3.62 CHF 2.96

-38.12%

Eggs

$4.95 A$7.05

$7.80 CHF 6.38

-36.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 A$13.43

$25.76 CHF 21.07

-63.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.40 A$13.39

$28.73 CHF 23.49

-67.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 A$21.80

$42.72 CHF 34.94

-64.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 A$5.21

$3.76 CHF 3.07

-2.93%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 A$4.39

$2.23 CHF 1.83

38.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.66

$2.76 CHF 2.26

18.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 A$6.53

$5.15 CHF 4.21

-10.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.03

$2.07 CHF 1.69

36.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 A$3.23

$2.20 CHF 1.80

2.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.38

$2.30 CHF 1.88

3.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 A$2.36

$1.45 CHF 1.19

14.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.43 A$54.8

$11.12 CHF 9.09

245.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.21 A$20.25

$13.41 CHF 10.97

5.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.95 A$7.06

$2.70 CHF 2.21

83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 A$7.31

$3.05 CHF 2.50

68.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 A$3.51

$4.21 CHF 3.45

-41.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.0 A$133

$102 CHF 83.4

-8.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 A$5.22

$7.89 CHF 6.46

-53.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 A$2.59

$4.76 CHF 3.89

-61.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.83 A$62.5

$87.1 CHF 71.2

-49.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.92

$2.29 CHF 1.88

-41.05%

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

$29.8K A$42.5K

$40.2K CHF 32.8K

-25.68%

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

$26.1K A$37.2K

$39.1K CHF 32.0K

-33.27%

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

$208 A$297

$287 CHF 235

-27.57%

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

$29.05 A$41.39

$38.31 CHF 31.33

-24.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.7 A$83.6

$58.8 CHF 48.05

-0.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 A$80.4

$82.5 CHF 67.5

-31.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.40 A$27.65

$47.18 CHF 38.59

-58.88%

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 A$21.53

$24.46 CHF 20.00

-38.23%

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

$2,113 A$3,011

$2,998 CHF 2,452

-29.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K A$32.9K

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

-42.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$114

$135 CHF 110

-40.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 A$77.3

$66.2 CHF 54.1

-18.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$159

$151 CHF 123

-25.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 A$178

$195 CHF 159

-35.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,620 A$2,309

$2,049 CHF 1,676

-20.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 A$1,790

$1,631 CHF 1,334

-23.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,616 A$3,728

$3,586 CHF 2,933

-27.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,007 A$2,860

$2,924 CHF 2,392

-31.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,539 A$12.2K

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

-53.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,404 A$9,125

$12.9K CHF 10.5K

-50.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,931 A$5,601

$7,160 CHF 5,856

-45.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

2.05

190.73%

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

Last update for Australia: November 3, 2026

Last update for Switzerland: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.3K 48.5%

Switzerland

$1.6K 45.1% 29.9% $375

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$373 14.4%

Switzerland

$608 16.8% 63.1% $235

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$296 11.4%

Switzerland

$384 10.6% 29.9% $89

Eating Out

Australia

$295 11.4%

Switzerland

$469 12.9% 58.6% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$167 6.4%

Switzerland

$246 6.8% 47.5% $79

Getting Around

Australia

$116 4.5%

Switzerland

$151 4.2% 30.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$87 3.4%

Switzerland

$131 3.6% 51.7% $45

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,381 in Australia vs $1,848 in Switzerland. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,761 in Canberra and $2,162 in Bern.

Average salary: $3,863 in Australia vs $7,210 in Switzerland. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 34% higher in Switzerland.

Dining out costs 54% more in Switzerland.

Public transport is 24% more expensive in Switzerland.

Salaries are 87% higher in Switzerland, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Switzerland.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇨🇭 Switzerland

🕒 Local time

06:11 6:11 AM

20:11 8:11 PM

10 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

8,902,308

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.702 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.818 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.919 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Australia Switzerland 16,590 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
Switzerland

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

Australia vs Switzerland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Australia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 28% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Switzerland: a central one-bedroom averages $1,848 versus $1,381 in Australia.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Australia – part of why living there is about 28% cheaper overall.

Australia is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.