Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brissago and Zurich

For one person, living is cheaper in Brissago: $3,504 a month against $4,502 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

166

Cost of Living Index in Brissago
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Brissago Living Index
219

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
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Zurich Living Index

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Brissago

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,504

/mo nomad

Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,504 per month in Brissago vs $4,502 in Zurich, rent included.

Brissago $3,504
Zurich $4,502

A couple spends around $5,141 per month in Brissago vs $6,894 in Zurich, rent included.

Brissago $5,141
Zurich $6,894

A family of three spends $6,777 per month in Brissago vs $9,287 in Zurich, rent included.

Brissago $6,777
Zurich $9,287

Brissago is about 22% cheaper than Zurich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brissago and Zurich sit above the global median – Brissago by 159%, Zurich by 232%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.38 CHF 24.29

$34.81 CHF 28.77

-15.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 CHF 102

$148 CHF 122

-16.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.55 CHF 12.85

$17.95 CHF 14.84

-13.37%

Cappuccino

$6.77 CHF 5.60

$6.93 CHF 5.73

-2.31%

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

$6.33 CHF 5.23

$5.74 CHF 4.74

10.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 CHF 5.96

$5.38 CHF 4.44

34.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.14 CHF 7.56

$9.57 CHF 7.91

-4.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.99 CHF 6.60

$8.23 CHF 6.80

-2.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 CHF 1.75

$2.15 CHF 1.78

-1.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 CHF 2.48

$3.89 CHF 3.22

-22.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 CHF 2.59

$3.87 CHF 3.20

-18.86%

Eggs

$7.88 CHF 6.52

$8.35 CHF 6.90

-5.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.67 CHF 20.39

$26.80 CHF 22.16

-7.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.66 CHF 24.52

$28.59 CHF 23.63

3.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.72 CHF 32.84

$61.2 CHF 50.6

-35.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 CHF 3.33

$4.25 CHF 3.52

-5.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.65

$2.76 CHF 2.28

-27.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 CHF 2.28

$3.57 CHF 2.95

-22.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 CHF 3.93

$4.57 CHF 3.78

4.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 CHF 1.37

$2.57 CHF 2.12

-35.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.71

$2.14 CHF 1.77

-3.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 CHF 1.90

$2.47 CHF 2.04

-6.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 CHF 1.12

$1.24 CHF 1.03

8.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CHF 9.19

$10.74 CHF 8.88

3.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 CHF 10.03

$13.96 CHF 11.54

-13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 CHF 1.81

$2.74 CHF 2.27

-20.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 CHF 2.47

$3.11 CHF 2.57

-3.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.69 CHF 3.88

$5.51 CHF 4.56

-14.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.5 CHF 76.5

$108 CHF 89.1

-14.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.06 CHF 6.67

$7.99 CHF 6.60

0.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.57 CHF 3.78

$4.50 CHF 3.72

1.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$108 CHF 88.9

$88.6 CHF 73.3

21.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.89

$2.39 CHF 1.97

-4.18%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.7K

$38.8K CHF 32.1K

1.96%

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

$39.2K CHF 32.4K

$40.1K CHF 33.1K

-2.11%

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

$279 CHF 231

$284 CHF 235

-1.72%

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

$28.26 CHF 23.36

$38.69 CHF 31.98

-26.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 CHF 46.39

$55.8 CHF 46.10

0.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.8 CHF 65.9

$92.1 CHF 76.1

-13.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.62 CHF 35.23

$61.2 CHF 50.6

-30.33%

Cinema Ticket

$24.22 CHF 20.02

$25.49 CHF 21.07

-4.98%

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

$3,145 CHF 2,600

$3,632 CHF 3,002

-13.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.8K CHF 25.5K

$41.7K CHF 34.5K

-26.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 CHF 117

$142 CHF 117

-0.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.7 CHF 51.0

$57.8 CHF 47.74

6.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$154 CHF 128

$163 CHF 135

-5.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$197 CHF 163

$254 CHF 210

-22.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,807 CHF 1,494

$2,953 CHF 2,441

-38.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 CHF 1,292

$2,342 CHF 1,936

-33.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,635 CHF 2,178

$5,897 CHF 4,875

-55.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,281 CHF 1,886

$4,150 CHF 3,430

-45.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.9K CHF 15.6K

$27.1K CHF 22.4K

-30.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.9K CHF 9,040

$16.3K CHF 13.5K

-32.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,247 CHF 6,817

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.46

2.07

18.84%

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

Last update for Brissago: October 18, 2026

Last update for Zurich: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brissago

$1.6K 44.6%

Zurich

$2.3K 52% 49.8% $779

Groceries & Markets

Brissago

$579 16.5%

Zurich

$676 15% 16.7% $97

Eating Out

Brissago

$479 13.7%

Zurich

$524 11.6% 9.5% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brissago

$364 10.4%

Zurich

$379 8.4% 4.1% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Brissago

$249 7.1%

Zurich

$278 6.2% 11.4% $28

Getting Around

Brissago

$142 4.1%

Zurich

$160 3.6% 12.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Brissago

$128 3.7%

Zurich

$143 3.2% 11.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,807 in Brissago versus $2,953 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 $123 in Brissago versus $148 in Zurich. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $579 vs $676 – making Brissago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Brissago

🇨🇭 Zurich

🕒 Local time

00:24 12:24 AM

Same time as Brissago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,800

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)

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

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Brissago vs Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,504 in Brissago, $4,502 in Zurich – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,256 per month in Brissago and $6,752 in Zurich. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brissago, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,807 there versus $2,953 in Zurich.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Zurich, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $123 in Brissago and $148 in Zurich. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,504 in Brissago and $4,502 in Zurich. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Brissago – 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.

For expats, Brissago is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 28% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.