Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Switzerland

Name: Switzerland
Address: CH

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $789 a month against $3,620 in Switzerland, rent and utilities included – about $34,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
175

Cost of Living Index in Switzerland
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Switzerland Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$789

/mo nomad

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,620

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $789 in China versus $3,620 in Switzerland.

China $789
Switzerland $3,620

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,254 in China versus $5,567 in Switzerland.

China $1,254
Switzerland $5,567

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,720 in China versus $7,513 in Switzerland.

China $1,720
Switzerland $7,513

Internal cost variation is higher in Switzerland: monthly costs span $1,992 to $5,115, compared to $468–$1,246 in China. City choice carries more weight in Switzerland.

Living in China costs about 78% less than in Switzerland on average.

China (42% below) and Switzerland (168% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.04 ¥20.24

$30.05 CHF 24.51

-89.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.12 ¥147

$123 CHF 100

-81.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.74

$18.06 CHF 14.73

-70.27%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ¥19.53

$6.00 CHF 4.90

-51.17%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$5.55 CHF 4.53

-91.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$4.80 CHF 3.92

-93.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.15

$9.08 CHF 7.41

-88.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.69

$7.49 CHF 6.11

-70.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.00

$2.26 CHF 1.84

-20.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.76

$3.81 CHF 3.10

-57.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.58

$3.62 CHF 2.95

-72.65%

Eggs

$1.62 ¥10.79

$7.80 CHF 6.36

-79.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.44 ¥89.5

$25.76 CHF 21.00

-47.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 ¥23.04

$28.73 CHF 23.42

-87.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.15 ¥74.2

$42.72 CHF 34.83

-73.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.60

$3.76 CHF 3.06

-49.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.72

$2.23 CHF 1.82

-41.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥9.97

$2.76 CHF 2.25

-45.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.90

$5.15 CHF 4.20

-73.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.77

$2.07 CHF 1.69

-65.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.20 CHF 1.80

-57.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.35

$2.30 CHF 1.88

-71.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.98

$1.45 CHF 1.18

-58.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 ¥25.42

$11.12 CHF 9.07

-65.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 ¥81.1

$13.41 CHF 10.93

-9.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.04

$2.70 CHF 2.20

-66.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥10.96

$3.05 CHF 2.49

-45.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$4.21 CHF 3.44

-93.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.07 ¥120

$102 CHF 83.2

-82.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.22

$7.89 CHF 6.44

-80.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.46

$4.76 CHF 3.88

-92.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.69 ¥44.57

$87.1 CHF 71.0

-92.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.49

$2.29 CHF 1.87

-44.10%

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

$19.7K ¥131.4K

$40.2K CHF 32.7K

-50.84%

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

$17.5K ¥116.2K

$39.1K CHF 31.9K

-55.37%

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

$55.3 ¥368

$287 CHF 234

-80.75%

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

$8.32 ¥55.4

$38.31 CHF 31.24

-78.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.12 ¥74.1

$58.8 CHF 47.91

-81.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.65 ¥264

$82.5 CHF 67.3

-51.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.17 ¥101

$47.18 CHF 38.47

-67.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ¥44.26

$24.46 CHF 19.94

-72.81%

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

$514 ¥3,425

$2,998 CHF 2,445

-82.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.9K ¥232.4K

$39.9K CHF 32.5K

-12.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.85 ¥305

$135 CHF 110

-65.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.41 ¥236

$66.2 CHF 54.0

-46.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 ¥506

$151 CHF 123

-49.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 ¥533

$195 CHF 159

-58.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 ¥2,527

$2,049 CHF 1,671

-81.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 ¥1,543

$1,631 CHF 1,330

-85.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 ¥5,563

$3,586 CHF 2,924

-76.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ¥3,074

$2,924 CHF 2,385

-84.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,743 ¥31.6K

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

-74.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,383 ¥15.9K

$12.9K CHF 10.5K

-81.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,117 ¥7,436

$7,160 CHF 5,838

-84.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.45

2.05

68.29%

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

Last update for China: November 1, 2026

Last update for Switzerland: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$232 29.4%

Switzerland

$1.6K 45.1% 604% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

China

$212 26.8%

Switzerland

$608 16.8% 187% $396

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.5%

Switzerland

$246 6.8% 130% $139

Eating Out

China

$89 11.2%

Switzerland

$469 12.9% 429% $380

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$75 9.5%

Switzerland

$384 10.6% 414% $310

Sport & Entertainment

China

$53 6.7%

Switzerland

$131 3.6% 148% $78

Getting Around

China

$23 2.9%

Switzerland

$151 4.2% 566% $128

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $1,848 in Switzerland. Capital cities: $942 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $2,162 in Bern.

National salary averages: $881 in China, $7,210 in Switzerland. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 520% higher in Switzerland.

Dining out costs 482% more in Switzerland.

Public transport is 483% more expensive in Switzerland.

Salaries are about 8.2 times higher in Switzerland, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Switzerland.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇨🇭 Switzerland

🕒 Local time

17:01 5:01 PM

10:01 10:01 AM

7 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

8,902,308

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CHF = 1.23 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.815 CHF (1 CHF = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 0.916 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Switzerland 8,070 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

China
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

China vs Switzerland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $789 per month in China and $3,620 in Switzerland, China comes out about 78% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,848 in Switzerland and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.