Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chur and Zurich

For one person, living is cheaper in Chur: $3,283 a month against $4,270 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

158

Cost of Living Index in Chur
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Chur Living Index
207

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
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Zurich Living Index

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Chur

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,283

/mo nomad

Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,283 per month in Chur vs $4,270 in Zurich, rent included.

Chur $3,283
Zurich $4,270

A couple spends around $5,109 per month in Chur vs $6,666 in Zurich, rent included.

Chur $5,109
Zurich $6,666

A family of three spends $6,934 per month in Chur vs $9,061 in Zurich, rent included.

Chur $6,934
Zurich $9,061

Chur is about 23% cheaper than Zurich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chur and Zurich sit above the global median – Chur by 141%, Zurich by 214%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.44 CHF 24.28

$33.89 CHF 27.95

-13.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 CHF 91.4

$146 CHF 120

-24.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.99 CHF 13.19

$18.10 CHF 14.93

-11.66%

Cappuccino

$5.67 CHF 4.68

$6.88 CHF 5.68

-17.59%

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

$5.51 CHF 4.54

$5.73 CHF 4.73

-3.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 CHF 4.19

$5.25 CHF 4.33

-3.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.69 CHF 7.16

$9.61 CHF 7.92

-9.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.68 CHF 7.16

$8.37 CHF 6.90

3.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.78

$2.11 CHF 1.74

1.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 CHF 2.82

$3.95 CHF 3.26

-13.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 CHF 3.48

$3.81 CHF 3.14

10.76%

Eggs

$7.59 CHF 6.26

$8.40 CHF 6.93

-9.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.51 CHF 21.87

$27.05 CHF 22.31

-2.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.64 CHF 21.98

$28.85 CHF 23.80

-7.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.08 CHF 32.24

$59.4 CHF 49.00

-34.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 CHF 2.82

$4.13 CHF 3.40

-17.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 CHF 1.75

$2.86 CHF 2.36

-25.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 CHF 2.21

$3.50 CHF 2.89

-23.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 CHF 3.78

$4.56 CHF 3.76

0.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CHF 1.56

$2.55 CHF 2.10

-25.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 CHF 1.80

$2.31 CHF 1.91

-5.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CHF 1.95

$2.47 CHF 2.03

-4.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 CHF 1.12

$1.29 CHF 1.07

5.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 CHF 9.03

$11.04 CHF 9.11

-0.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.75 CHF 10.52

$14.00 CHF 11.55

-8.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CHF 1.96

$2.88 CHF 2.38

-17.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 CHF 2.80

$3.18 CHF 2.62

6.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.47 CHF 4.52

$5.44 CHF 4.49

0.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$184 CHF 152

$105 CHF 86.3

76.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.46 CHF 6.16

$8.14 CHF 6.71

-8.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.94 CHF 4.08

$4.56 CHF 3.76

8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.7 CHF 73.2

$89.8 CHF 74.1

-1.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$2.32 CHF 1.91

-4.31%

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

$39.1K CHF 32.2K

$38.9K CHF 32.1K

0.51%

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

$38.5K CHF 31.7K

$39.0K CHF 32.2K

-1.34%

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

$232 CHF 191

$282 CHF 233

-17.76%

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

$31.60 CHF 26.07

$39.00 CHF 32.17

-18.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 CHF 44.39

$55.0 CHF 45.40

-2.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.3 CHF 64.6

$84.6 CHF 69.8

-7.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.63 CHF 27.74

$61.7 CHF 50.9

-45.49%

Cinema Ticket

$23.22 CHF 19.15

$24.31 CHF 20.06

-4.48%

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

$2,413 CHF 1,990

$3,444 CHF 2,841

-29.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.9K CHF 37.0K

$41.6K CHF 34.3K

8.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 CHF 75.2

$138 CHF 114

-33.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 CHF 39.62

$55.0 CHF 45.39

-12.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 CHF 98.9

$159 CHF 131

-24.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 CHF 139

$249 CHF 206

-32.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 CHF 1,414

$2,878 CHF 2,374

-40.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 CHF 1,137

$2,143 CHF 1,767

-35.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 CHF 2,487

$5,559 CHF 4,585

-45.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,550 CHF 2,104

$4,003 CHF 3,302

-36.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,109 CHF 5,864

$28.2K CHF 23.2K

-74.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,446 CHF 4,492

$16.9K CHF 13.9K

-67.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,497 CHF 7,009

$8,230 CHF 6,789

3.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

2.09

-17.70%

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

Last update for Chur: October 25, 2026

Last update for Zurich: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chur

$1.4K 42%

Zurich

$2.1K 50.2% 55.4% $764

Groceries & Markets

Chur

$576 17.6%

Zurich

$674 15.8% 16.9% $98

Eating Out

Chur

$455 13.9%

Zurich

$517 12.1% 13.6% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chur

$318 9.7%

Zurich

$376 8.8% 18.5% $59

Getting Around

Chur

$238 7.3%

Zurich

$157 3.7% 34% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Chur

$193 5.9%

Zurich

$270 6.3% 40.4% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Chur

$125 3.8%

Zurich

$133 3.1% 6.8% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,715 in Chur 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 3% higher in Chur, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $111 in Chur versus $146 in Zurich. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $576 vs $674 – making Chur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Chur

🇨🇭 Zurich

🕒 Local time

12:31 12:31 PM

Same time as Chur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,082

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

On the map

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Between locations

Chur Zurich 94 km

From you

Chur
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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

Chur vs Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,283 in Chur, $4,270 in Zurich – Chur comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,924 per month in Chur 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 Chur, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,715 there versus $2,878 in Zurich.

Kindergarten costs $2,413 per month in Chur and $3,444 in Zurich. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Zurich, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,283 in Chur and $4,270 in Zurich. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Chur – 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.