Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Embrach and Zurich

For one person, living is cheaper in Embrach: $3,413 a month against $4,451 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Embrach
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Embrach Living Index
217

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
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Zurich Living Index

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Embrach

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,413

/mo nomad

Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,451

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,413 per month in Embrach vs $4,451 in Zurich, rent included.

Embrach $3,413
Zurich $4,451

A couple spends around $5,157 per month in Embrach vs $6,817 in Zurich, rent included.

Embrach $5,157
Zurich $6,817

A family of three spends $6,900 per month in Embrach vs $9,184 in Zurich, rent included.

Embrach $6,900
Zurich $9,184

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

Both Embrach and Zurich sit above the global median – Embrach by 153%, Zurich by 230%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.58 CHF 24.36

$34.71 CHF 28.59

-14.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 CHF 97.7

$144 CHF 119

-17.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.28 CHF 15.05

$17.69 CHF 14.57

3.34%

Cappuccino

$6.10 CHF 5.02

$6.91 CHF 5.69

-11.72%

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

$5.27 CHF 4.34

$5.86 CHF 4.83

-10.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 CHF 4.07

$5.15 CHF 4.24

-4.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.93 CHF 7.36

$9.70 CHF 7.99

-7.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 CHF 5.77

$8.28 CHF 6.82

-15.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.81

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 CHF 3.03

$3.78 CHF 3.11

-2.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 CHF 2.99

$3.68 CHF 3.03

-1.36%

Eggs

$7.75 CHF 6.38

$8.54 CHF 7.03

-9.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.68 CHF 21.15

$27.22 CHF 22.42

-5.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.23 CHF 23.25

$27.67 CHF 22.79

2.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.96 CHF 32.91

$61.7 CHF 50.8

-35.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 CHF 2.91

$4.14 CHF 3.41

-14.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.68

$2.68 CHF 2.21

-23.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.14

$3.54 CHF 2.91

-26.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 CHF 3.87

$4.45 CHF 3.67

5.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CHF 1.48

$2.54 CHF 2.09

-29.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 CHF 1.75

$2.21 CHF 1.82

-3.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$2.52 CHF 2.07

-10.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CHF 1.03

$1.24 CHF 1.02

0.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.80 CHF 8.89

$10.62 CHF 8.75

1.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.55 CHF 10.33

$13.83 CHF 11.39

-9.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CHF 2.21

$2.66 CHF 2.19

1.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.60

$3.18 CHF 2.62

-0.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.62 CHF 3.80

$5.39 CHF 4.44

-14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.8 CHF 80.5

$106 CHF 87.2

-7.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.57 CHF 6.23

$7.93 CHF 6.54

-4.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.62 CHF 3.80

$4.50 CHF 3.71

2.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.5 CHF 61.3

$89.4 CHF 73.6

-16.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.80

$2.28 CHF 1.87

-4.39%

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

$41.5K CHF 34.1K

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

6.31%

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

$39.1K CHF 32.2K

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

-1.16%

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

$280 CHF 231

$276 CHF 227

1.34%

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

$33.14 CHF 27.30

$36.80 CHF 30.31

-9.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 CHF 46.09

$56.0 CHF 46.10

-0.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.4 CHF 72.8

$91.3 CHF 75.2

-3.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.03 CHF 37.91

$60.0 CHF 49.43

-23.30%

Cinema Ticket

$22.52 CHF 18.55

$24.81 CHF 20.43

-9.23%

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

$2,681 CHF 2,208

$3,505 CHF 2,887

-23.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 28.0K

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

-18.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 117

$139 CHF 115

2.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 CHF 48.02

$58.3 CHF 48.04

-0.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$152 CHF 126

$166 CHF 137

-8.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 CHF 153

$260 CHF 214

-28.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,685 CHF 1,388

$2,916 CHF 2,402

-42.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,472 CHF 1,213

$2,308 CHF 1,901

-36.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,787 CHF 2,295

$5,918 CHF 4,874

-52.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,429 CHF 2,001

$4,092 CHF 3,370

-40.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

$26.8K CHF 22.1K

-41.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 10.1K

$16.2K CHF 13.4K

-24.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,693 CHF 5,513

$7,928 CHF 6,529

-15.57%

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 Embrach: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zurich: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Embrach

$1.5K 43.2%

Zurich

$2.3K 51.9% 56.8% $836

Groceries & Markets

Embrach

$585 17.1%

Zurich

$671 15.1% 14.8% $87

Eating Out

Embrach

$464 13.6%

Zurich

$523 11.7% 12.6% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Embrach

$369 10.8%

Zurich

$369 8.3% 0% $0

Clothing & Footwear

Embrach

$242 7.1%

Zurich

$281 6.3% 15.8% $38

Getting Around

Embrach

$147 4.3%

Zurich

$158 3.6% 7.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Embrach

$133 3.9%

Zurich

$141 3.2% 5.6% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,685 in Embrach 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.

Salaries run about 18% higher in Zurich, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $119 in Embrach versus $144 in Zurich. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $585 vs $671 – making Embrach the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Embrach

🇨🇭 Zurich

🕒 Local time

06:16 6:16 AM

Same time as Embrach

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,300

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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Embrach Zurich 15 km

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Embrach
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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

Embrach vs Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,413 in Embrach, $4,451 in Zurich – roughly 30% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,119 per month in Embrach 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 Embrach, 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 $3,413 in Embrach and $4,451 in Zurich. That's a gap of about 30%.

Public transport costs about 8% less in Embrach. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,413 in Embrach and $4,451 in Zurich. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Zurich has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,413 in Embrach to $4,451 in Zurich. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Embrach. 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.