Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Chaux-de-Fonds and Zurich

For one person, living is cheaper in La Chaux-de-Fonds: $2,952 a month against $4,270 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in La Chaux-de-Fonds
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La Chaux-de-Fonds Living Index
207

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
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Zurich Living Index

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La Chaux-de-Fonds

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,952

/mo nomad

Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in La Chaux-de-Fonds 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 La Chaux-de-Fonds and in Zurich actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,952 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds vs $4,270 in Zurich, rent included.

La Chaux-de-Fonds $2,952
Zurich $4,270

A couple spends around $4,738 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds vs $6,666 in Zurich, rent included.

La Chaux-de-Fonds $4,738
Zurich $6,666

A family of three spends $6,524 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds vs $9,061 in Zurich, rent included.

La Chaux-de-Fonds $6,524
Zurich $9,061

La Chaux-de-Fonds is about 31% cheaper than Zurich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both La Chaux-de-Fonds and Zurich sit above the global median – La Chaux-de-Fonds by 117%, Zurich by 214%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.18 CHF 20.04

$33.89 CHF 28.09

-28.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.4 CHF 69.1

$146 CHF 121

-42.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.79 CHF 14.75

$18.10 CHF 15.00

-1.71%

Cappuccino

$4.54 CHF 3.76

$6.88 CHF 5.70

-34.01%

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

$3.54 CHF 2.94

$5.73 CHF 4.75

-38.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 CHF 3.80

$5.25 CHF 4.35

-12.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 CHF 6.16

$9.61 CHF 7.96

-22.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.19 CHF 5.13

$8.37 CHF 6.94

-26.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.90

$2.11 CHF 1.75

8.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 CHF 2.52

$3.95 CHF 3.27

-23.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 CHF 2.72

$3.81 CHF 3.15

-13.91%

Eggs

$7.83 CHF 6.49

$8.40 CHF 6.96

-6.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.31 CHF 21.81

$27.05 CHF 22.42

-2.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.70 CHF 22.96

$28.85 CHF 23.91

-3.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.41 CHF 34.32

$59.4 CHF 49.23

-30.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 CHF 2.95

$4.13 CHF 3.42

-13.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 CHF 1.85

$2.86 CHF 2.37

-22.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.45

$3.50 CHF 2.90

-15.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 CHF 3.94

$4.56 CHF 3.78

4.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 CHF 1.41

$2.55 CHF 2.11

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.66

$2.31 CHF 1.92

-13.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 CHF 1.86

$2.47 CHF 2.04

-8.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CHF 1.30

$1.29 CHF 1.07

21.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.10 CHF 9.20

$11.04 CHF 9.15

0.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.27 CHF 10.17

$14.00 CHF 11.60

-12.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CHF 2.03

$2.88 CHF 2.39

-14.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 CHF 2.55

$3.18 CHF 2.63

-3.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.35 CHF 3.61

$5.44 CHF 4.51

-20.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 CHF 83.8

$105 CHF 86.7

-3.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 CHF 6.70

$8.14 CHF 6.74

-0.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.70 CHF 3.89

$4.56 CHF 3.78

3.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.6 CHF 71.8

$89.8 CHF 74.5

-3.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 CHF 1.94

$2.32 CHF 1.92

1.29%

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

$39.8K CHF 33.0K

$38.9K CHF 32.2K

2.29%

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

$40.1K CHF 33.2K

$39.0K CHF 32.3K

2.80%

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

$289 CHF 240

$282 CHF 234

2.47%

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

$45.95 CHF 38.09

$39.00 CHF 32.33

17.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.8 CHF 52.1

$55.0 CHF 45.62

14.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.6 CHF 61.0

$84.6 CHF 70.1

-13.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.67 CHF 38.69

$61.7 CHF 51.1

-24.35%

Cinema Ticket

$22.60 CHF 18.73

$24.31 CHF 20.15

-7.03%

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

$2,918 CHF 2,419

$3,444 CHF 2,855

-15.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K CHF 17.0K

$41.6K CHF 34.5K

-50.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$144 CHF 119

$138 CHF 114

4.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.8 CHF 64.5

$55.0 CHF 45.60

41.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$162 CHF 134

$159 CHF 132

1.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$200 CHF 166

$249 CHF 207

-19.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 CHF 1,214

$2,878 CHF 2,385

-49.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 CHF 873

$2,143 CHF 1,776

-50.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,857 CHF 3,197

$5,559 CHF 4,608

-30.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 CHF 1,926

$4,003 CHF 3,318

-41.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.8K CHF 13.9K

$28.2K CHF 23.3K

-40.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.3K CHF 10.2K

$16.9K CHF 14.0K

-26.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,123 CHF 4,247

$8,230 CHF 6,821

-37.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.42

2.09

15.79%

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

Last update for La Chaux-de-Fonds: October 24, 2026

Last update for Zurich: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$1.1K 35.7%

Zurich

$2.1K 50.2% 104% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$586 19.9%

Zurich

$674 15.8% 15% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$398 13.5%

Zurich

$376 8.8% 5.5% $22

Eating Out

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$383 13%

Zurich

$517 12.1% 34.8% $133

Clothing & Footwear

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$263 8.9%

Zurich

$270 6.3% 3% $7.9

Getting Around

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$150 5.1%

Zurich

$157 3.7% 4.8% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$119 4%

Zurich

$133 3.1% 12.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,465 in La Chaux-de-Fonds 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 61% higher in Zurich. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $146 in Zurich. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $586 vs $674 – making La Chaux-de-Fonds the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 La Chaux-de-Fonds

🇨🇭 Zurich

🕒 Local time

12:11 12:11 PM

Same time as La Chaux-de-Fonds

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,027

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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La Chaux-de-Fonds Zurich 130 km

From you

La Chaux-de-Fonds
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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

La Chaux-de-Fonds vs Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zurich costs about 45% more than La Chaux-de-Fonds, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,427 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds 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 La Chaux-de-Fonds, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,465 there versus $2,878 in Zurich.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83 in La Chaux-de-Fonds and $146 in Zurich. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,952 in La Chaux-de-Fonds and $4,270 in Zurich. That’s a gap of about 45%.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,952 in La Chaux-de-Fonds and $4,270 in Zurich. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward La Chaux-de-Fonds – 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.

If budget matters most, go with La Chaux-de-Fonds. 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.