Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Meilen and Zurich

For one person, living is cheaper in Meilen: $3,372 a month against $4,451 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

163

Cost of Living Index in Meilen
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Meilen Living Index
217

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
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Zurich Living Index

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Meilen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,372

/mo nomad

Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,451

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,372 per month in Meilen vs $4,451 in Zurich, rent included.

Meilen $3,372
Zurich $4,451

A couple spends around $5,942 per month in Meilen vs $6,817 in Zurich, rent included.

Meilen $5,942
Zurich $6,817

A family of three spends $8,512 per month in Meilen vs $9,184 in Zurich, rent included.

Meilen $8,512
Zurich $9,184

Meilen is about 24% cheaper than Zurich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Meilen and Zurich sit above the global median – Meilen by 150%, Zurich by 230%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.47 CHF 26.74

$34.71 CHF 28.59

-6.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 101

$144 CHF 119

-15.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.33 CHF 13.45

$17.69 CHF 14.57

-7.69%

Cappuccino

$6.31 CHF 5.19

$6.91 CHF 5.69

-8.68%

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

$5.68 CHF 4.67

$5.86 CHF 4.83

-3.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 CHF 4.13

$5.15 CHF 4.24

-2.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.46 CHF 6.97

$9.70 CHF 7.99

-12.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 CHF 6.83

$8.28 CHF 6.82

0.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.82

$2.20 CHF 1.81

0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 CHF 2.69

$3.78 CHF 3.11

-13.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 CHF 3.11

$3.68 CHF 3.03

2.72%

Eggs

$7.49 CHF 6.17

$8.54 CHF 7.03

-12.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.56 CHF 21.87

$27.22 CHF 22.42

-2.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.69 CHF 21.16

$27.67 CHF 22.79

-7.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.25 CHF 33.15

$61.7 CHF 50.8

-34.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 CHF 2.82

$4.14 CHF 3.41

-17.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 CHF 1.67

$2.68 CHF 2.21

-24.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 CHF 2.20

$3.54 CHF 2.91

-24.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 CHF 3.77

$4.45 CHF 3.67

2.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 CHF 1.61

$2.54 CHF 2.09

-22.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.78

$2.21 CHF 1.82

-2.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 CHF 1.91

$2.52 CHF 2.07

-7.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CHF 1.03

$1.24 CHF 1.02

0.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.03 CHF 9.09

$10.62 CHF 8.75

3.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.25 CHF 10.91

$13.83 CHF 11.39

-4.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$2.66 CHF 2.19

-15.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 CHF 2.66

$3.18 CHF 2.62

1.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 CHF 3.78

$5.39 CHF 4.44

-14.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.8 CHF 79.7

$106 CHF 87.2

-8.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.55 CHF 6.21

$7.93 CHF 6.54

-4.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.50 CHF 3.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.0 CHF 72.5

$89.4 CHF 73.6

-1.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$2.28 CHF 1.87

-0.88%

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

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

-0.82%

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

$39.4K CHF 32.5K

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

-0.28%

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

$235 CHF 194

$276 CHF 227

-14.78%

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

$36.06 CHF 29.70

$36.80 CHF 30.31

-2.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.3 CHF 53.8

$56.0 CHF 46.10

16.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.1 CHF 72.6

$91.3 CHF 75.2

-3.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.50 CHF 36.65

$60.0 CHF 49.43

-25.85%

Cinema Ticket

$21.90 CHF 18.04

$24.81 CHF 20.43

-11.73%

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

$2,816 CHF 2,319

$3,505 CHF 2,887

-19.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.3K CHF 34.8K

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

1.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 113

$139 CHF 115

-1.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.2 CHF 48.77

$58.3 CHF 48.04

1.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 CHF 118

$166 CHF 137

-13.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$174 CHF 143

$260 CHF 214

-33.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 CHF 1,392

$2,916 CHF 2,402

-42.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 CHF 1,211

$2,308 CHF 1,901

-36.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,831 CHF 2,332

$5,918 CHF 4,874

-52.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,065 CHF 3,348

$4,092 CHF 3,370

-0.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.8K CHF 13.0K

$26.8K CHF 22.1K

-41.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K CHF 9,812

$16.2K CHF 13.4K

-26.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,259 CHF 6,802

$7,928 CHF 6,529

4.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

2.07

-16.91%

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

Last update for Meilen: 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

Meilen

$1.5K 43.6%

Zurich

$2.3K 51.9% 56.9% $837

Groceries & Markets

Meilen

$570 16.9%

Zurich

$671 15.1% 17.7% $101

Eating Out

Meilen

$486 14.4%

Zurich

$523 11.7% 7.5% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Meilen

$337 10%

Zurich

$369 8.3% 9.6% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Meilen

$231 6.9%

Zurich

$281 6.3% 21.3% $49

Getting Around

Meilen

$145 4.3%

Zurich

$158 3.6% 8.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Meilen

$132 3.9%

Zurich

$141 3.2% 6.8% $9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,690 in Meilen 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 4% higher in Meilen, 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 $122 in Meilen versus $144 in Zurich. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $570 vs $671 – making Meilen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Meilen

🇨🇭 Zurich

🕒 Local time

10:49 10:49 AM

Same time as Meilen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,515

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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Meilen Zurich 14 km

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Meilen
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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

Meilen vs Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zurich costs about 32% more than Meilen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,059 per month in Meilen 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 Meilen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Meilen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,816 per month in Meilen and $3,505 in Zurich. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,372 in Meilen and $4,451 in Zurich. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Meilen costs $3,372 versus $4,451 in Zurich. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Meilen. 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.