Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mendrisio and Zurich

For one person, living is cheaper in Mendrisio: $3,064 a month against $4,270 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Mendrisio
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Mendrisio Living Index
207

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
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Zurich Living Index

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Mendrisio

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,064

/mo nomad

Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,064 per month in Mendrisio vs $4,270 in Zurich, rent included.

Mendrisio $3,064
Zurich $4,270

A couple spends around $3,796 per month in Mendrisio vs $6,666 in Zurich, rent included.

Mendrisio $3,796
Zurich $6,666

A family of three spends $4,529 per month in Mendrisio vs $9,061 in Zurich, rent included.

Mendrisio $4,529
Zurich $9,061

Mendrisio is about 28% cheaper than Zurich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mendrisio and Zurich sit above the global median – Mendrisio by 125%, Zurich by 214%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.70 CHF 28.62

$33.89 CHF 27.95

2.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$181 CHF 149

$146 CHF 120

24.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.12 CHF 15.77

$18.10 CHF 14.93

5.64%

Cappuccino

$4.59 CHF 3.79

$6.88 CHF 5.67

-33.28%

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

$5.57 CHF 4.60

$5.73 CHF 4.72

-2.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 CHF 3.64

$5.25 CHF 4.33

-15.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.25 CHF 6.80

$9.61 CHF 7.92

-14.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 CHF 6.04

$8.37 CHF 6.90

-12.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.80

$2.11 CHF 1.74

3.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 3.08

$3.95 CHF 3.26

-5.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 CHF 3.46

$3.81 CHF 3.14

10.24%

Eggs

$7.08 CHF 5.84

$8.40 CHF 6.93

-15.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.93 CHF 21.39

$27.05 CHF 22.31

-4.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.45 CHF 23.47

$28.85 CHF 23.80

-1.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.42 CHF 32.51

$59.4 CHF 48.99

-33.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 CHF 2.65

$4.13 CHF 3.40

-22.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 CHF 1.41

$2.86 CHF 2.36

-40.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 CHF 2.03

$3.50 CHF 2.89

-29.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.44 CHF 5.31

$4.56 CHF 3.76

41.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CHF 1.53

$2.55 CHF 2.10

-27.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 CHF 1.75

$2.31 CHF 1.91

-8.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CHF 2.04

$2.47 CHF 2.03

0.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 CHF 1.01

$1.29 CHF 1.07

-4.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.71 CHF 8.83

$11.04 CHF 9.11

-2.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.56 CHF 12.00

$14.00 CHF 11.55

4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 CHF 2.70

$2.88 CHF 2.38

13.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 CHF 3.34

$3.18 CHF 2.62

27.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.19 CHF 2.63

$5.44 CHF 4.49

-41.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 86.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.07 CHF 5.83

$8.14 CHF 6.71

-13.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.71 CHF 4.71

$4.56 CHF 3.76

25.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$77.3 CHF 63.7

$89.8 CHF 74.1

-13.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.85

$2.32 CHF 1.91

-3.45%

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

$38.8K CHF 32.0K

$38.9K CHF 32.1K

-0.17%

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

$39.1K CHF 32.3K

$39.0K CHF 32.2K

0.27%

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

$305 CHF 251

$282 CHF 233

8.02%

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

$25.58 CHF 21.10

$39.00 CHF 32.17

-34.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.83 CHF 40.28

$55.0 CHF 45.39

-11.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.3 CHF 58.8

$84.6 CHF 69.8

-15.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.7 CHF 50.9

Cinema Ticket

$20.55 CHF 16.95

$24.31 CHF 20.05

-15.47%

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

$3,250 CHF 2,680

$3,444 CHF 2,840

-5.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.7K CHF 31.1K

$41.6K CHF 34.3K

-9.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CHF 88.5

$138 CHF 114

-22.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.74 CHF 40.20

$55.0 CHF 45.38

-11.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$167 CHF 138

$159 CHF 131

4.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 CHF 141

$249 CHF 206

-31.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CHF 1,163

$2,878 CHF 2,373

-51.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 CHF 1,003

$2,143 CHF 1,767

-43.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,559 CHF 4,585

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,003 CHF 3,301

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.2K CHF 23.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.9K CHF 13.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,773 CHF 5,586

$8,230 CHF 6,788

-17.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.37

2.09

13.40%

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

Last update for Mendrisio: 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

Mendrisio

$1.2K 39.7%

Zurich

$2.1K 50.2% 76.1% $926

Groceries & Markets

Mendrisio

$599 19.6%

Zurich

$674 15.8% 12.5% $75

Eating Out

Mendrisio

$486 15.9%

Zurich

$517 12.1% 6.3% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mendrisio

$379 12.4%

Zurich

$376 8.8% 0.8% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Mendrisio

$222 7.3%

Zurich

$270 6.3% 21.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Mendrisio

$112 3.7%

Zurich

$133 3.1% 18.5% $21

Getting Around

Mendrisio

$48 * 1.6%

Zurich

$157 3.7% 225% $109

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,410 in Mendrisio 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 22% 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 $181 in Mendrisio versus $146 in Zurich. Groceries tell a different story – $599 in Mendrisio vs $674 in Zurich – so Mendrisio wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Mendrisio

🇨🇭 Zurich

🕒 Local time

08:02 8:02 AM

Same time as Mendrisio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,562

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

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Mendrisio Zurich 170 km

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Mendrisio
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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

Mendrisio vs Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zurich is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,595 per month in Mendrisio 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 Mendrisio, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,410 there versus $2,878 in Zurich.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,064 in Mendrisio and $4,270 in Zurich. That makes Mendrisio about 28% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $3,250 per month in Mendrisio and $3,444 in Zurich. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,064 in Mendrisio and $4,270 in Zurich. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Mendrisio – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Mendrisio. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zurich makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.