Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreux and Zurich

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreux: $3,440 a month against $4,270 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

166

Cost of Living Index in Montreux
Learn more

Montreux Living Index
207

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
Learn more

Zurich Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreux

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,440

/mo nomad

Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,440 per month in Montreux vs $4,270 in Zurich, rent included.

Montreux $3,440
Zurich $4,270

A couple spends around $5,245 per month in Montreux vs $6,666 in Zurich, rent included.

Montreux $5,245
Zurich $6,666

A family of three spends $7,050 per month in Montreux vs $9,061 in Zurich, rent included.

Montreux $7,050
Zurich $9,061

Montreux is about 19% cheaper than Zurich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreux and Zurich sit above the global median – Montreux by 153%, Zurich by 214%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.54 CHF 25.19

$33.89 CHF 27.95

-9.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 103

$146 CHF 120

-14.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.32 CHF 15.11

$18.10 CHF 14.93

1.22%

Cappuccino

$6.07 CHF 5.01

$6.88 CHF 5.68

-11.77%

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

$4.61 CHF 3.80

$5.73 CHF 4.73

-19.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 CHF 3.34

$5.25 CHF 4.33

-22.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.70 CHF 8.00

$9.61 CHF 7.92

0.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.49 CHF 7.83

$8.37 CHF 6.90

13.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.84

$2.11 CHF 1.74

5.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 CHF 2.73

$3.95 CHF 3.26

-16.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 CHF 2.74

$3.81 CHF 3.14

-12.86%

Eggs

$7.09 CHF 5.85

$8.40 CHF 6.93

-15.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.79 CHF 20.45

$27.05 CHF 22.31

-8.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.28 CHF 23.33

$28.85 CHF 23.80

-1.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.88 CHF 32.90

$59.4 CHF 49.00

-32.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 CHF 3.01

$4.13 CHF 3.40

-11.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 CHF 1.37

$2.86 CHF 2.36

-41.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 CHF 2.03

$3.50 CHF 2.89

-29.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 CHF 3.80

$4.56 CHF 3.76

0.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CHF 1.53

$2.55 CHF 2.10

-27.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 CHF 1.58

$2.31 CHF 1.91

-16.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 CHF 1.63

$2.47 CHF 2.03

-20.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 CHF 1.39

$1.29 CHF 1.07

31.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.00 CHF 9.08

$11.04 CHF 9.11

-0.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 CHF 9.94

$14.00 CHF 11.55

-13.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 CHF 2.25

$2.88 CHF 2.38

-5.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 CHF 2.68

$3.18 CHF 2.62

2.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.21 CHF 3.47

$5.44 CHF 4.49

-22.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 CHF 85.4

$105 CHF 86.3

-0.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 CHF 6.16

$8.14 CHF 6.71

-8.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.76 CHF 3.10

$4.56 CHF 3.76

-17.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.8 CHF 53.5

$89.8 CHF 74.1

-27.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.42 CHF 2.00

$2.32 CHF 1.91

4.31%

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

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

$38.9K CHF 32.1K

-0.52%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.7K

$39.0K CHF 32.2K

1.56%

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

$288 CHF 238

$282 CHF 233

2.16%

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

$37.64 CHF 31.05

$39.00 CHF 32.17

-3.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 CHF 43.03

$55.0 CHF 45.40

-5.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.6 CHF 73.9

$84.6 CHF 69.8

5.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.58 CHF 37.60

$61.7 CHF 50.9

-26.11%

Cinema Ticket

$24.18 CHF 19.95

$24.31 CHF 20.06

-0.53%

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

$2,443 CHF 2,015

$3,444 CHF 2,841

-29.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.9K CHF 29.7K

$41.6K CHF 34.3K

-13.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 111

$138 CHF 114

-1.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.7 CHF 64.9

$55.0 CHF 45.39

42.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$168 CHF 139

$159 CHF 131

5.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 152

$249 CHF 206

-26.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,773 CHF 1,462

$2,878 CHF 2,374

-38.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 CHF 1,215

$2,143 CHF 1,767

-31.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,960 CHF 2,441

$5,559 CHF 4,585

-46.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 CHF 2,062

$4,003 CHF 3,302

-37.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.4K CHF 13.5K

$28.2K CHF 23.2K

-41.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.5K CHF 10.3K

$16.9K CHF 13.9K

-26.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,161 CHF 6,732

$8,230 CHF 6,789

-0.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

2.09

-6.70%

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

Last update for Montreux: October 27, 2026

Last update for Zurich: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreux

$1.5K 42.8%

Zurich

$2.1K 50.2% 45.5% $670

Groceries & Markets

Montreux

$575 16.7%

Zurich

$674 15.8% 17.1% $99

Eating Out

Montreux

$474 13.8%

Zurich

$517 12.1% 8.9% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreux

$378 11%

Zurich

$376 8.8% 0.5% $1.9

Clothing & Footwear

Montreux

$255 7.4%

Zurich

$270 6.3% 6.2% $16

Getting Around

Montreux

$147 4.3%

Zurich

$157 3.7% 7.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Montreux

$138 4%

Zurich

$133 3.1% 3.4% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,773 in Montreux 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $125 in Montreux versus $146 in Zurich. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $575 vs $674 – making Montreux the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Montreux

🇨🇭 Zurich

🕒 Local time

05:30 5:30 AM

Same time as Montreux

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,208

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreux Zurich 160 km

From you

Montreux
Zurich

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

Montreux vs Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zurich is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,160 per month in Montreux 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 Montreux, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,773 there versus $2,878 in Zurich.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $125 in Montreux and $146 in Zurich. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,440 in Montreux and $4,270 in Zurich. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Montreux – 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.