Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rheinfelden and Zurich

For one person, living is cheaper in Rheinfelden: $1,976 a month against $4,270 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $27,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Rheinfelden
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Rheinfelden Living Index
207

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
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Zurich Living Index

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Rheinfelden

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$1,976

/mo nomad

Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,976 per month in Rheinfelden vs $4,270 in Zurich, rent included.

Rheinfelden $1,976
Zurich $4,270

A couple spends around $4,764 per month in Rheinfelden vs $6,666 in Zurich, rent included.

Rheinfelden $4,764
Zurich $6,666

A family of three spends $7,551 per month in Rheinfelden vs $9,061 in Zurich, rent included.

Rheinfelden $7,551
Zurich $9,061

Rheinfelden is about 54% cheaper than Zurich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rheinfelden and Zurich sit above the global median – Rheinfelden by 45%, Zurich by 214%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.11 CHF 24.96

$33.89 CHF 28.09

-11.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 CHF 102

$146 CHF 121

-15.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.06 CHF 14.97

$18.10 CHF 15.00

-0.22%

Cappuccino

$5.76 CHF 4.78

$6.88 CHF 5.70

-16.28%

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

$5.51 CHF 4.57

$5.73 CHF 4.75

-3.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 CHF 4.05

$5.25 CHF 4.35

-7.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.44 CHF 7.00

$9.61 CHF 7.96

-12.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.67 CHF 5.53

$8.37 CHF 6.94

-20.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.82

$2.11 CHF 1.75

4.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.61 CHF 3.00

$3.95 CHF 3.27

-8.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.33 CHF 3.59

$3.81 CHF 3.15

13.65%

Eggs

$7.34 CHF 6.08

$8.40 CHF 6.96

-12.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.05 CHF 21.59

$27.05 CHF 22.42

-3.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.83 CHF 23.07

$28.85 CHF 23.91

-3.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.23 CHF 34.18

$59.4 CHF 49.23

-30.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 CHF 3.33

$4.13 CHF 3.42

-2.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.79

$2.86 CHF 2.37

-24.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.45

$3.50 CHF 2.90

-15.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 CHF 4.52

$4.56 CHF 3.78

19.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 CHF 1.40

$2.55 CHF 2.11

-33.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 CHF 1.60

$2.31 CHF 1.92

-16.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 CHF 1.88

$2.47 CHF 2.04

-8.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CHF 0.92

$1.29 CHF 1.07

-13.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.36 CHF 9.42

$11.04 CHF 9.15

2.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.30 CHF 10.20

$14.00 CHF 11.60

-12.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 CHF 2.32

$2.88 CHF 2.39

-2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 CHF 2.96

$3.18 CHF 2.63

12.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.58 CHF 2.97

$5.44 CHF 4.51

-34.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$123 CHF 102

$105 CHF 86.7

17.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 CHF 3.80

$8.14 CHF 6.74

-43.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 CHF 2.33

$4.56 CHF 3.78

-38.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.9 CHF 49.67

$89.8 CHF 74.5

-33.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.85

$2.32 CHF 1.92

-3.88%

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

$38.6K CHF 32.0K

$38.9K CHF 32.2K

-0.63%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.8K

$39.0K CHF 32.3K

1.50%

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

$236 CHF 196

$282 CHF 234

-16.29%

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

$46.56 CHF 38.59

$39.00 CHF 32.33

19.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.0 CHF 53.0

$55.0 CHF 45.62

16.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$107 CHF 88.3

$84.6 CHF 70.1

25.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.7 CHF 51.1

Cinema Ticket

$21.92 CHF 18.17

$24.31 CHF 20.15

-9.83%

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

$3,007 CHF 2,492

$3,444 CHF 2,855

-12.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K CHF 20.6K

$41.6K CHF 34.5K

-40.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$144 CHF 120

$138 CHF 114

4.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.0 CHF 66.3

$55.0 CHF 45.60

45.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 CHF 137

$159 CHF 132

4.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 CHF 167

$249 CHF 207

-19.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,878 CHF 2,385

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 CHF 1,776

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,206 CHF 1,828

$5,559 CHF 4,608

-60.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,991 CHF 2,479

$4,003 CHF 3,318

-25.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.2K CHF 23.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.9K CHF 14.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,230 CHF 6,821

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.41

2.09

15.31%

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

Last update for Rheinfelden: October 26, 2026

Last update for Zurich: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Rheinfelden

$595 30.1%

Zurich

$674 15.8% 13.3% $79

Eating Out

Rheinfelden

$461 23.4%

Zurich

$517 12.1% 12% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rheinfelden

$347 17.6%

Zurich

$376 8.8% 8.5% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Rheinfelden

$266 13.5%

Zurich

$270 6.3% 1.6% $4.2

Getting Around

Rheinfelden

$156 7.9%

Zurich

$157 3.7% 0.7% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Rheinfelden

$150 7.6%

Zurich

$133 3.1% 11.4% $17

Accommodation & Living

Rheinfelden

- * 0%

Zurich

$2.1K 50.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $123 in Rheinfelden versus $146 in Zurich. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $595 vs $674 – making Rheinfelden the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Rheinfelden

🇨🇭 Zurich

🕒 Local time

12:04 12:04 PM

Same time as Rheinfelden

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,360

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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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

Rheinfelden vs Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zurich is pricier by about 116%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,964 per month in Rheinfelden and $6,406 in Zurich. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Zurich. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $3,007 per month in Rheinfelden and $3,444 in Zurich. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Rheinfelden, where all-in costs run around $1,976, than in Zurich at $4,270. In Rheinfelden it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zurich it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Zurich has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,976 in Rheinfelden to $4,270 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.