Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Staefa and Zurich

For one person, living is cheaper in Staefa: $3,475 a month against $4,270 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

166

Cost of Living Index in Staefa
Learn more

Staefa Living Index
207

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
Learn more

Zurich Living Index

Jump to prices

Staefa

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,475

/mo nomad

Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,475 per month in Staefa vs $4,270 in Zurich, rent included.

Staefa $3,475
Zurich $4,270

A couple spends around $5,304 per month in Staefa vs $6,666 in Zurich, rent included.

Staefa $5,304
Zurich $6,666

A family of three spends $7,132 per month in Staefa vs $9,061 in Zurich, rent included.

Staefa $7,132
Zurich $9,061

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

Both Staefa and Zurich sit above the global median – Staefa by 155%, Zurich by 214%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.44 CHF 27.72

$33.89 CHF 28.09

-1.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 101

$146 CHF 121

-16.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.20 CHF 13.43

$18.10 CHF 15.00

-10.50%

Cappuccino

$6.25 CHF 5.18

$6.88 CHF 5.70

-9.16%

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

$5.69 CHF 4.71

$5.73 CHF 4.75

-0.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 CHF 4.23

$5.25 CHF 4.35

-2.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.37 CHF 6.94

$9.61 CHF 7.96

-12.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.60 CHF 7.13

$8.37 CHF 6.94

2.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.79

$2.11 CHF 1.75

2.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 CHF 2.72

$3.95 CHF 3.27

-16.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 CHF 3.22

$3.81 CHF 3.15

2.10%

Eggs

$8.36 CHF 6.93

$8.40 CHF 6.96

-0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.66 CHF 22.10

$27.05 CHF 22.42

-1.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.56 CHF 22.02

$28.85 CHF 23.91

-7.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$55.3 CHF 45.82

$59.4 CHF 49.23

-6.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 CHF 2.89

$4.13 CHF 3.42

-15.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 CHF 2.31

$2.86 CHF 2.37

-2.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 CHF 2.97

$3.50 CHF 2.90

2.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 CHF 3.75

$4.56 CHF 3.78

-0.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 CHF 2.05

$2.55 CHF 2.11

-3.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CHF 1.81

$2.31 CHF 1.92

-5.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 CHF 2.03

$2.47 CHF 2.04

-0.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CHF 1.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.68 CHF 8.85

$11.04 CHF 9.15

-3.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.15 CHF 11.73

$14.00 CHF 11.60

1.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 CHF 2.28

$2.88 CHF 2.39

-4.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 CHF 2.66

$3.18 CHF 2.63

0.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.36 CHF 3.61

$5.44 CHF 4.51

-19.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 CHF 83.5

$105 CHF 86.7

-3.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.54 CHF 6.25

$8.14 CHF 6.74

-7.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.69 CHF 3.89

$4.56 CHF 3.78

2.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.9 CHF 72.1

$89.8 CHF 74.5

-3.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.92

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

$39.2K CHF 32.5K

$38.9K CHF 32.2K

0.82%

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

$38.5K CHF 32.0K

$39.0K CHF 32.3K

-1.17%

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

$232 CHF 192

$282 CHF 234

-17.72%

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

$32.86 CHF 27.24

$39.00 CHF 32.33

-15.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 CHF 46.04

$55.0 CHF 45.62

0.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.1 CHF 75.5

$84.6 CHF 70.1

7.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.55 CHF 38.59

$61.7 CHF 51.1

-24.54%

Cinema Ticket

$21.56 CHF 17.87

$24.31 CHF 20.15

-11.31%

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

$2,904 CHF 2,407

$3,444 CHF 2,855

-15.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.2K CHF 35.0K

$41.6K CHF 34.5K

1.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 115

$138 CHF 114

0.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.4 CHF 48.38

$55.0 CHF 45.60

6.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 CHF 120

$159 CHF 132

-8.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 CHF 141

$249 CHF 207

-31.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,760 CHF 1,459

$2,878 CHF 2,385

-38.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 CHF 1,251

$2,143 CHF 1,776

-29.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,982 CHF 2,472

$5,559 CHF 4,608

-46.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,507 CHF 2,078

$4,003 CHF 3,318

-37.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.4K CHF 13.6K

$28.2K CHF 23.3K

-41.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 10.1K

$16.9K CHF 14.0K

-27.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,230 CHF 6,821

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

2.09

-17.70%

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

Last update for Staefa: 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

Staefa

$1.5K 43.4%

Zurich

$2.1K 50.2% 42% $634

Groceries & Markets

Staefa

$639 18.4%

Zurich

$674 15.8% 5.5% $35

Eating Out

Staefa

$493 14.2%

Zurich

$517 12.1% 4.7% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Staefa

$321 9.2%

Zurich

$376 8.8% 17.4% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Staefa

$230 6.6%

Zurich

$270 6.3% 17.4% $40

Getting Around

Staefa

$149 4.3%

Zurich

$157 3.7% 5.4% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

Staefa

$134 3.9%

Zurich

$133 3.1% 0.7% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,760 in Staefa 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 $122 in Staefa versus $146 in Zurich. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $639 vs $674 – making Staefa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Staefa

🇨🇭 Zurich

🕒 Local time

11:18 11:18 AM

Same time as Staefa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,567

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Staefa Zurich 21 km

From you

Staefa
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

Staefa vs Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zurich costs about 23% more than Staefa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,213 per month in Staefa 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 Staefa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,760 there versus $2,878 in Zurich.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Staefa 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 $3,475 in Staefa and $4,270 in Zurich. That’s a gap of about 23%.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,475 in Staefa and $4,270 in Zurich. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Staefa – 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.

For expats, Staefa is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 23% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.