Cost of Living Comparison Between Switzerland and United Kingdom Cost of Living Comparison Between Switzerland and United Kingdom

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,465 in Switzerland versus $2,365 in United Kingdom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,349 in Switzerland versus $3,470 in United Kingdom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,233 in Switzerland versus $4,575 in United Kingdom.

Living in Switzerland is roughly 47% more expensive than in United Kingdom on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Switzerland 160% above, United Kingdom 78% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,652 to $3,902, compared to $2,714–$4,418 in Switzerland. City choice carries more weight in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.61 CHF 24.89

$20.15 £15.08

51.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$136 CHF 110

$88.5 £66.2

53.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.79 CHF 15.28

$10.33 £7.73

81.90%

Cappuccino

$6.01 CHF 4.89

$4.53 £3.39

32.67%

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

$5.42 CHF 4.41

$2.38 £1.78

127.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 CHF 4.01

$1.70 £1.27

190.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.51 CHF 6.92

$6.61 £4.95

28.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.53 CHF 6.13

$6.24 £4.67

20.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.81

$1.64 £1.23

35.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 CHF 3.02

$1.67 £1.25

122.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.45

$2.22 £1.66

90.99%

Eggs

$7.23 CHF 5.88

$3.98 £2.98

81.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.15 CHF 22.90

$9.60 £7.18

193.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.88 CHF 26.74

$9.15 £6.85

259.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$47.71 CHF 38.81

$13.94 £10.43

242.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 CHF 3.02

$2.94 £2.20

26.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 CHF 2.06

$1.67 £1.25

52.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 CHF 2.51

$2.85 £2.14

8.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.25 CHF 5.08

$3.44 £2.58

81.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 CHF 2.02

$1.70 £1.27

45.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.96

$1.61 £1.20

49.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.05

$1.12 £0.84

125.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 CHF 1.17

$1.52 £1.14

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.16 CHF 9.08

$20.60 £15.41

-45.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 CHF 10.88

$10.60 £7.93

26.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 CHF 2.13

$2.87 £2.15

-8.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 CHF 2.51

$3.27 £2.45

-5.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 CHF 3.31

$3.23 £2.42

26.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.4 CHF 80.1

$93.3 £69.8

5.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.95 CHF 6.46

$5.28 £3.95

50.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.38 CHF 3.56

$1.52 £1.14

188.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$84.6 CHF 68.8

$26.79 £20.04

215.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.76

$1.98 £1.48

9.60%

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

$40.4K CHF 32.9K

$37.9K £28.3K

6.60%

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

$41.3K CHF 33.6K

$40.6K £30.3K

1.92%

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

$273 CHF 222

$325 £243

-16.20%

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

$51.7 CHF 42.08

$17.63 £13.19

193.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 CHF 49.15

$42.17 £31.55

43.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.8 CHF 72.2

$45.93 £34.36

93.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.01 CHF 39.05

$15.86 £11.87

202.71%

Cinema Ticket

$24.43 CHF 19.87

$13.36 £10.00

82.86%

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

$3,049 CHF 2,480

$1,736 £1,299

75.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K CHF 28.3K

$21.3K £16.0K

62.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 109

$90.8 £67.9

47.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.8 CHF 52.7

$45.24 £33.85

43.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$152 CHF 123

$102 £76.6

48.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$191 CHF 155

$102 £76.2

87.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 CHF 1,627

$1,412 £1,057

41.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 CHF 1,369

$1,122 £840

49.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,628 CHF 2,951

$2,367 £1,770

53.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,949 CHF 2,399

$1,827 £1,367

61.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.5K

$5,662 £4,235

236.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.5K CHF 11.0K

$4,424 £3,309

205.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,185 CHF 5,844

$3,238 £2,422

121.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

5.75

-57.57%

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

Last update for Switzerland: July 26, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,710 in Switzerland, $1,266 in United Kingdom. Capital cities: $1,853 in Bern vs $3,021 in London.

National salary averages: $7,234 in Switzerland, $3,174 in United Kingdom. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 35% higher in Switzerland.

Dining out costs 63% more in Switzerland.

Salaries are 128% higher in Switzerland, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Switzerland.

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

Switzerland vs United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $3,566 per month in Switzerland and $2,777 in United Kingdom, there's a 28% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in United Kingdom: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Switzerland is consistently higher than in United Kingdom across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In United Kingdom, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Switzerland it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: United Kingdom wins on affordability; Switzerland may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.