Cost of Living Comparison Between Thun and Zurich Cost of Living Comparison Between Thun and Zurich

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,525 in Thun versus $4,254 in Zurich.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,293 in Thun versus $6,409 in Zurich.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,060 in Thun versus $8,563 in Zurich.

Living in Thun costs roughly 17% less than in Zurich, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thun 163% above, Zurich 217% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.21 CHF 22.26

$31.04 CHF 24.50

-9.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 CHF 97.7

$149 CHF 118

-17.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.30 CHF 13.66

$20.83 CHF 16.44

-16.95%

Cappuccino

$5.89 CHF 4.65

$6.72 CHF 5.30

-12.35%

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

$4.75 CHF 3.75

$5.90 CHF 4.66

-19.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 CHF 3.81

$5.35 CHF 4.22

-9.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.48 CHF 6.69

$9.85 CHF 7.77

-13.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.67 CHF 6.05

$8.82 CHF 6.96

-13.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.75

$2.26 CHF 1.78

-1.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 CHF 2.69

$3.29 CHF 2.60

3.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.13 CHF 3.26

$4.12 CHF 3.25

0.24%

Eggs

$7.32 CHF 5.78

$7.19 CHF 5.67

1.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.79 CHF 21.15

$29.88 CHF 23.58

-10.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.73 CHF 22.68

$33.59 CHF 26.51

-14.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.10 CHF 32.44

$49.65 CHF 39.18

-17.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 CHF 2.81

$4.04 CHF 3.19

-11.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$2.90 CHF 2.29

-25.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 CHF 2.20

$3.05 CHF 2.41

-8.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.33 CHF 4.99

$5.24 CHF 4.14

20.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 CHF 1.76

$2.85 CHF 2.25

-21.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.71

$2.38 CHF 1.88

-9.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 2.01

$2.50 CHF 1.98

1.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CHF 0.87

$1.70 CHF 1.34

-34.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.10 CHF 8.76

$10.96 CHF 8.65

1.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 CHF 9.98

$15.06 CHF 11.88

-16.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 CHF 1.50

$2.62 CHF 2.07

-27.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 CHF 1.80

$3.23 CHF 2.55

-29.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 CHF 3.02

$4.82 CHF 3.80

-20.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100.0 CHF 78.9

$106 CHF 83.7

-5.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 CHF 6.23

$7.55 CHF 5.95

4.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.30 CHF 2.61

$4.15 CHF 3.27

-20.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.2 CHF 52.3

$89.1 CHF 70.3

-25.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$2.29 CHF 1.81

-2.18%

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

$40.3K CHF 31.8K

$41.1K CHF 32.4K

-1.97%

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

$40.8K CHF 32.2K

$39.3K CHF 31.0K

3.62%

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

$366 CHF 289

$259 CHF 204

41.40%

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

$59.6 CHF 47.00

$35.51 CHF 28.03

67.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 CHF 46.75

$58.5 CHF 46.13

1.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.5 CHF 68.3

$88.8 CHF 70.1

-2.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.84 CHF 38.54

Cinema Ticket

$24.60 CHF 19.42

$25.07 CHF 19.79

-1.87%

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

$3,030 CHF 2,391

$3,470 CHF 2,739

-12.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.9K CHF 26.7K

$39.0K CHF 30.8K

-13.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$153 CHF 120

$137 CHF 108

11.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.8 CHF 55.1

$62.3 CHF 49.18

12.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$176 CHF 139

$148 CHF 117

18.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 CHF 147

$202 CHF 160

-8.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,687 CHF 1,331

$2,686 CHF 2,120

-37.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 CHF 1,162

$2,205 CHF 1,740

-33.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,870 CHF 2,265

$4,902 CHF 3,869

-41.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,499 CHF 1,972

$3,702 CHF 2,922

-32.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$26.1K CHF 20.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,647 CHF 6,035

$16.5K CHF 13.0K

-53.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,206 CHF 4,898

$8,722 CHF 6,883

-28.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

2.09

19.62%

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

Last update for Thun: June 1, 2026

Last update for Zurich: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,687 in Thun and $2,686 in Zurich. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zurich pays 41% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $124 in Thun vs $149 in Zurich for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $597 vs $677 per month, with Thun cheaper across the board.

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

Thun vs Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thun wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Zurich. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Thun the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Zurich earns 41% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,687 in Thun versus $2,686 in Zurich. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Thun runs roughly 6% less than in Zurich. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,030 in Thun versus $3,470 in Zurich. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Thun is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Thun delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,525 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Thun hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Thun and Zurich are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Thun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.