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: $3,548 in Thun versus $4,251 in Zurich.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,381 in Thun versus $6,397 in Zurich.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,214 in Thun versus $8,544 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 216% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.75 CHF 21.73

$30.84 CHF 24.15

-10.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 95.8

$150 CHF 118

-18.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.27 CHF 13.52

$20.90 CHF 16.37

-17.37%

Cappuccino

$5.81 CHF 4.55

$6.84 CHF 5.36

-15.06%

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

$4.82 CHF 3.77

$6.08 CHF 4.76

-20.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 CHF 3.64

$5.25 CHF 4.11

-11.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.38 CHF 6.56

$10.10 CHF 7.91

-17.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.75 CHF 6.07

$8.57 CHF 6.71

-9.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.75

$2.17 CHF 1.70

3.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 CHF 2.65

$3.36 CHF 2.63

0.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 CHF 3.22

$4.10 CHF 3.21

0.24%

Eggs

$7.14 CHF 5.59

$7.49 CHF 5.86

-4.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.35 CHF 20.63

$29.78 CHF 23.31

-11.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.15 CHF 22.04

$34.08 CHF 26.69

-17.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.83 CHF 31.97

$49.33 CHF 38.63

-17.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 CHF 2.68

$4.01 CHF 3.14

-14.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.69

$2.83 CHF 2.21

-23.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 CHF 2.21

$2.98 CHF 2.34

-5.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.40 CHF 5.01

$5.22 CHF 4.08

22.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 CHF 1.77

$2.88 CHF 2.25

-21.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.69

$2.28 CHF 1.78

-5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.97

$2.58 CHF 2.02

-2.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 CHF 0.86

$1.73 CHF 1.36

-36.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 CHF 8.60

$11.16 CHF 8.74

-1.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.83 CHF 10.05

$15.04 CHF 11.78

-14.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CHF 1.54

$2.65 CHF 2.08

-26.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 CHF 1.78

$3.34 CHF 2.62

-32.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.88 CHF 3.04

$4.82 CHF 3.78

-19.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 CHF 77.6

$110 CHF 85.9

-9.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 CHF 6.08

$7.64 CHF 5.98

1.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.31 CHF 2.59

$4.29 CHF 3.36

-22.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.8 CHF 51.5

$87.2 CHF 68.3

-24.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.68

$2.30 CHF 1.80

-6.96%

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

$40.8K CHF 32.0K

$41.1K CHF 32.1K

-0.54%

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

$41.8K CHF 32.7K

$40.1K CHF 31.4K

4.25%

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

$370 CHF 290

$253 CHF 198

46.34%

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

$59.3 CHF 46.46

$36.27 CHF 28.40

63.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 CHF 45.22

$58.4 CHF 45.70

-1.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.1 CHF 68.2

$87.7 CHF 68.7

-0.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 CHF 39.23

Cinema Ticket

$24.98 CHF 19.56

$24.74 CHF 19.37

0.97%

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

$3,021 CHF 2,365

$3,342 CHF 2,617

-9.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.4K CHF 26.2K

$38.6K CHF 30.2K

-13.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 CHF 117

$138 CHF 108

8.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 CHF 54.2

$61.1 CHF 47.81

13.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$176 CHF 138

$148 CHF 116

18.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$183 CHF 143

$199 CHF 156

-8.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 CHF 1,319

$2,700 CHF 2,114

-37.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,447 CHF 1,133

$2,181 CHF 1,708

-33.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,888 CHF 2,261

$4,895 CHF 3,833

-41.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 CHF 1,912

$3,804 CHF 2,978

-35.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$25.5K CHF 20.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,747 CHF 6,066

$16.3K CHF 12.8K

-52.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,547 CHF 5,126

$8,581 CHF 6,719

-23.71%

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: April 11, 2026

Last update for Zurich: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,684 in Thun and $2,700 in Zurich. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zurich pays 31% 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: $122 in Thun vs $150 in Zurich for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $591 vs $679 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 20% 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 31% 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: $1,684 in Thun versus $2,700 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 11% less than in Zurich. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,021 in Thun versus $3,342 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 $3,548 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 20% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.