Cost of Living Comparison Between Yens and Zurich Cost of Living Comparison Between Yens and Zurich

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,459 in Yens versus $4,270 in Zurich.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,362 in Yens versus $6,491 in Zurich.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,264 in Yens versus $8,712 in Zurich.

Living in Yens costs roughly 19% less than in Zurich, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Yens 159% above, Zurich 220% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.31 CHF 24.46

$30.84 CHF 24.88

-1.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 119

0.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.91 CHF 15.25

$20.72 CHF 16.72

-8.74%

Cappuccino

$5.90 CHF 4.76

$6.94 CHF 5.60

-14.99%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.41

$6.04 CHF 4.88

-9.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 CHF 3.80

$5.24 CHF 4.23

-10.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 CHF 7.78

$9.83 CHF 7.94

-1.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.49 CHF 6.04

$8.52 CHF 6.87

-12.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.79

$2.18 CHF 1.76

1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 CHF 3.06

$3.25 CHF 2.62

16.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 CHF 3.59

$4.12 CHF 3.32

8.01%

Eggs

$7.42 CHF 5.99

$7.26 CHF 5.85

2.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.28 CHF 21.20

$30.00 CHF 24.21

-12.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.80 CHF 23.24

$34.06 CHF 27.49

-15.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.50 CHF 35.91

$50.2 CHF 40.48

-11.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CHF 2.92

$4.09 CHF 3.30

-11.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 CHF 1.68

$2.91 CHF 2.34

-28.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 CHF 2.29

$3.02 CHF 2.44

-5.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 CHF 5.33

$4.98 CHF 4.02

32.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 CHF 2.02

$2.75 CHF 2.22

-9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 CHF 1.91

$2.34 CHF 1.89

0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 2.02

$2.54 CHF 2.05

-1.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 CHF 1.13

$1.72 CHF 1.39

-18.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.07 CHF 8.93

$11.29 CHF 9.11

-1.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.74 CHF 11.08

$13.58 CHF 10.96

1.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 CHF 1.67

$2.63 CHF 2.12

-21.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CHF 2.50

$3.23 CHF 2.60

-4.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.96 CHF 3.20

$5.02 CHF 4.05

-21.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 CHF 79.9

$107 CHF 86.4

-7.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.73 CHF 6.24

$7.81 CHF 6.30

-1.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.41 CHF 2.75

$4.31 CHF 3.48

-20.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.2 CHF 54.3

$86.9 CHF 70.1

-22.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.79

$2.24 CHF 1.80

-1.34%

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

$40.3K CHF 32.5K

$39.7K CHF 32.0K

1.48%

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

$40.7K CHF 32.8K

$39.8K CHF 32.1K

2.15%

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

$301 CHF 243

$258 CHF 208

16.78%

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

$51.1 CHF 41.23

$36.31 CHF 29.30

40.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 CHF 46.38

$59.4 CHF 47.92

-3.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.9 CHF 71.7

$89.5 CHF 72.2

-0.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 CHF 40.41

Cinema Ticket

$22.64 CHF 18.27

$24.81 CHF 20.02

-8.75%

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

$2,534 CHF 2,045

$3,344 CHF 2,698

-24.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.4K CHF 27.0K

$39.1K CHF 31.6K

-14.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CHF 86.1

$138 CHF 111

-22.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.6 CHF 55.4

$61.7 CHF 49.80

11.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 120

$147 CHF 119

1.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$183 CHF 148

$200 CHF 161

-8.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 CHF 1,367

$2,721 CHF 2,195

-37.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CHF 1,168

$2,227 CHF 1,797

-34.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,801 CHF 2,260

$5,054 CHF 4,078

-44.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,436 CHF 1,966

$3,797 CHF 3,064

-35.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.1K CHF 13.8K

$27.3K CHF 22.0K

-37.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.8K CHF 8,709

$16.4K CHF 13.2K

-34.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,287 CHF 6,687

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 Yens: July 13, 2026

Last update for Zurich: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,694 in Yens and $2,721 in Zurich. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $147 in Yens vs $147 in Zurich for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $622 vs $676 per month, with Yens 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

Yens vs Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yens wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Zurich. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Yens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,189 in Yens and $6,406 in Zurich to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,694 in Yens versus $2,721 in Zurich. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Yens runs roughly 8% less than in Zurich. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,534 in Yens versus $3,344 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. Yens 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 Yens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,459 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Yens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Yens 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 Yens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.