Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yens and Zurich

For one person, living is cheaper in Yens: $3,329 a month against $4,451 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

162

Cost of Living Index in Yens
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Yens Living Index
217

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
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Zurich Living Index

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Yens

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,329

/mo nomad

Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,451

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,329 in Yens versus $4,451 in Zurich.

Yens $3,329
Zurich $4,451

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,100 in Yens versus $6,817 in Zurich.

Yens $5,100
Zurich $6,817

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,872 in Yens versus $9,184 in Zurich.

Yens $6,872
Zurich $9,184

Living in Yens costs roughly 25% less than in Zurich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Yens 147% above, Zurich 230% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.34 CHF 24.16

$34.71 CHF 28.59

-15.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 CHF 98.0

$144 CHF 119

-17.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.95 CHF 13.14

$17.69 CHF 14.57

-9.84%

Cappuccino

$6.00 CHF 4.94

$6.91 CHF 5.69

-13.17%

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

$4.95 CHF 4.08

$5.86 CHF 4.83

-15.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 CHF 3.51

$5.15 CHF 4.24

-17.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.07 CHF 7.47

$9.70 CHF 7.99

-6.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.69 CHF 6.34

$8.28 CHF 6.82

-7.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.76

$2.20 CHF 1.81

-3.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 CHF 2.46

$3.78 CHF 3.11

-20.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 CHF 2.62

$3.68 CHF 3.03

-13.59%

Eggs

$7.17 CHF 5.91

$8.54 CHF 7.03

-16.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.95 CHF 19.73

$27.22 CHF 22.42

-12.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.06 CHF 23.11

$27.67 CHF 22.79

1.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.38 CHF 32.44

$61.7 CHF 50.8

-36.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 CHF 2.99

$4.14 CHF 3.41

-12.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 CHF 1.61

$2.68 CHF 2.21

-27.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.08

$3.54 CHF 2.91

-28.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 CHF 3.65

$4.45 CHF 3.67

-0.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 CHF 1.34

$2.54 CHF 2.09

-36.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 CHF 1.60

$2.21 CHF 1.82

-12.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 CHF 1.63

$2.52 CHF 2.07

-21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CHF 1.05

$1.24 CHF 1.02

2.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.70 CHF 8.81

$10.62 CHF 8.75

0.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.98 CHF 9.87

$13.83 CHF 11.39

-13.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 CHF 1.85

$2.66 CHF 2.19

-15.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 CHF 2.36

$3.18 CHF 2.62

-10.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.77

$5.39 CHF 4.44

-15.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.4 CHF 81.0

$106 CHF 87.2

-7.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 CHF 6.34

$7.93 CHF 6.54

-2.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.56 CHF 3.75

$4.50 CHF 3.71

1.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$84.2 CHF 69.3

$89.4 CHF 73.6

-5.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 CHF 1.94

$2.28 CHF 1.87

3.51%

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

$41.9K CHF 34.5K

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

7.42%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.7K

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

0.44%

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

$274 CHF 225

$276 CHF 227

-0.91%

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

$27.35 CHF 22.52

$36.80 CHF 30.31

-25.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 CHF 42.31

$56.0 CHF 46.10

-8.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.6 CHF 73.8

$91.3 CHF 75.2

-1.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.51 CHF 37.48

$60.0 CHF 49.43

-24.16%

Cinema Ticket

$24.00 CHF 19.76

$24.81 CHF 20.43

-3.26%

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

$2,954 CHF 2,433

$3,505 CHF 2,887

-15.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.3K CHF 25.0K

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

-27.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 CHF 116

$139 CHF 115

1.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 CHF 50.6

$58.3 CHF 48.04

5.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 CHF 114

$166 CHF 137

-17.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$197 CHF 162

$260 CHF 214

-24.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,679 CHF 1,383

$2,916 CHF 2,402

-42.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 CHF 1,186

$2,308 CHF 1,901

-37.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 CHF 2,338

$5,918 CHF 4,874

-52.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 CHF 2,054

$4,092 CHF 3,370

-39.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.3K

$26.8K CHF 22.1K

-39.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.0K CHF 9,900

$16.2K CHF 13.4K

-25.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,928 CHF 6,529

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

2.07

-5.80%

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

Last update for Yens: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zurich: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Yens

$1.4K 43.3%

Zurich

$2.3K 51.9% 60.3% $869

Groceries & Markets

Yens

$558 16.8%

Zurich

$671 15.1% 20.3% $113

Eating Out

Yens

$452 13.6%

Zurich

$523 11.7% 15.6% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yens

$352 10.6%

Zurich

$369 8.3% 4.7% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Yens

$242 7.3%

Zurich

$281 6.3% 16% $39

Getting Around

Yens

$147 4.4%

Zurich

$158 3.6% 7.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Yens

$138 4.1%

Zurich

$141 3.2% 2.5% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,679 in Yens and $2,916 in Zurich. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $119 in Yens vs $144 in Zurich for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $558 vs $671 per month, with Yens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Yens

🇨🇭 Zurich

🕒 Local time

06:16 6:16 AM

Same time as Yens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,200

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

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Yens vs Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yens wins on cost – living expenses run 34% 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 $4,993 in Yens and $6,676 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: $1,679 in Yens versus $2,916 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 $2,954 in Yens versus $3,505 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 $3,329 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 34% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.