Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Aarau Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Aarau

🙂 Solo nomad: Zurich is 5.1% cheaper than Aarau without rent, and 42.4% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Zurich is 12% more expensive than Aarau without rent, and 29.8% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zurich
Aarau
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$31.39 CHF 24.52
$29.93 CHF 23.38
4.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$148 CHF 116
$106 CHF 82.8
39.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$20.60 CHF 16.08
$19.08 CHF 14.90
7.97%
Cappuccino
$6.90 CHF 5.39
$6.24 CHF 4.87
10.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.83 CHF 4.55
$3.51 CHF 2.74
66.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.30 CHF 4.14
$4.98 CHF 3.89
6.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.74 CHF 7.60
$8.24 CHF 6.43
18.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.44 CHF 6.59
$7.47 CHF 5.84
12.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zurich
Aarau
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.16 CHF 1.69
$2.12 CHF 1.65
1.89%
White Bread (500g)
$3.40 CHF 2.66
$3.30 CHF 2.57
3.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.94 CHF 3.07
$2.46 CHF 1.92
60.16%
Eggs
$7.57 CHF 5.92
$6.86 CHF 5.36
10.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$29.08 CHF 22.71
$29.02 CHF 22.66
0.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$33.28 CHF 25.99
$35.44 CHF 27.68
-6.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$50.8 CHF 39.66
$45.08 CHF 35.21
12.64%
Apples (1kg)
$4.01 CHF 3.14
$2.76 CHF 2.15
45.29%
Banana (1kg)
$2.82 CHF 2.20
$2.17 CHF 1.70
29.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.04 CHF 2.37
$2.82 CHF 2.21
7.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.17 CHF 4.04
$5.89 CHF 4.60
-12.22%
Potato (1kg)
$2.73 CHF 2.13
$2.25 CHF 1.76
21.33%
Onion (1kg)
$2.37 CHF 1.85
$2.08 CHF 1.62
13.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.58 CHF 2.02
$2.53 CHF 1.98
1.98%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 CHF 1.30
$1.45 CHF 1.13
14.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.15 CHF 8.70
$10.65 CHF 8.32
4.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.52 CHF 12.12
$10.92 CHF 8.53
42.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.75 CHF 2.15
$2.33 CHF 1.82
18.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.34 CHF 2.61
$2.29 CHF 1.78
45.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Zurich
Aarau
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.96 CHF 3.87
$4.42 CHF 3.45
12.22%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$109 CHF 85.4
$149 CHF 116
-26.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.63 CHF 5.96
$8.53 CHF 6.67
-10.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.13 CHF 3.23
$5.45 CHF 4.25
-24.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$89.0 CHF 69.5
$86.6 CHF 67.6
2.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.24 CHF 1.75
$2.21 CHF 1.73
1.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.1K CHF 31.3K
$40.2K CHF 31.4K
-0.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.5K CHF 30.8K
$42.4K CHF 33.1K
-6.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zurich
Aarau
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$253 CHF 198
$244 CHF 190
4.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.07 CHF 27.39
$42.69 CHF 33.34
-17.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.2 CHF 45.42
$59.8 CHF 46.71
-2.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zurich
Aarau
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$90.5 CHF 70.7
$68.0 CHF 53.1
33.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$48.94 CHF 38.22
$42.03 CHF 32.82
16.44%
Cinema Ticket
$24.92 CHF 19.46
$23.17 CHF 18.10
7.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zurich
Aarau
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,471 CHF 2,711
$3,231 CHF 2,524
7.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.2K CHF 30.6K
$24.9K CHF 19.4K
57.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zurich
Aarau
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$137 CHF 107
$93.1 CHF 72.7
47.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.1 CHF 47.69
$53.3 CHF 41.58
14.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$149 CHF 117
$111 CHF 86.7
34.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$201 CHF 157
$171 CHF 134
17.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zurich
Aarau
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,726 CHF 2,129
$1,291 CHF 1,008
111.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,225 CHF 1,738
$1,035 CHF 808
115.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,974 CHF 3,884
$2,435 CHF 1,902
104.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,694 CHF 2,885
$2,123 CHF 1,658
74.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$24.7K CHF 19.3K
$10.5K CHF 8,225
134.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$16.4K CHF 12.8K
$12.6K CHF 9,858
29.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zurich
Aarau
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$8,573 CHF 6,696
$7,587 CHF 5,925
13.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.09
2.5
-16.40%

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

Last update for Zurich: February 28, 2026

Last update for Aarau: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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