Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Arbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Arbon: $3,464 a month against $4,451 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

217

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
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Zurich Living Index
167

Cost of Living Index in Arbon
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Arbon Living Index

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Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,451

/mo nomad

Arbon

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,464

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zurich and in Arbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Zurich and in Arbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,451 per month in Zurich vs $3,464 in Arbon, rent included.

Zurich $4,451
Arbon $3,464

A couple spends around $6,817 per month in Zurich vs $5,192 in Arbon, rent included.

Zurich $6,817
Arbon $5,192

A family of three spends $9,184 per month in Zurich vs $6,920 in Arbon, rent included.

Zurich $9,184
Arbon $6,920

Zurich costs about 28% more than Arbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zurich and Arbon sit above the global median – Zurich by 230%, Arbon by 157%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.71 CHF 28.59

$29.53 CHF 24.33

17.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$144 CHF 119

$144 CHF 118

0.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.69 CHF 14.57

$18.95 CHF 15.61

-6.65%

Cappuccino

$6.91 CHF 5.69

$6.11 CHF 5.03

13.09%

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

$5.86 CHF 4.83

$5.74 CHF 4.73

2.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 CHF 4.24

$5.09 CHF 4.19

1.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.70 CHF 7.99

$9.00 CHF 7.42

7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.28 CHF 6.82

$6.17 CHF 5.08

34.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.81

$2.16 CHF 1.78

1.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 CHF 3.11

$3.15 CHF 2.60

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 3.03

$3.79 CHF 3.12

-2.90%

Eggs

$8.54 CHF 7.03

$7.88 CHF 6.49

8.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.22 CHF 22.42

$25.14 CHF 20.71

8.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.67 CHF 22.79

$28.42 CHF 23.41

-2.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$61.7 CHF 50.8

$41.09 CHF 33.84

50.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 CHF 3.41

$3.42 CHF 2.82

21.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 CHF 2.21

$2.00 CHF 1.65

34.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 CHF 2.91

$2.39 CHF 1.97

48.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 CHF 3.67

$5.28 CHF 4.35

-15.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 CHF 2.09

$2.04 CHF 1.68

24.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 CHF 1.82

$2.19 CHF 1.80

0.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.07

$2.28 CHF 1.88

10.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 CHF 1.02

$1.22 CHF 1.01

1.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.62 CHF 8.75

$10.64 CHF 8.77

-0.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 CHF 11.39

$16.47 CHF 13.57

-16.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 CHF 2.19

$2.12 CHF 1.75

25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.62

$2.25 CHF 1.85

41.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.39 CHF 4.44

$4.81 CHF 3.96

12.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 87.2

$96.0 CHF 79.1

10.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.93 CHF 6.54

$6.50 CHF 5.35

22.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.50 CHF 3.71

$4.73 CHF 3.89

-4.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.4 CHF 73.6

$36.17 CHF 29.79

147.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.87

$2.29 CHF 1.89

-0.44%

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

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

$34.5K CHF 28.4K

13.19%

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

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

0.62%

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

$276 CHF 227

$275 CHF 227

0.29%

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

$36.80 CHF 30.31

$38.11 CHF 31.39

-3.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 CHF 46.10

$54.4 CHF 44.78

2.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.3 CHF 75.2

$90.0 CHF 74.1

1.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$60.0 CHF 49.43

$39.06 CHF 32.17

53.64%

Cinema Ticket

$24.81 CHF 20.43

$23.43 CHF 19.29

5.89%

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

$3,505 CHF 2,887

$2,250 CHF 1,853

55.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

$31.3K CHF 25.8K

32.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 115

$143 CHF 118

-2.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 CHF 48.04

$65.1 CHF 53.6

-10.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 CHF 137

$143 CHF 118

15.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$260 CHF 214

$177 CHF 146

46.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,916 CHF 2,402

$1,561 CHF 1,286

86.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 CHF 1,901

$1,521 CHF 1,253

51.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,918 CHF 4,874

$2,904 CHF 2,392

103.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,092 CHF 3,370

$2,322 CHF 1,912

76.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$26.8K CHF 22.1K

$13.9K CHF 11.5K

92.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.4K

$13.6K CHF 11.2K

19.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,928 CHF 6,529

$11.1K CHF 9,124

-28.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

1.9

8.95%

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

Last update for Zurich: October 11, 2026

Last update for Arbon: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zurich

$2.3K 51.9%

Arbon

$1.5K 43.9% 34.1% $787

Groceries & Markets

Zurich

$671 15.1%

Arbon

$588 17% 12.4% $83

Eating Out

Zurich

$523 11.7%

Arbon

$467 13.5% 10.6% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zurich

$369 8.3%

Arbon

$368 10.6% 0.3% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Zurich

$281 6.3%

Arbon

$238 6.9% 15.2% $43

Getting Around

Zurich

$158 3.6%

Arbon

$145 4.2% 7.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Zurich

$141 3.2%

Arbon

$137 4% 2.9% $4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,916 in Zurich versus $1,561 in Arbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 40% higher in Arbon, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $144 in Zurich versus $144 in Arbon. Groceries tell a different story – $671 in Zurich vs $588 in Arbon – so Arbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Zurich

🇨🇭 Arbon

🕒 Local time

08:23 8:23 AM

Same time as Zurich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

443,037

15,853

💱 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

On the map

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Zurich Arbon 69 km

From you

Zurich
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Zurich vs Arbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,451 in Zurich, $3,464 in Arbon – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,676 per month in Zurich and $5,197 in Arbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arbon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,451 in Zurich and $3,464 in Arbon. That's a gap of about 28%.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Arbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,451 in Zurich and $3,464 in Arbon. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Zurich has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,464 in Arbon to $4,451 in Zurich. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Arbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zurich makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.