Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Brissago

For one person, living is cheaper in Brissago: $3,504 a month against $4,502 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

219

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
Learn more

Zurich Living Index
166

Cost of Living Index in Brissago
Learn more

Brissago Living Index

Jump to prices

Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,502

/mo nomad

Brissago

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,504

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zurich and in Brissago

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 Brissago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,502 per month in Zurich vs $3,504 in Brissago, rent included.

Zurich $4,502
Brissago $3,504

A couple spends around $6,894 per month in Zurich vs $5,141 in Brissago, rent included.

Zurich $6,894
Brissago $5,141

A family of three spends $9,287 per month in Zurich vs $6,777 in Brissago, rent included.

Zurich $9,287
Brissago $6,777

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

Both Zurich and Brissago sit above the global median – Zurich by 232%, Brissago by 159%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.81 CHF 28.81

$29.38 CHF 24.32

18.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 122

$123 CHF 102

19.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.95 CHF 14.85

$15.55 CHF 12.87

15.43%

Cappuccino

$6.93 CHF 5.73

$6.77 CHF 5.61

2.36%

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

$5.74 CHF 4.75

$6.33 CHF 5.24

-9.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 CHF 4.45

$7.21 CHF 5.97

-25.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 CHF 7.92

$9.14 CHF 7.57

4.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 CHF 6.81

$7.99 CHF 6.61

3.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.78

$2.12 CHF 1.75

1.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.89 CHF 3.22

$3.00 CHF 2.48

29.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.87 CHF 3.21

$3.14 CHF 2.60

23.25%

Eggs

$8.35 CHF 6.91

$7.88 CHF 6.53

5.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.80 CHF 22.18

$24.67 CHF 20.42

8.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.59 CHF 23.66

$29.66 CHF 24.55

-3.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$61.2 CHF 50.7

$39.72 CHF 32.88

54.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.25 CHF 3.52

$4.03 CHF 3.34

5.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 CHF 2.28

$2.00 CHF 1.65

38.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 CHF 2.95

$2.76 CHF 2.28

29.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 CHF 3.78

$4.76 CHF 3.94

-3.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 CHF 2.12

$1.66 CHF 1.37

54.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.77

$2.07 CHF 1.72

3.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CHF 2.04

$2.30 CHF 1.90

7.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 CHF 1.03

$1.35 CHF 1.12

-8.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.74 CHF 8.89

$11.12 CHF 9.20

-3.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 CHF 11.55

$12.14 CHF 10.05

14.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 CHF 2.27

$2.19 CHF 1.81

25.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CHF 2.57

$2.99 CHF 2.48

4.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.51 CHF 4.56

$4.69 CHF 3.88

17.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 89.2

$92.5 CHF 76.6

16.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.61

$8.06 CHF 6.67

-0.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.50 CHF 3.73

$4.57 CHF 3.79

-1.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.6 CHF 73.4

$108 CHF 89.0

-17.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 CHF 1.97

$2.29 CHF 1.89

4.37%

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

$38.8K CHF 32.1K

$39.6K CHF 32.8K

-1.92%

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

$40.1K CHF 33.1K

$39.2K CHF 32.5K

2.15%

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

$284 CHF 235

$279 CHF 231

1.75%

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

$38.69 CHF 32.02

$28.26 CHF 23.39

36.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 CHF 46.15

$56.1 CHF 46.44

-0.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.1 CHF 76.2

$79.8 CHF 66.0

15.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.2 CHF 50.6

$42.62 CHF 35.27

43.52%

Cinema Ticket

$25.49 CHF 21.10

$24.22 CHF 20.04

5.24%

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

$3,632 CHF 3,006

$3,145 CHF 2,603

15.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.7K CHF 34.5K

$30.8K CHF 25.5K

35.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 117

$141 CHF 117

0.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.8 CHF 47.79

$61.7 CHF 51.1

-6.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$163 CHF 135

$154 CHF 128

5.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$254 CHF 211

$197 CHF 163

29.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,953 CHF 2,444

$1,807 CHF 1,496

63.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,342 CHF 1,938

$1,563 CHF 1,293

49.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,897 CHF 4,881

$2,635 CHF 2,181

123.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,150 CHF 3,434

$2,281 CHF 1,888

81.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.1K CHF 22.4K

$18.9K CHF 15.6K

43.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 13.5K

$10.9K CHF 9,050

49.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,247 CHF 6,825

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

2.46

-15.85%

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

Last update for Zurich: October 20, 2026

Last update for Brissago: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zurich

$2.3K 52%

Brissago

$1.6K 44.6% 33.3% $779

Groceries & Markets

Zurich

$676 15%

Brissago

$579 16.5% 14.3% $97

Eating Out

Zurich

$524 11.6%

Brissago

$479 13.7% 8.7% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zurich

$379 8.4%

Brissago

$364 10.4% 3.9% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Zurich

$278 6.2%

Brissago

$249 7.1% 10.2% $28

Getting Around

Zurich

$160 3.6%

Brissago

$142 4.1% 11.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Zurich

$143 3.2%

Brissago

$128 3.7% 10.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,953 in Zurich versus $1,807 in Brissago. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $148 in Zurich versus $123 in Brissago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $676 vs $579 – making Brissago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Zurich

🇨🇭 Brissago

🕒 Local time

01:03 1:03 AM

Same time as Zurich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

443,037

1,800

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zurich Brissago 140 km

From you

Zurich
Brissago

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 Brissago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,502 in Zurich, $3,504 in Brissago – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,752 per month in Zurich and $5,256 in Brissago. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brissago, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,807 there versus $2,953 in Zurich.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Zurich, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $148 in Zurich and $123 in Brissago. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,502 in Zurich and $3,504 in Brissago. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Brissago – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

For expats, Brissago is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 28% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.