Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Dubendorf

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubendorf: $3,678 a month against $4,451 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 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
180

Cost of Living Index in Dubendorf
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Dubendorf Living Index

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Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,451

/mo nomad

Dubendorf

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zurich and in Dubendorf

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,451 in Zurich versus $3,678 in Dubendorf.

Zurich $4,451
Dubendorf $3,678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,817 in Zurich versus $5,457 in Dubendorf.

Zurich $6,817
Dubendorf $5,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,184 in Zurich versus $7,236 in Dubendorf.

Zurich $9,184
Dubendorf $7,236

Living in Zurich is roughly 21% more expensive than in Dubendorf, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 230% above, Dubendorf 172% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.71 CHF 28.59

$29.44 CHF 24.24

17.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$144 CHF 119

$118 CHF 97.4

22.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.69 CHF 14.57

$16.26 CHF 13.39

8.79%

Cappuccino

$6.91 CHF 5.69

$5.92 CHF 4.88

16.72%

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

$5.86 CHF 4.83

$5.47 CHF 4.50

7.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 CHF 4.24

$4.88 CHF 4.02

5.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.70 CHF 7.99

$8.23 CHF 6.78

17.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.28 CHF 6.82

$6.44 CHF 5.30

28.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.81

$2.10 CHF 1.73

4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 CHF 3.11

$3.92 CHF 3.23

-3.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 3.03

$4.62 CHF 3.81

-20.35%

Eggs

$8.54 CHF 7.03

$7.33 CHF 6.04

16.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.22 CHF 22.42

$32.45 CHF 26.72

-16.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.67 CHF 22.79

$26.18 CHF 21.56

5.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$61.7 CHF 50.8

$42.54 CHF 35.03

44.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 CHF 3.41

$3.57 CHF 2.94

15.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 CHF 2.21

$2.10 CHF 1.73

27.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 CHF 2.91

$3.11 CHF 2.56

13.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 CHF 3.67

$7.00 CHF 5.76

-36.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 CHF 2.09

$2.49 CHF 2.05

2.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 CHF 1.82

$2.16 CHF 1.78

2.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.07

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 CHF 1.02

$1.40 CHF 1.15

-11.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.62 CHF 8.75

$10.91 CHF 8.98

-2.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 CHF 11.39

$13.34 CHF 10.98

3.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 CHF 2.19

$2.34 CHF 1.93

13.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.62

$3.44 CHF 2.83

-7.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.39 CHF 4.44

$2.34 CHF 1.93

130.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 87.2

$48.20 CHF 39.69

119.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.93 CHF 6.54

$5.37 CHF 4.42

47.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.50 CHF 3.71

$3.43 CHF 2.82

31.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.4 CHF 73.6

$60.6 CHF 49.90

47.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.87

$2.25 CHF 1.86

1.33%

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

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

$41.8K CHF 34.5K

-6.80%

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

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

1.27%

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

$276 CHF 227

$235 CHF 194

17.45%

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

$36.80 CHF 30.31

$31.38 CHF 25.84

17.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 CHF 46.10

$65.2 CHF 53.7

-14.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.3 CHF 75.2

$121 CHF 99.5

-24.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$60.0 CHF 49.43

$78.7 CHF 64.8

-23.76%

Cinema Ticket

$24.81 CHF 20.43

$24.26 CHF 19.98

2.27%

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

$3,505 CHF 2,887

$1,777 CHF 1,463

97.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

$32.4K CHF 26.7K

28.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 115

$140 CHF 115

-0.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 CHF 48.04

$87.0 CHF 71.6

-32.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 CHF 137

$146 CHF 120

14.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$260 CHF 214

$173 CHF 142

50.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,916 CHF 2,402

$1,805 CHF 1,486

61.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 CHF 1,901

$1,775 CHF 1,462

30.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,918 CHF 4,874

$2,812 CHF 2,316

110.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,092 CHF 3,370

$2,763 CHF 2,275

48.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$26.8K CHF 22.1K

$12.0K CHF 9,902

123.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.4K

$7,098 CHF 5,846

128.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,928 CHF 6,529

$3,844 CHF 3,166

106.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

2.48

-16.53%

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

Last update for Zurich: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dubendorf: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zurich

$2.3K 51.9%

Dubendorf

$1.8K 48.3% 23.1% $533

Groceries & Markets

Zurich

$671 15.1%

Dubendorf

$626 17% 6.8% $46

Eating Out

Zurich

$523 11.7%

Dubendorf

$451 12.3% 13.8% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zurich

$369 8.3%

Dubendorf

$332 9% 10.1% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Zurich

$281 6.3%

Dubendorf

$245 6.7% 12.5% $35

Getting Around

Zurich

$158 3.6%

Dubendorf

$80 2.2% 49.3% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Zurich

$141 3.2%

Dubendorf

$169 4.6% 20.1% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,916 in Zurich and $1,805 in Dubendorf. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zurich pays 106% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $144 in Zurich vs $118 in Dubendorf for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $671 vs $626 per month, with Dubendorf cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Zurich

🇨🇭 Dubendorf

🕒 Local time

07:41 7:41 AM

Same time as Zurich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

443,037

26,759

💱 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)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Zurich vs Dubendorf: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zurich and Dubendorf differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($4,451 vs $3,678 including rent). Dubendorf is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 106% higher in Zurich, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,916 in Zurich versus $1,805 in Dubendorf. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $4,451 per month in Zurich versus $3,678 in Dubendorf – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dubendorf runs roughly 120% less than in Zurich. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Dubendorf is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Zurich and Dubendorf 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 Dubendorf gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.