Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Frauenfeld

For one person, living is cheaper in Frauenfeld: $3,133 a month against $4,451 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 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
153

Cost of Living Index in Frauenfeld
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Frauenfeld Living Index

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Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,451

/mo nomad

Frauenfeld

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zurich and in Frauenfeld

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

A single person spends $4,451 per month in Zurich vs $3,133 in Frauenfeld, rent included.

Zurich $4,451
Frauenfeld $3,133

A couple spends around $6,817 per month in Zurich vs $5,002 in Frauenfeld, rent included.

Zurich $6,817
Frauenfeld $5,002

A family of three spends $9,184 per month in Zurich vs $6,871 in Frauenfeld, rent included.

Zurich $9,184
Frauenfeld $6,871

Zurich costs about 42% more than Frauenfeld, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zurich and Frauenfeld sit above the global median – Zurich by 230%, Frauenfeld by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.71 CHF 28.59

$30.62 CHF 25.22

13.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$144 CHF 119

$121 CHF 99.7

19.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.69 CHF 14.57

$19.55 CHF 16.10

-9.51%

Cappuccino

$6.91 CHF 5.69

$6.00 CHF 4.94

15.17%

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

$5.86 CHF 4.83

$5.35 CHF 4.41

9.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 CHF 4.24

$4.79 CHF 3.94

7.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.70 CHF 7.99

$8.33 CHF 6.86

16.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.28 CHF 6.82

$6.55 CHF 5.40

26.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.81

$2.21 CHF 1.82

-0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 CHF 3.11

$3.74 CHF 3.08

1.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 3.03

$4.20 CHF 3.46

-12.38%

Eggs

$8.54 CHF 7.03

$7.73 CHF 6.37

10.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.22 CHF 22.42

$26.49 CHF 21.81

2.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.67 CHF 22.79

$29.52 CHF 24.31

-6.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$61.7 CHF 50.8

$42.04 CHF 34.63

46.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 CHF 3.41

$3.52 CHF 2.90

17.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 CHF 2.21

$2.14 CHF 1.77

25.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 CHF 2.91

$2.76 CHF 2.27

28.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 CHF 3.67

$5.23 CHF 4.30

-14.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 CHF 2.09

$2.39 CHF 1.97

6.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 CHF 1.82

$2.46 CHF 2.03

-10.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.07

$2.38 CHF 1.96

5.88%

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

$10.82 CHF 8.91

-1.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 CHF 11.39

$14.57 CHF 12.00

-5.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 CHF 2.19

$2.97 CHF 2.44

-10.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.62

$3.94 CHF 3.25

-19.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.39 CHF 4.44

$4.49 CHF 3.70

20.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 87.2

$97.3 CHF 80.2

8.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.93 CHF 6.54

$5.31 CHF 4.37

49.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.50 CHF 3.71

$3.45 CHF 2.85

30.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.4 CHF 73.6

$36.42 CHF 30.00

145.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.87

$2.33 CHF 1.92

-2.15%

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

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

$41.6K CHF 34.3K

-6.34%

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

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

0.52%

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

$276 CHF 227

$280 CHF 231

-1.39%

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

$36.80 CHF 30.31

$37.57 CHF 30.95

-2.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 CHF 46.10

$63.1 CHF 51.9

-11.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.3 CHF 75.2

$100 CHF 82.4

-8.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$60.0 CHF 49.43

$45.55 CHF 37.52

31.75%

Cinema Ticket

$24.81 CHF 20.43

$23.43 CHF 19.30

5.89%

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

$3,505 CHF 2,887

$1,816 CHF 1,496

92.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

$31.9K CHF 26.2K

30.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 115

$167 CHF 137

-16.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 CHF 48.04

$54.1 CHF 44.59

7.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 CHF 137

$148 CHF 122

12.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$260 CHF 214

$140 CHF 116

85.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,916 CHF 2,402

$1,437 CHF 1,184

102.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 CHF 1,901

$1,152 CHF 948

100.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,918 CHF 4,874

$2,597 CHF 2,139

127.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,092 CHF 3,370

$2,307 CHF 1,900

77.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$26.8K CHF 22.1K

$15.9K CHF 13.1K

68.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.4K

$12.0K CHF 9,915

34.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,928 CHF 6,529

$6,053 CHF 4,985

30.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

2.35

-11.91%

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

Last update for Zurich: October 11, 2026

Last update for Frauenfeld: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zurich

$2.3K 51.9%

Frauenfeld

$1.2K 36.8% 50.1% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Zurich

$671 15.1%

Frauenfeld

$616 19.7% 8.2% $55

Eating Out

Zurich

$523 11.7%

Frauenfeld

$471 15% 9.9% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zurich

$369 8.3%

Frauenfeld

$381 12.2% 3.2% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Zurich

$281 6.3%

Frauenfeld

$229 7.3% 18.4% $52

Getting Around

Zurich

$158 3.6%

Frauenfeld

$138 4.4% 12.7% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Zurich

$141 3.2%

Frauenfeld

$147 4.7% 4.2% $6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,916 in Zurich versus $1,437 in Frauenfeld. 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 31% higher in Zurich, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $144 in Zurich versus $121 in Frauenfeld. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $671 vs $616 – making Frauenfeld the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Zurich

🇨🇭 Frauenfeld

🕒 Local time

11:34 11:34 AM

Same time as Zurich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

443,037

24,864

💱 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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From you

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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 Frauenfeld: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zurich is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,676 per month in Zurich and $4,700 in Frauenfeld. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Frauenfeld, 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 $3,133 in Frauenfeld. That's a gap of about 42%.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Frauenfeld. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,451 in Zurich and $3,133 in Frauenfeld. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Frauenfeld – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Frauenfeld. 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.