Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Glarus

For one person, living is cheaper in Glarus: $3,297 a month against $4,451 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 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
160

Cost of Living Index in Glarus
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Glarus Living Index

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Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,451

/mo nomad

Glarus

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,297

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zurich and in Glarus

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

A single person spends $4,451 per month in Zurich vs $3,297 in Glarus, rent included.

Zurich $4,451
Glarus $3,297

A couple spends around $6,817 per month in Zurich vs $4,996 in Glarus, rent included.

Zurich $6,817
Glarus $4,996

A family of three spends $9,184 per month in Zurich vs $6,696 in Glarus, rent included.

Zurich $9,184
Glarus $6,696

Zurich costs about 35% more than Glarus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zurich and Glarus sit above the global median – Zurich by 230%, Glarus by 144%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.71 CHF 28.59

$29.24 CHF 24.08

18.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$144 CHF 119

$122 CHF 100

18.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.69 CHF 14.57

$17.09 CHF 14.07

3.51%

Cappuccino

$6.91 CHF 5.69

$5.88 CHF 4.84

17.52%

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

$5.86 CHF 4.83

$3.76 CHF 3.10

55.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 CHF 4.24

$3.82 CHF 3.15

34.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.70 CHF 7.99

$9.11 CHF 7.50

6.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.28 CHF 6.82

$6.26 CHF 5.15

32.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.81

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 CHF 3.11

$3.14 CHF 2.58

20.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 3.03

$2.82 CHF 2.32

30.50%

Eggs

$8.54 CHF 7.03

$7.70 CHF 6.34

10.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.22 CHF 22.42

$8.58 CHF 7.06

217.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.67 CHF 22.79

$14.56 CHF 11.99

90.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$61.7 CHF 50.8

$37.65 CHF 31.01

63.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 CHF 3.41

$3.04 CHF 2.51

36.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 CHF 2.21

$1.55 CHF 1.27

72.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 CHF 2.91

$2.40 CHF 1.98

47.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 CHF 3.67

$5.41 CHF 4.46

-17.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 CHF 2.09

$1.64 CHF 1.35

54.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 CHF 1.82

$2.09 CHF 1.72

5.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.07

$2.19 CHF 1.80

15.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 CHF 1.02

$1.18 CHF 0.97

5.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.62 CHF 8.75

$11.00 CHF 9.06

-3.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 CHF 11.39

$11.23 CHF 9.25

23.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 CHF 2.19

$2.15 CHF 1.77

23.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.62

$2.32 CHF 1.91

37.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.39 CHF 4.44

$5.89 CHF 4.85

-8.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 87.2

$221 CHF 182

-52.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.93 CHF 6.54

$6.50 CHF 5.36

22.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.50 CHF 3.71

$4.71 CHF 3.88

-4.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.4 CHF 73.6

$77.2 CHF 63.6

15.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.87

$2.18 CHF 1.79

4.59%

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

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

$34.3K CHF 28.3K

13.61%

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

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

-0.13%

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

$276 CHF 227

$311 CHF 256

-11.14%

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

$36.80 CHF 30.31

$38.06 CHF 31.35

-3.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 CHF 46.10

$53.5 CHF 44.03

4.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.3 CHF 75.2

$160 CHF 132

-42.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$60.0 CHF 49.43

$41.77 CHF 34.40

43.67%

Cinema Ticket

$24.81 CHF 20.43

$25.57 CHF 21.06

-2.97%

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

$3,505 CHF 2,887

$2,254 CHF 1,857

55.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

$31.7K CHF 26.1K

31.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 115

$103 CHF 84.5

35.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 CHF 48.04

$41.84 CHF 34.46

39.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 CHF 137

$131 CHF 108

26.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$260 CHF 214

$96.4 CHF 79.4

169.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,916 CHF 2,402

$1,676 CHF 1,380

74.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 CHF 1,901

$1,359 CHF 1,120

69.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,918 CHF 4,874

$2,950 CHF 2,430

100.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,092 CHF 3,370

$2,306 CHF 1,899

77.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$26.8K CHF 22.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,928 CHF 6,529

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

2.1

-1.43%

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

Last update for Zurich: October 11, 2026

Last update for Glarus: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zurich

$2.3K 51.9%

Glarus

$1.4K 41.3% 41.1% $949

Groceries & Markets

Zurich

$671 15.1%

Glarus

$438 13.3% 34.8% $233

Eating Out

Zurich

$523 11.7%

Glarus

$444 13.5% 15% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zurich

$369 8.3%

Glarus

$402 12.2% 9% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Zurich

$281 6.3%

Glarus

$167 5.1% 40.3% $113

Getting Around

Zurich

$158 3.6%

Glarus

$274 8.3% 73.8% $117

Sport & Entertainment

Zurich

$141 3.2%

Glarus

$211 6.4% 49.7% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,916 in Zurich versus $1,676 in Glarus. 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 $144 in Zurich versus $122 in Glarus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $671 vs $438 – making Glarus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Zurich

🇨🇭 Glarus

🕒 Local time

10:03 10:03 AM

Same time as Zurich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

443,037

12,500

💱 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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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 Glarus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zurich is pricier by about 35%, 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 $4,945 in Glarus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 108% less in Glarus. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $3,505 per month in Zurich and $2,254 in Glarus. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,451 in Zurich and $3,297 in Glarus. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Glarus – 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 Glarus. 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.