Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and La Chaux-de-Fonds

For one person, living is cheaper in La Chaux-de-Fonds: $2,952 a month against $4,270 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

207

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
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Zurich Living Index
143

Cost of Living Index in La Chaux-de-Fonds
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La Chaux-de-Fonds Living Index

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Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,270

/mo nomad

La Chaux-de-Fonds

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,952

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zurich and in La Chaux-de-Fonds

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 La Chaux-de-Fonds actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,270 per month in Zurich vs $2,952 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, rent included.

Zurich $4,270
La Chaux-de-Fonds $2,952

A couple spends around $6,666 per month in Zurich vs $4,738 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, rent included.

Zurich $6,666
La Chaux-de-Fonds $4,738

A family of three spends $9,061 per month in Zurich vs $6,524 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, rent included.

Zurich $9,061
La Chaux-de-Fonds $6,524

Zurich costs about 45% more than La Chaux-de-Fonds, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Zurich and La Chaux-de-Fonds sit above the global median – Zurich by 214%, La Chaux-de-Fonds by 117%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.89 CHF 28.11

$24.18 CHF 20.06

40.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 121

$83.4 CHF 69.2

74.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.10 CHF 15.02

$17.79 CHF 14.76

1.74%

Cappuccino

$6.88 CHF 5.71

$4.54 CHF 3.76

51.54%

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

$5.73 CHF 4.75

$3.54 CHF 2.94

61.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 CHF 4.36

$4.59 CHF 3.81

14.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.61 CHF 7.97

$7.43 CHF 6.16

29.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.37 CHF 6.94

$6.19 CHF 5.13

35.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CHF 1.75

$2.29 CHF 1.90

-7.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 CHF 3.28

$3.04 CHF 2.52

29.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.81 CHF 3.16

$3.28 CHF 2.72

16.16%

Eggs

$8.40 CHF 6.97

$7.83 CHF 6.50

7.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.05 CHF 22.44

$26.31 CHF 21.83

2.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.85 CHF 23.93

$27.70 CHF 22.98

4.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$59.4 CHF 49.27

$41.41 CHF 34.35

43.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 CHF 3.42

$3.56 CHF 2.95

16.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 CHF 2.37

$2.23 CHF 1.85

28.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 CHF 2.91

$2.96 CHF 2.46

18.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 CHF 3.78

$4.75 CHF 3.94

-4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 CHF 2.11

$1.70 CHF 1.41

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.92

$2.00 CHF 1.66

15.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CHF 2.05

$2.25 CHF 1.86

9.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CHF 1.07

$1.57 CHF 1.30

-17.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.04 CHF 9.16

$11.10 CHF 9.21

-0.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CHF 11.61

$12.27 CHF 10.18

14.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 CHF 2.39

$2.45 CHF 2.03

17.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.64

$3.08 CHF 2.56

3.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.44 CHF 4.51

$4.35 CHF 3.61

25.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 86.7

$101 CHF 83.9

3.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 CHF 6.75

$8.09 CHF 6.71

0.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.56 CHF 3.79

$4.70 CHF 3.90

-2.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.8 CHF 74.5

$86.6 CHF 71.9

3.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.93

$2.35 CHF 1.95

-1.28%

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

$38.9K CHF 32.2K

$39.8K CHF 33.0K

-2.24%

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

$39.0K CHF 32.4K

$40.1K CHF 33.3K

-2.73%

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

$282 CHF 234

$289 CHF 240

-2.41%

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

$39.00 CHF 32.35

$45.95 CHF 38.12

-15.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 CHF 45.65

$62.8 CHF 52.1

-12.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.6 CHF 70.2

$73.6 CHF 61.0

15.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.7 CHF 51.2

$46.67 CHF 38.72

32.18%

Cinema Ticket

$24.31 CHF 20.17

$22.60 CHF 18.75

7.57%

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

$3,444 CHF 2,857

$2,918 CHF 2,421

18.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.6K CHF 34.5K

$20.6K CHF 17.1K

102.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 CHF 114

$144 CHF 119

-4.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 CHF 45.64

$77.8 CHF 64.5

-29.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 132

$162 CHF 134

-1.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$249 CHF 207

$200 CHF 166

24.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,878 CHF 2,387

$1,465 CHF 1,216

96.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 CHF 1,777

$1,053 CHF 873

103.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,559 CHF 4,611

$3,857 CHF 3,199

44.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,003 CHF 3,321

$2,323 CHF 1,927

72.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.2K CHF 23.4K

$16.8K CHF 13.9K

67.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.9K CHF 14.0K

$12.3K CHF 10.2K

36.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,230 CHF 6,827

$5,123 CHF 4,250

60.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

2.42

-13.64%

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

Last update for Zurich: October 25, 2026

Last update for La Chaux-de-Fonds: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zurich

$2.1K 50.2%

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$1.1K 35.7% 50.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Zurich

$674 15.8%

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$586 19.9% 13.1% $88

Eating Out

Zurich

$517 12.1%

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$383 13% 25.8% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zurich

$376 8.8%

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$398 13.5% 5.8% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Zurich

$270 6.3%

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$263 8.9% 2.9% $7.9

Getting Around

Zurich

$157 3.7%

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$150 5.1% 4.5% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

Zurich

$133 3.1%

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$119 4% 10.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,878 in Zurich versus $1,465 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. 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 61% higher in Zurich. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $146 in Zurich versus $83 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $674 vs $586 – making La Chaux-de-Fonds the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Zurich

🇨🇭 La Chaux-de-Fonds

🕒 Local time

14:06 2:06 PM

Same time as Zurich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

443,037

39,027

💱 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 La Chaux-de-Fonds: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zurich costs about 45% more than La Chaux-de-Fonds, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,406 per month in Zurich and $4,427 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in La Chaux-de-Fonds, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,465 there versus $2,878 in Zurich.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $146 in Zurich and $83 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,270 in Zurich and $2,952 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. That’s a gap of about 45%.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,270 in Zurich and $2,952 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward La Chaux-de-Fonds – 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 La Chaux-de-Fonds. 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.