Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Martigny

For one person, living is cheaper in Martigny: $3,004 a month against $4,451 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Zurich
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$4,451
/mo nomad
Martigny
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,004
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zurich and in Martigny

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,451 in Zurich versus $3,004 in Martigny.

  • Zurich $4,451
  • Martigny $3,004

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,817 in Zurich versus $4,136 in Martigny.

  • Zurich $6,817
  • Martigny $4,136

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,184 in Zurich versus $5,268 in Martigny.

  • Zurich $9,184
  • Martigny $5,268

Living in Zurich is roughly 48% more expensive than in Martigny, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 230% above, Martigny 123% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zurich
Martigny
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$34.71 CHF 28.59
$33.17 CHF 27.32
4.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$144 CHF 119
$104 CHF 85.3
39.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$17.69 CHF 14.57
$19.29 CHF 15.89
-8.29%
Cappuccino
$6.91 CHF 5.69
$4.71 CHF 3.88
46.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.86 CHF 4.83
$4.92 CHF 4.06
19.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.15 CHF 4.24
$4.22 CHF 3.47
22.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.70 CHF 7.99
$7.21 CHF 5.94
34.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.28 CHF 6.82
$6.00 CHF 4.94
38.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zurich
Martigny
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.20 CHF 1.81
$2.14 CHF 1.76
2.80%
White Bread (500g)
$3.78 CHF 3.11
$3.51 CHF 2.89
7.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.68 CHF 3.03
$2.39 CHF 1.97
53.97%
Eggs
$8.54 CHF 7.03
$4.42 CHF 3.64
93.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$27.22 CHF 22.42
$23.71 CHF 19.52
14.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$27.67 CHF 22.79
$19.54 CHF 16.09
41.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$61.7 CHF 50.8
$29.66 CHF 24.43
107.92%
Apples (1kg)
$4.14 CHF 3.41
$3.21 CHF 2.64
28.97%
Banana (1kg)
$2.68 CHF 2.21
$1.69 CHF 1.39
58.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.54 CHF 2.91
$2.46 CHF 2.03
43.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.45 CHF 3.67
$6.21 CHF 5.11
-28.34%
Potato (1kg)
$2.54 CHF 2.09
$1.77 CHF 1.46
43.50%
Onion (1kg)
$2.21 CHF 1.82
$2.15 CHF 1.77
2.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.52 CHF 2.07
$1.18 CHF 0.97
113.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 CHF 1.02
$1.20 CHF 0.99
3.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.62 CHF 8.75
$10.74 CHF 8.84
-1.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.83 CHF 11.39
$11.91 CHF 9.81
16.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 CHF 2.19
$1.22 CHF 1.00
118.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 CHF 2.62
$2.34 CHF 1.93
35.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Zurich
Martigny
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.39 CHF 4.44
$3.80 CHF 3.13
41.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$106 CHF 87.2
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.93 CHF 6.54
$7.15 CHF 5.89
10.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.50 CHF 3.71
$5.41 CHF 4.46
-16.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$89.4 CHF 73.6
$78.0 CHF 64.2
14.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 CHF 1.87
$2.23 CHF 1.84
2.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.0K CHF 32.1K
$34.7K CHF 28.6K
12.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.5K CHF 32.6K
$39.2K CHF 32.3K
0.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zurich
Martigny
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$276 CHF 227
$301 CHF 248
-8.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.80 CHF 30.31
$24.67 CHF 20.32
49.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.0 CHF 46.10
$48.26 CHF 39.75
16.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zurich
Martigny
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$91.3 CHF 75.2
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$60.0 CHF 49.43
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$24.81 CHF 20.43
$21.27 CHF 17.52
16.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zurich
Martigny
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,505 CHF 2,887
$3,166 CHF 2,608
10.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$41.7K CHF 34.3K
$38.1K CHF 31.4K
9.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zurich
Martigny
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$139 CHF 115
$106 CHF 87.7
30.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.3 CHF 48.04
$47.35 CHF 39.00
23.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$166 CHF 137
$162 CHF 134
2.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$260 CHF 214
$167 CHF 137
55.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zurich
Martigny
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,916 CHF 2,402
$1,279 CHF 1,053
128.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,308 CHF 1,901
$1,385 CHF 1,141
66.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,918 CHF 4,874
$2,047 CHF 1,686
189.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,092 CHF 3,370
$1,613 CHF 1,329
153.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$26.8K CHF 22.1K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$16.2K CHF 13.4K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zurich
Martigny
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$7,928 CHF 6,529
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.07
2.37
-12.66%

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

Last update for Zurich: October 11, 2026

Last update for Martigny: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Zurich
$2.3K
Martigny
$1.4K 40% $923
Groceries & Markets
Zurich
$671
Martigny
$472 29.7% $199
Eating Out
Zurich
$523
Martigny
$464 11.2% $58
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zurich
$369
Martigny
$374 1.3% $4.7
Clothing & Footwear
Zurich
$281
Martigny
$217 22.6% $63
Getting Around
Zurich
$158
Martigny
$49 * 68.7% $108
Sport & Entertainment
Zurich
$141
Martigny
$43 * 69.8% $98

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,916 in Zurich and $1,279 in Martigny. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $144 in Zurich vs $104 in Martigny for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $671 vs $472 per month, with Martigny cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇭 Zurich
🇨🇭 Martigny
🕒 Local time
07:01 7:01 AM
07:01 7:01 AM
Same time as Zurich
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
443,037
14,361
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Zurich Martigny 180 km
From you
  • Zurich
  • Martigny

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 Martigny: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Zurich or Martigny?
Martigny wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Zurich. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Martigny the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Zurich and in Martigny?
You'd need roughly $6,676 in Zurich and $4,506 in Martigny to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Zurich compared to Martigny?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,916 in Zurich versus $1,279 in Martigny. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Zurich and in Martigny?
Childcare runs $3,505 in Zurich versus $3,166 in Martigny. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Zurich and in Martigny?
Dining out is cheaper in Martigny – a meal for two runs $104 versus $144 in Zurich. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Zurich or in Martigny?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Martigny is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Zurich or Martigny?
Both work as nomad bases, but Martigny delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,004 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Martigny hard to pass up.
How safe is Zurich compared to Martigny?
Safety-wise, Zurich and Martigny are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Martigny gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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