Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Meilen

For one person, living is cheaper in Meilen: $3,372 a month against $4,451 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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
163

Cost of Living Index in Meilen
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Meilen Living Index

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Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,451

/mo nomad

Meilen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zurich and in Meilen

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

A single person spends $4,451 per month in Zurich vs $3,372 in Meilen, rent included.

Zurich $4,451
Meilen $3,372

A couple spends around $6,817 per month in Zurich vs $5,942 in Meilen, rent included.

Zurich $6,817
Meilen $5,942

A family of three spends $9,184 per month in Zurich vs $8,512 in Meilen, rent included.

Zurich $9,184
Meilen $8,512

Zurich costs about 32% more than Meilen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zurich and Meilen sit above the global median – Zurich by 230%, Meilen by 150%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.71 CHF 28.59

$32.47 CHF 26.74

6.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$144 CHF 119

$122 CHF 101

17.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.69 CHF 14.57

$16.33 CHF 13.45

8.33%

Cappuccino

$6.91 CHF 5.69

$6.31 CHF 5.19

9.51%

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

$5.86 CHF 4.83

$5.68 CHF 4.67

3.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 CHF 4.24

$5.01 CHF 4.13

2.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.70 CHF 7.99

$8.46 CHF 6.97

14.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.28 CHF 6.82

$8.29 CHF 6.83

-0.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.81

$2.21 CHF 1.82

-0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 CHF 3.11

$3.27 CHF 2.69

15.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 3.03

$3.78 CHF 3.11

-2.65%

Eggs

$8.54 CHF 7.03

$7.49 CHF 6.17

14.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.22 CHF 22.42

$26.56 CHF 21.87

2.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.67 CHF 22.79

$25.69 CHF 21.16

7.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$61.7 CHF 50.8

$40.25 CHF 33.15

53.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 CHF 3.41

$3.42 CHF 2.82

21.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 CHF 2.21

$2.03 CHF 1.67

32.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 CHF 2.91

$2.67 CHF 2.20

32.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 CHF 3.67

$4.58 CHF 3.77

-2.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 CHF 2.09

$1.96 CHF 1.61

29.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 CHF 1.82

$2.16 CHF 1.78

2.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.07

$2.32 CHF 1.91

8.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 CHF 1.02

$1.25 CHF 1.03

-0.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.62 CHF 8.75

$11.03 CHF 9.09

-3.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 CHF 11.39

$13.25 CHF 10.91

4.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 CHF 2.19

$2.26 CHF 1.86

17.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.62

$3.23 CHF 2.66

-1.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.39 CHF 4.44

$4.59 CHF 3.78

17.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 87.2

$96.8 CHF 79.7

9.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.93 CHF 6.54

$7.55 CHF 6.21

5.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.50 CHF 3.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.4 CHF 73.6

$88.0 CHF 72.5

1.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.87

$2.26 CHF 1.86

0.88%

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

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

0.83%

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

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

$39.4K CHF 32.5K

0.28%

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

$276 CHF 227

$235 CHF 194

17.34%

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

$36.80 CHF 30.31

$36.06 CHF 29.70

2.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 CHF 46.10

$65.3 CHF 53.8

-14.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.3 CHF 75.2

$88.1 CHF 72.6

3.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$60.0 CHF 49.43

$44.50 CHF 36.65

34.85%

Cinema Ticket

$24.81 CHF 20.43

$21.90 CHF 18.04

13.29%

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

$3,505 CHF 2,887

$2,816 CHF 2,319

24.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

$42.3K CHF 34.8K

-1.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 115

$137 CHF 113

1.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 CHF 48.04

$59.2 CHF 48.77

-1.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 CHF 137

$144 CHF 118

15.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$260 CHF 214

$174 CHF 143

49.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,916 CHF 2,402

$1,690 CHF 1,392

72.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 CHF 1,901

$1,471 CHF 1,211

56.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,918 CHF 4,874

$2,831 CHF 2,332

109.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,092 CHF 3,370

$4,065 CHF 3,348

0.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$26.8K CHF 22.1K

$15.8K CHF 13.0K

69.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.4K

$11.9K CHF 9,812

36.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,928 CHF 6,529

$8,259 CHF 6,802

-4.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

1.72

20.35%

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

Last update for Zurich: October 11, 2026

Last update for Meilen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zurich

$2.3K 51.9%

Meilen

$1.5K 43.6% 36.3% $837

Groceries & Markets

Zurich

$671 15.1%

Meilen

$570 16.9% 15% $101

Eating Out

Zurich

$523 11.7%

Meilen

$486 14.4% 7% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zurich

$369 8.3%

Meilen

$337 10% 8.7% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Zurich

$281 6.3%

Meilen

$231 6.9% 17.6% $49

Getting Around

Zurich

$158 3.6%

Meilen

$145 4.3% 8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Zurich

$141 3.2%

Meilen

$132 3.9% 6.4% $9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,916 in Zurich versus $1,690 in Meilen. 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 4% higher in Meilen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $144 in Zurich versus $122 in Meilen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $671 vs $570 – making Meilen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Zurich

🇨🇭 Meilen

🕒 Local time

11:33 11:33 AM

Same time as Zurich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

443,037

13,515

💱 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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Zurich Meilen 14 km

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 Meilen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zurich costs about 32% more than Meilen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,676 per month in Zurich and $5,059 in Meilen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

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

Kindergarten costs $3,505 per month in Zurich and $2,816 in Meilen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,451 in Zurich and $3,372 in Meilen. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Meilen costs $3,372 versus $4,451 in Zurich. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Meilen. 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.