Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Mendrisio

For one person, living is cheaper in Mendrisio: $3,064 a month against $4,270 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 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
147

Cost of Living Index in Mendrisio
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Mendrisio Living Index

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Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,270

/mo nomad

Mendrisio

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zurich and in Mendrisio

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

A single person spends $4,270 per month in Zurich vs $3,064 in Mendrisio, rent included.

Zurich $4,270
Mendrisio $3,064

A couple spends around $6,666 per month in Zurich vs $3,796 in Mendrisio, rent included.

Zurich $6,666
Mendrisio $3,796

A family of three spends $9,061 per month in Zurich vs $4,529 in Mendrisio, rent included.

Zurich $9,061
Mendrisio $4,529

Zurich costs about 39% more than Mendrisio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Zurich and Mendrisio sit above the global median – Zurich by 214%, Mendrisio by 125%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.89 CHF 27.95

$34.70 CHF 28.62

-2.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 120

$181 CHF 149

-19.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.10 CHF 14.93

$19.12 CHF 15.77

-5.33%

Cappuccino

$6.88 CHF 5.67

$4.59 CHF 3.79

49.89%

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

$5.73 CHF 4.72

$5.57 CHF 4.60

2.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 CHF 4.33

$4.42 CHF 3.64

18.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.61 CHF 7.92

$8.25 CHF 6.80

16.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.37 CHF 6.90

$7.32 CHF 6.04

14.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CHF 1.74

$2.18 CHF 1.80

-3.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 CHF 3.26

$3.73 CHF 3.08

5.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.81 CHF 3.14

$4.20 CHF 3.46

-9.29%

Eggs

$8.40 CHF 6.93

$7.08 CHF 5.84

18.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.05 CHF 22.31

$25.93 CHF 21.39

4.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.85 CHF 23.80

$28.45 CHF 23.47

1.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$59.4 CHF 48.99

$39.42 CHF 32.51

50.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 CHF 3.40

$3.22 CHF 2.65

28.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 CHF 2.36

$1.71 CHF 1.41

67.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 CHF 2.89

$2.46 CHF 2.03

42.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 CHF 3.76

$6.44 CHF 5.31

-29.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 CHF 2.10

$1.85 CHF 1.53

37.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.91

$2.12 CHF 1.75

8.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CHF 2.03

$2.48 CHF 2.04

-0.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CHF 1.07

$1.23 CHF 1.01

4.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.04 CHF 9.11

$10.71 CHF 8.83

3.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CHF 11.55

$14.56 CHF 12.00

-3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 CHF 2.38

$3.28 CHF 2.70

-12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.62

$4.05 CHF 3.34

-21.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.44 CHF 4.49

$3.19 CHF 2.63

70.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 86.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 CHF 6.71

$7.07 CHF 5.83

15.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.56 CHF 3.76

$5.71 CHF 4.71

-20.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.8 CHF 74.1

$77.3 CHF 63.7

16.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.91

$2.24 CHF 1.85

3.57%

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

$38.9K CHF 32.1K

$38.8K CHF 32.0K

0.17%

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

$39.0K CHF 32.2K

$39.1K CHF 32.3K

-0.27%

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

$282 CHF 233

$305 CHF 251

-7.43%

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

$39.00 CHF 32.17

$25.58 CHF 21.10

52.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 CHF 45.39

$48.83 CHF 40.28

12.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.6 CHF 69.8

$71.3 CHF 58.8

18.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.7 CHF 50.9

Cinema Ticket

$24.31 CHF 20.05

$20.55 CHF 16.95

18.30%

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

$3,444 CHF 2,840

$3,250 CHF 2,680

5.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.6K CHF 34.3K

$37.7K CHF 31.1K

10.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 CHF 114

$107 CHF 88.5

28.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 CHF 45.38

$48.74 CHF 40.20

12.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 131

$167 CHF 138

-4.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$249 CHF 206

$171 CHF 141

45.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,878 CHF 2,373

$1,410 CHF 1,163

104.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 CHF 1,767

$1,216 CHF 1,003

76.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,559 CHF 4,585

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,003 CHF 3,301

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.2K CHF 23.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.9K CHF 13.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,230 CHF 6,788

$6,773 CHF 5,586

21.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

2.37

-11.81%

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

Last update for Zurich: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mendrisio: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zurich

$2.1K 50.2%

Mendrisio

$1.2K 39.7% 43.2% $926

Groceries & Markets

Zurich

$674 15.8%

Mendrisio

$599 19.6% 11.1% $75

Eating Out

Zurich

$517 12.1%

Mendrisio

$486 15.9% 6% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zurich

$376 8.8%

Mendrisio

$379 12.4% 0.8% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Zurich

$270 6.3%

Mendrisio

$222 7.3% 17.8% $48

Getting Around

Zurich

$157 3.7%

Mendrisio

$48 * 1.6% 69.2% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Zurich

$133 3.1%

Mendrisio

$112 3.7% 15.6% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,878 in Zurich versus $1,410 in Mendrisio. 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 22% 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 $146 in Zurich versus $181 in Mendrisio. Groceries tell a different story – $674 in Zurich vs $599 in Mendrisio – so Mendrisio wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Zurich

🇨🇭 Mendrisio

🕒 Local time

10:32 10:32 AM

Same time as Zurich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

443,037

15,562

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 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 Mendrisio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zurich is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,406 per month in Zurich and $4,595 in Mendrisio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mendrisio, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,410 there versus $2,878 in Zurich.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,270 in Zurich and $3,064 in Mendrisio. That makes Mendrisio about 28% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $3,444 per month in Zurich and $3,250 in Mendrisio. 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 $4,270 in Zurich and $3,064 in Mendrisio. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Mendrisio – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Mendrisio. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zurich makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.