Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Montreux

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreux: $3,440 a month against $4,270 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 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
166

Cost of Living Index in Montreux
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Montreux Living Index

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Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,270

/mo nomad

Montreux

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,440

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zurich and in Montreux

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

A single person spends $4,270 per month in Zurich vs $3,440 in Montreux, rent included.

Zurich $4,270
Montreux $3,440

A couple spends around $6,666 per month in Zurich vs $5,245 in Montreux, rent included.

Zurich $6,666
Montreux $5,245

A family of three spends $9,061 per month in Zurich vs $7,050 in Montreux, rent included.

Zurich $9,061
Montreux $7,050

Zurich costs about 24% more than Montreux, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zurich and Montreux sit above the global median – Zurich by 214%, Montreux by 153%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.89 CHF 27.95

$30.54 CHF 25.19

10.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 120

$125 CHF 103

16.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.10 CHF 14.93

$18.32 CHF 15.11

-1.20%

Cappuccino

$6.88 CHF 5.67

$6.07 CHF 5.01

13.34%

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

$5.73 CHF 4.72

$4.61 CHF 3.80

24.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 CHF 4.33

$4.05 CHF 3.34

29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.61 CHF 7.92

$9.70 CHF 8.00

-0.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.37 CHF 6.90

$9.49 CHF 7.82

-11.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CHF 1.74

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-5.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 CHF 3.26

$3.31 CHF 2.73

19.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.81 CHF 3.14

$3.32 CHF 2.74

14.76%

Eggs

$8.40 CHF 6.93

$7.09 CHF 5.85

18.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.05 CHF 22.31

$24.79 CHF 20.45

9.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.85 CHF 23.80

$28.28 CHF 23.32

2.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$59.4 CHF 48.99

$39.88 CHF 32.89

48.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 CHF 3.40

$3.65 CHF 3.01

13.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 CHF 2.36

$1.66 CHF 1.37

72.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 CHF 2.89

$2.46 CHF 2.03

42.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 CHF 3.76

$4.60 CHF 3.80

-0.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 CHF 2.10

$1.86 CHF 1.53

37.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.91

$1.92 CHF 1.58

20.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CHF 2.03

$1.97 CHF 1.63

25.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CHF 1.07

$1.69 CHF 1.39

-23.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.04 CHF 9.11

$11.00 CHF 9.08

0.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CHF 11.55

$12.05 CHF 9.94

16.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 CHF 2.38

$2.73 CHF 2.25

5.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.62

$3.25 CHF 2.68

-2.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.44 CHF 4.49

$4.21 CHF 3.47

29.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 86.2

$104 CHF 85.4

0.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 CHF 6.71

$7.47 CHF 6.16

8.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.56 CHF 3.76

$3.76 CHF 3.10

21.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.8 CHF 74.1

$64.8 CHF 53.4

38.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.91

$2.42 CHF 2.00

-4.13%

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

$38.9K CHF 32.1K

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

0.52%

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

$39.0K CHF 32.2K

$39.6K CHF 32.7K

-1.54%

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

$282 CHF 233

$288 CHF 238

-2.11%

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

$39.00 CHF 32.17

$37.64 CHF 31.04

3.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 CHF 45.39

$52.2 CHF 43.03

5.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.6 CHF 69.8

$89.6 CHF 73.9

-5.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.7 CHF 50.9

$45.58 CHF 37.60

35.34%

Cinema Ticket

$24.31 CHF 20.05

$24.18 CHF 19.95

0.54%

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

$3,444 CHF 2,840

$2,443 CHF 2,015

40.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.6K CHF 34.3K

$35.9K CHF 29.6K

15.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 CHF 114

$135 CHF 111

1.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 CHF 45.38

$78.7 CHF 64.9

-30.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 131

$168 CHF 139

-5.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$249 CHF 206

$184 CHF 152

35.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,878 CHF 2,373

$1,773 CHF 1,462

62.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 CHF 1,767

$1,473 CHF 1,215

45.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,559 CHF 4,585

$2,960 CHF 2,441

87.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,003 CHF 3,301

$2,500 CHF 2,062

60.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.2K CHF 23.2K

$16.4K CHF 13.5K

71.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.9K CHF 13.9K

$12.5K CHF 10.3K

35.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,230 CHF 6,788

$8,161 CHF 6,731

0.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

1.95

7.18%

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

Last update for Zurich: October 25, 2026

Last update for Montreux: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zurich

$2.1K 50.2%

Montreux

$1.5K 42.8% 31.3% $670

Groceries & Markets

Zurich

$674 15.8%

Montreux

$575 16.7% 14.6% $99

Eating Out

Zurich

$517 12.1%

Montreux

$474 13.8% 8.2% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zurich

$376 8.8%

Montreux

$378 11% 0.5% $1.9

Clothing & Footwear

Zurich

$270 6.3%

Montreux

$255 7.4% 5.8% $16

Getting Around

Zurich

$157 3.7%

Montreux

$147 4.3% 6.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Zurich

$133 3.1%

Montreux

$138 4% 3.6% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,878 in Zurich versus $1,773 in Montreux. 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 $146 in Zurich versus $125 in Montreux. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $674 vs $575 – making Montreux the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Zurich

🇨🇭 Montreux

🕒 Local time

03:47 3:47 AM

Same time as Zurich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

443,037

26,208

💱 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 Montreux: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zurich is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,406 per month in Zurich and $5,160 in Montreux. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montreux, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,773 there versus $2,878 in Zurich.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $146 in Zurich and $125 in Montreux. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Zurich, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,270 in Zurich and $3,440 in Montreux. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Montreux – 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.