Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Thun

For one person, living is cheaper in Thun: $3,388 a month against $4,451 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 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
166

Cost of Living Index in Thun
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Thun Living Index

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Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,451

/mo nomad

Thun

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zurich and in Thun

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,451 in Zurich versus $3,388 in Thun.

Zurich $4,451
Thun $3,388

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,817 in Zurich versus $5,170 in Thun.

Zurich $6,817
Thun $5,170

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,184 in Zurich versus $6,952 in Thun.

Zurich $9,184
Thun $6,952

Living in Zurich is roughly 31% more expensive than in Thun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 230% above, Thun 151% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.71 CHF 28.59

$28.31 CHF 23.32

22.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$144 CHF 119

$122 CHF 100

18.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.69 CHF 14.57

$15.51 CHF 12.77

14.06%

Cappuccino

$6.91 CHF 5.69

$6.45 CHF 5.31

7.13%

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

$5.86 CHF 4.83

$6.28 CHF 5.17

-6.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 CHF 4.24

$5.88 CHF 4.84

-12.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.70 CHF 7.99

$8.85 CHF 7.29

9.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.28 CHF 6.82

$7.67 CHF 6.32

7.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.81

$2.13 CHF 1.76

3.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 CHF 3.11

$2.99 CHF 2.46

26.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 3.03

$3.13 CHF 2.58

17.57%

Eggs

$8.54 CHF 7.03

$7.60 CHF 6.26

12.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.22 CHF 22.42

$23.82 CHF 19.62

14.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.67 CHF 22.79

$26.88 CHF 22.14

2.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$61.7 CHF 50.8

$39.26 CHF 32.34

57.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 CHF 3.41

$3.55 CHF 2.92

16.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 CHF 2.21

$1.96 CHF 1.61

36.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 CHF 2.91

$2.65 CHF 2.18

33.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 CHF 3.67

$4.73 CHF 3.90

-5.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 CHF 2.09

$1.56 CHF 1.28

62.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 CHF 1.82

$2.00 CHF 1.65

10.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.07

$2.19 CHF 1.80

15.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 CHF 1.02

$1.28 CHF 1.05

-3.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.62 CHF 8.75

$11.25 CHF 9.26

-5.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 CHF 11.39

$12.09 CHF 9.96

14.39%

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

$2.92 CHF 2.41

8.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.39 CHF 4.44

$4.49 CHF 3.70

20.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 87.2

$100 CHF 82.6

5.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.93 CHF 6.54

$8.04 CHF 6.62

-1.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.50 CHF 3.71

$4.53 CHF 3.73

-0.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.4 CHF 73.6

$82.9 CHF 68.3

7.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.87

$2.38 CHF 1.96

-4.20%

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

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

$42.5K CHF 35.0K

-8.31%

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

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

$39.4K CHF 32.5K

0.22%

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

$276 CHF 227

$289 CHF 238

-4.50%

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

$36.80 CHF 30.31

$46.36 CHF 38.18

-20.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 CHF 46.10

$62.8 CHF 51.7

-10.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.3 CHF 75.2

$89.8 CHF 74.0

1.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$60.0 CHF 49.43

$46.01 CHF 37.89

30.43%

Cinema Ticket

$24.81 CHF 20.43

$23.22 CHF 19.12

6.85%

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

$3,505 CHF 2,887

$3,058 CHF 2,519

14.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

$30.5K CHF 25.1K

36.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 115

$144 CHF 119

-3.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 CHF 48.04

$78.8 CHF 64.9

-25.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 CHF 137

$159 CHF 131

4.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$260 CHF 214

$192 CHF 158

35.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,916 CHF 2,402

$1,685 CHF 1,388

73.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 CHF 1,901

$1,432 CHF 1,180

61.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,918 CHF 4,874

$2,842 CHF 2,341

108.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,092 CHF 3,370

$2,457 CHF 2,023

66.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$26.8K CHF 22.1K

$16.2K CHF 13.4K

65.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.4K

$11.8K CHF 9,721

37.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,928 CHF 6,529

$5,785 CHF 4,765

37.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

2.42

-14.46%

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

Last update for Zurich: October 11, 2026

Last update for Thun: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zurich

$2.3K 51.9%

Thun

$1.4K 42.3% 37.9% $876

Groceries & Markets

Zurich

$671 15.1%

Thun

$556 16.4% 17.2% $116

Eating Out

Zurich

$523 11.7%

Thun

$459 13.5% 12.3% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zurich

$369 8.3%

Thun

$398 11.8% 8% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Zurich

$281 6.3%

Thun

$258 7.6% 7.9% $22

Getting Around

Zurich

$158 3.6%

Thun

$149 4.4% 5.7% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Zurich

$141 3.2%

Thun

$136 4% 3.3% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,916 in Zurich and $1,685 in Thun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zurich pays 37% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $144 in Zurich vs $122 in Thun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $671 vs $556 per month, with Thun cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Zurich

🇨🇭 Thun

🕒 Local time

07:30 7:30 AM

Same time as Zurich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

443,037

43,905

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Zurich Thun 97 km

From you

Zurich
Thun

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 Thun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thun wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Zurich. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Thun the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 37% higher in Zurich, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,916 in Zurich versus $1,685 in Thun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Thun runs roughly 6% less than in Zurich. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,505 in Zurich versus $3,058 in Thun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Thun is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Thun delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,388 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Thun hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Zurich and Thun are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Thun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.