Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Thun Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Thun

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,270 in Zurich versus $3,518 in Thun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,491 in Zurich versus $5,320 in Thun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,712 in Zurich versus $7,122 in Thun.

Living in Zurich is roughly 21% more expensive than in Thun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 220% above, Thun 163% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.84 CHF 24.98

$28.19 CHF 22.83

9.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 119

$122 CHF 98.6

20.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.72 CHF 16.78

$16.95 CHF 13.73

22.24%

Cappuccino

$6.94 CHF 5.63

$6.01 CHF 4.87

15.47%

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

$6.04 CHF 4.89

$4.73 CHF 3.83

27.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 CHF 4.25

$4.77 CHF 3.86

9.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.83 CHF 7.97

$8.20 CHF 6.64

19.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.52 CHF 6.90

$7.80 CHF 6.32

9.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.77

$2.15 CHF 1.75

1.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 CHF 2.63

$3.29 CHF 2.67

-1.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 CHF 3.34

$4.10 CHF 3.32

0.49%

Eggs

$7.26 CHF 5.88

$7.16 CHF 5.80

1.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.00 CHF 24.30

$27.07 CHF 21.93

10.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$34.06 CHF 27.59

$28.91 CHF 23.42

17.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.2 CHF 40.64

$41.40 CHF 33.53

21.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 CHF 3.31

$3.55 CHF 2.88

15.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.35

$2.19 CHF 1.77

32.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 CHF 2.45

$2.74 CHF 2.22

10.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 CHF 4.03

$6.45 CHF 5.22

-22.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 CHF 2.23

$2.14 CHF 1.74

28.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.89

$2.24 CHF 1.81

4.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 2.06

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CHF 1.39

$1.14 CHF 0.93

50.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.29 CHF 9.15

$11.30 CHF 9.15

-0.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 CHF 11.00

$12.19 CHF 9.87

11.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CHF 2.13

$1.90 CHF 1.54

38.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 CHF 2.61

$2.35 CHF 1.90

37.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.02 CHF 4.07

$3.82 CHF 3.09

31.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 CHF 86.7

$97.6 CHF 79.0

9.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 CHF 6.33

$7.67 CHF 6.21

1.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.49

$3.29 CHF 2.67

31.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.9 CHF 70.4

$66.3 CHF 53.7

30.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$2.14 CHF 1.73

4.67%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.2K

$40.0K CHF 32.4K

-0.68%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.2K

$41.6K CHF 33.7K

-4.23%

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

$258 CHF 209

$376 CHF 304

-31.36%

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

$36.31 CHF 29.41

$59.0 CHF 47.76

-38.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 CHF 48.11

$57.9 CHF 46.86

2.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.5 CHF 72.5

$87.2 CHF 70.7

2.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 CHF 40.57

Cinema Ticket

$24.81 CHF 20.10

$24.20 CHF 19.60

2.52%

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

$3,344 CHF 2,708

$3,051 CHF 2,472

9.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.1K CHF 31.7K

$34.7K CHF 28.1K

12.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 CHF 112

$153 CHF 124

-10.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.7 CHF 49.99

$70.4 CHF 57.0

-12.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 119

$175 CHF 141

-15.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$200 CHF 162

$182 CHF 148

9.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,721 CHF 2,204

$1,714 CHF 1,388

58.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 CHF 1,804

$1,486 CHF 1,203

49.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,054 CHF 4,094

$2,873 CHF 2,327

75.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,797 CHF 3,076

$2,419 CHF 1,960

56.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.3K CHF 22.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.4K CHF 13.3K

$7,289 CHF 5,904

125.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,287 CHF 6,713

$5,799 CHF 4,697

42.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

2.5

-16.40%

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

Last update for Zurich: July 13, 2026

Last update for Thun: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,721 in Zurich and $1,714 in Thun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zurich pays 43% 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: $147 in Zurich vs $122 in Thun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $676 vs $597 per month, with Thun cheaper across the board.

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 21% 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 43% 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: $2,721 in Zurich versus $1,714 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 10% less than in Zurich. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,344 in Zurich versus $3,051 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 $3,518 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 21% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.