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: $4,254 in Zurich versus $3,525 in Thun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,409 in Zurich versus $5,293 in Thun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,563 in Zurich versus $7,060 in Thun.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 217% above, Thun 163% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.04 CHF 24.50

$28.21 CHF 22.26

10.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 118

$124 CHF 97.7

20.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.83 CHF 16.44

$17.30 CHF 13.66

20.40%

Cappuccino

$6.72 CHF 5.30

$5.89 CHF 4.65

14.09%

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

$5.90 CHF 4.66

$4.75 CHF 3.75

24.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 CHF 4.22

$4.83 CHF 3.81

10.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.85 CHF 7.77

$8.48 CHF 6.69

16.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 CHF 6.96

$7.67 CHF 6.05

14.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.78

$2.22 CHF 1.75

1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 CHF 2.60

$3.40 CHF 2.69

-3.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 CHF 3.25

$4.13 CHF 3.26

-0.24%

Eggs

$7.19 CHF 5.67

$7.32 CHF 5.78

-1.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.88 CHF 23.58

$26.79 CHF 21.15

11.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.59 CHF 26.51

$28.73 CHF 22.68

16.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$49.65 CHF 39.18

$41.10 CHF 32.44

20.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 CHF 3.19

$3.56 CHF 2.81

13.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 CHF 2.29

$2.15 CHF 1.70

34.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 CHF 2.41

$2.79 CHF 2.20

9.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.24 CHF 4.14

$6.33 CHF 4.99

-17.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 CHF 2.25

$2.23 CHF 1.76

27.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 CHF 1.88

$2.16 CHF 1.71

10.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CHF 1.98

$2.54 CHF 2.01

-1.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 CHF 1.34

$1.11 CHF 0.87

53.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.96 CHF 8.65

$11.10 CHF 8.76

-1.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 CHF 11.88

$12.65 CHF 9.98

19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 CHF 2.07

$1.90 CHF 1.50

37.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$2.29 CHF 1.80

41.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.82 CHF 3.80

$3.83 CHF 3.02

25.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 83.7

$100.0 CHF 78.9

6.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.55 CHF 5.95

$7.90 CHF 6.23

-4.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.15 CHF 3.27

$3.30 CHF 2.61

25.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.1 CHF 70.3

$66.2 CHF 52.3

34.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.81

$2.24 CHF 1.77

2.23%

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

$41.1K CHF 32.4K

$40.3K CHF 31.8K

2.01%

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

$39.3K CHF 31.0K

$40.8K CHF 32.2K

-3.49%

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

$259 CHF 204

$366 CHF 289

-29.28%

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

$35.51 CHF 28.03

$59.6 CHF 47.00

-40.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 CHF 46.13

$59.2 CHF 46.75

-1.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.8 CHF 70.1

$86.5 CHF 68.3

2.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.84 CHF 38.54

Cinema Ticket

$25.07 CHF 19.79

$24.60 CHF 19.42

1.91%

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

$3,470 CHF 2,739

$3,030 CHF 2,391

14.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.0K CHF 30.8K

$33.9K CHF 26.7K

15.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 108

$153 CHF 120

-10.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 CHF 49.18

$69.8 CHF 55.1

-10.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 117

$176 CHF 139

-15.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 CHF 160

$186 CHF 147

8.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,686 CHF 2,120

$1,687 CHF 1,331

59.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,205 CHF 1,740

$1,473 CHF 1,162

49.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,902 CHF 3,869

$2,870 CHF 2,265

70.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,702 CHF 2,922

$2,499 CHF 1,972

48.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$26.1K CHF 20.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K CHF 13.0K

$7,647 CHF 6,035

115.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,722 CHF 6,883

$6,206 CHF 4,898

40.53%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Thun: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,686 in Zurich and $1,687 in Thun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zurich pays 41% 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: $149 in Zurich vs $124 in Thun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $677 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.

Zurich pays 41% more on average, 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: $2,686 in Zurich versus $1,687 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 $3,470 in Zurich versus $3,030 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 $3,525 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.