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: $4,251 in Zurich versus $3,548 in Thun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,397 in Zurich versus $5,381 in Thun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,544 in Zurich versus $7,214 in Thun.

Living in Zurich is roughly 20% more expensive than Thun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 216% above, Thun 163% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.84 CHF 24.15

$27.75 CHF 21.73

11.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$150 CHF 118

$122 CHF 95.8

22.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.90 CHF 16.37

$17.27 CHF 13.52

21.02%

Cappuccino

$6.84 CHF 5.36

$5.81 CHF 4.55

17.73%

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

$6.08 CHF 4.76

$4.82 CHF 3.77

26.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 CHF 4.11

$4.65 CHF 3.64

12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.10 CHF 7.91

$8.38 CHF 6.56

20.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 CHF 6.71

$7.75 CHF 6.07

10.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.70

$2.24 CHF 1.75

-3.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 CHF 2.63

$3.38 CHF 2.65

-0.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.10 CHF 3.21

$4.11 CHF 3.22

-0.24%

Eggs

$7.49 CHF 5.86

$7.14 CHF 5.59

4.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.78 CHF 23.31

$26.35 CHF 20.63

13.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$34.08 CHF 26.69

$28.15 CHF 22.04

21.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$49.33 CHF 38.63

$40.83 CHF 31.97

20.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 CHF 3.14

$3.42 CHF 2.68

17.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 CHF 2.21

$2.16 CHF 1.69

31.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.34

$2.82 CHF 2.21

5.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 CHF 4.08

$6.40 CHF 5.01

-18.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 CHF 2.25

$2.26 CHF 1.77

27.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 CHF 1.78

$2.16 CHF 1.69

5.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CHF 2.02

$2.51 CHF 1.97

2.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 CHF 1.36

$1.09 CHF 0.86

58.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.16 CHF 8.74

$10.98 CHF 8.60

1.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 CHF 11.78

$12.83 CHF 10.05

17.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 CHF 2.08

$1.96 CHF 1.54

35.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 CHF 2.62

$2.27 CHF 1.78

47.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.82 CHF 3.78

$3.88 CHF 3.04

24.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 CHF 85.9

$99.0 CHF 77.6

10.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.64 CHF 5.98

$7.77 CHF 6.08

-1.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.29 CHF 3.36

$3.31 CHF 2.59

29.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.3

$65.8 CHF 51.5

32.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.80

$2.14 CHF 1.68

7.48%

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

$41.1K CHF 32.1K

$40.8K CHF 32.0K

0.54%

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

$40.1K CHF 31.4K

$41.8K CHF 32.7K

-4.08%

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

$253 CHF 198

$370 CHF 290

-31.66%

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

$36.27 CHF 28.40

$59.3 CHF 46.46

-38.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 CHF 45.70

$57.8 CHF 45.22

1.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.7 CHF 68.7

$87.1 CHF 68.2

0.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 CHF 39.23

Cinema Ticket

$24.74 CHF 19.37

$24.98 CHF 19.56

-0.96%

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

$3,342 CHF 2,617

$3,021 CHF 2,365

10.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$38.6K CHF 30.2K

$33.4K CHF 26.2K

15.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 CHF 108

$149 CHF 117

-7.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 CHF 47.81

$69.3 CHF 54.2

-11.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 116

$176 CHF 138

-15.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 156

$183 CHF 143

8.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,700 CHF 2,114

$1,684 CHF 1,319

60.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 CHF 1,708

$1,447 CHF 1,133

50.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,895 CHF 3,833

$2,888 CHF 2,261

69.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,804 CHF 2,978

$2,442 CHF 1,912

55.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$25.5K CHF 20.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 12.8K

$7,747 CHF 6,066

110.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,581 CHF 6,719

$6,547 CHF 5,126

31.08%

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: April 11, 2026

Last update for Thun: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,700 in Zurich and $1,684 in Thun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zurich pays 31% 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: $150 in Zurich vs $122 in Thun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $679 vs $591 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 20% 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 31% 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: $2,700 in Zurich versus $1,684 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 11% less than in Zurich. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,342 in Zurich versus $3,021 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 $3,548 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 20% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.