Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Wallisellen

For one person, living is cheaper in Wallisellen: $3,421 a month against $4,270 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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
164

Cost of Living Index in Wallisellen
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Wallisellen Living Index

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Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,270

/mo nomad

Wallisellen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,421

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zurich and in Wallisellen

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

A single person spends $4,270 per month in Zurich vs $3,421 in Wallisellen, rent included.

Zurich $4,270
Wallisellen $3,421

A couple spends around $6,666 per month in Zurich vs $5,209 in Wallisellen, rent included.

Zurich $6,666
Wallisellen $5,209

A family of three spends $9,061 per month in Zurich vs $6,997 in Wallisellen, rent included.

Zurich $9,061
Wallisellen $6,997

Zurich costs about 25% more than Wallisellen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zurich and Wallisellen sit above the global median – Zurich by 214%, Wallisellen by 151%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.89 CHF 28.11

$33.63 CHF 27.90

0.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 121

$122 CHF 101

19.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.10 CHF 15.02

$18.33 CHF 15.20

-1.25%

Cappuccino

$6.88 CHF 5.71

$6.07 CHF 5.04

13.34%

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

$5.73 CHF 4.75

$5.51 CHF 4.57

3.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 CHF 4.36

$4.72 CHF 3.91

11.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.61 CHF 7.97

$8.61 CHF 7.14

11.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.37 CHF 6.94

$9.37 CHF 7.77

-10.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CHF 1.75

$2.20 CHF 1.82

-4.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 CHF 3.28

$3.92 CHF 3.25

0.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.81 CHF 3.16

$4.37 CHF 3.63

-12.81%

Eggs

$8.40 CHF 6.97

$7.53 CHF 6.24

11.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.05 CHF 22.44

$26.21 CHF 21.74

3.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.85 CHF 23.93

$26.35 CHF 21.86

9.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$59.4 CHF 49.27

$40.67 CHF 33.74

46.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 CHF 3.42

$3.55 CHF 2.94

16.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 CHF 2.37

$2.07 CHF 1.72

38.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 CHF 2.91

$2.69 CHF 2.23

30.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 CHF 3.78

$4.75 CHF 3.94

-4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 CHF 2.11

$2.04 CHF 1.70

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.92

$2.21 CHF 1.83

4.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CHF 2.05

$2.39 CHF 1.98

3.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CHF 1.07

$1.20 CHF 1.00

7.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.04 CHF 9.16

$10.96 CHF 9.09

0.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CHF 11.61

$12.81 CHF 10.63

9.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 CHF 2.39

$2.36 CHF 1.96

22.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.64

$3.33 CHF 2.76

-4.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.44 CHF 4.51

$4.23 CHF 3.51

28.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 86.7

$103 CHF 85.7

1.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 CHF 6.75

$5.47 CHF 4.54

48.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.56 CHF 3.79

$3.32 CHF 2.75

37.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.8 CHF 74.5

$61.4 CHF 50.9

46.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.93

$2.28 CHF 1.89

1.75%

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

$38.9K CHF 32.2K

$38.8K CHF 32.2K

0.16%

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

$39.0K CHF 32.4K

$39.5K CHF 32.7K

-1.15%

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

$282 CHF 234

$230 CHF 191

22.82%

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

$39.00 CHF 32.35

$31.55 CHF 26.17

23.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 CHF 45.65

$65.0 CHF 53.9

-15.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.6 CHF 70.2

$88.1 CHF 73.1

-3.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.7 CHF 51.2

$46.35 CHF 38.45

33.10%

Cinema Ticket

$24.31 CHF 20.17

$21.46 CHF 17.81

13.28%

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

$3,444 CHF 2,857

$1,786 CHF 1,482

92.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.6K CHF 34.5K

$32.1K CHF 26.6K

29.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 CHF 114

$142 CHF 117

-2.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 CHF 45.64

$86.7 CHF 72.0

-36.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 132

$147 CHF 122

8.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$249 CHF 207

$175 CHF 145

42.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,878 CHF 2,387

$1,758 CHF 1,459

63.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 CHF 1,777

$1,490 CHF 1,236

43.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,559 CHF 4,611

$2,966 CHF 2,461

87.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,003 CHF 3,321

$2,477 CHF 2,055

61.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.2K CHF 23.4K

$16.6K CHF 13.8K

69.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.9K CHF 14.0K

$12.3K CHF 10.2K

37.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,230 CHF 6,827

$8,448 CHF 7,009

-2.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

1.72

21.51%

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

Last update for Zurich: October 25, 2026

Last update for Wallisellen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zurich

$2.1K 50.2%

Wallisellen

$1.5K 43.6% 30.5% $653

Groceries & Markets

Zurich

$674 15.8%

Wallisellen

$584 17.1% 13.3% $90

Eating Out

Zurich

$517 12.1%

Wallisellen

$500 14.6% 3.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zurich

$376 8.8%

Wallisellen

$326 9.5% 13.3% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Zurich

$270 6.3%

Wallisellen

$247 7.2% 8.6% $23

Getting Around

Zurich

$157 3.7%

Wallisellen

$142 4.2% 9.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Zurich

$133 3.1%

Wallisellen

$131 3.8% 1.7% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,878 in Zurich versus $1,758 in Wallisellen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Wallisellen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $146 in Zurich versus $122 in Wallisellen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $674 vs $584 – making Wallisellen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Zurich

🇨🇭 Wallisellen

🕒 Local time

18:42 6:42 PM

Same time as Zurich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

443,037

15,603

💱 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

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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 Wallisellen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zurich costs about 25% more than Wallisellen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,406 per month in Zurich and $5,131 in Wallisellen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wallisellen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,758 there versus $2,878 in Zurich.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $146 in Zurich and $122 in Wallisellen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Zurich, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,270 in Zurich and $3,421 in Wallisellen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Wallisellen costs $3,421 versus $4,270 in Zurich. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.