Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Wil

For one person, living is cheaper in Wil: $3,136 a month against $4,270 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Zurich, Switzerland
Wil, Switzerland
Zurich
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$4,270
/mo nomad
Wil
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,136
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zurich and in Wil

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

A single person spends $4,270 per month in Zurich vs $3,136 in Wil, rent included.

  • Zurich $4,270
  • Wil $3,136

A couple spends around $6,666 per month in Zurich vs $4,645 in Wil, rent included.

  • Zurich $6,666
  • Wil $4,645

A family of three spends $9,061 per month in Zurich vs $6,154 in Wil, rent included.

  • Zurich $9,061
  • Wil $6,154

Zurich costs about 36% more than Wil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zurich and Wil sit above the global median – Zurich by 214%, Wil by 130%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zurich
Wil
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$33.89 CHF 28.11
$29.06 CHF 24.11
16.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$146 CHF 121
$142 CHF 118
2.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$18.10 CHF 15.02
$23.86 CHF 19.80
-24.14%
Cappuccino
$6.88 CHF 5.71
$6.15 CHF 5.10
11.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.73 CHF 4.75
$5.84 CHF 4.85
-1.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.25 CHF 4.36
$5.09 CHF 4.22
3.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.61 CHF 7.97
$9.24 CHF 7.66
4.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.37 CHF 6.94
$6.46 CHF 5.36
29.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zurich
Wil
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.11 CHF 1.75
$2.17 CHF 1.80
-2.76%
White Bread (500g)
$3.95 CHF 3.28
$3.97 CHF 3.29
-0.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.81 CHF 3.16
$3.69 CHF 3.06
3.25%
Eggs
$8.40 CHF 6.97
$7.95 CHF 6.59
5.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$27.05 CHF 22.44
$26.95 CHF 22.36
0.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$28.85 CHF 23.93
$28.03 CHF 23.25
2.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$59.4 CHF 49.27
$41.77 CHF 34.65
42.21%
Apples (1kg)
$4.13 CHF 3.42
$3.75 CHF 3.11
10.13%
Banana (1kg)
$2.86 CHF 2.37
$2.01 CHF 1.66
42.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.50 CHF 2.91
$2.35 CHF 1.95
48.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.56 CHF 3.78
$5.31 CHF 4.41
-14.12%
Potato (1kg)
$2.55 CHF 2.11
$2.04 CHF 1.69
25.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.31 CHF 1.92
$2.13 CHF 1.77
8.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.47 CHF 2.05
$2.30 CHF 1.90
7.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 CHF 1.07
$1.24 CHF 1.03
4.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.04 CHF 9.16
$10.87 CHF 9.01
1.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.00 CHF 11.61
$18.29 CHF 15.17
-23.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.88 CHF 2.39
$2.21 CHF 1.84
30.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 CHF 2.64
$2.24 CHF 1.86
41.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Zurich
Wil
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.44 CHF 4.51
$3.88 CHF 3.22
40.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$105 CHF 86.7
$89.5 CHF 74.2
16.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.14 CHF 6.75
$6.81 CHF 5.65
19.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.56 CHF 3.79
$4.68 CHF 3.88
-2.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$89.8 CHF 74.5
$36.56 CHF 30.33
145.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.32 CHF 1.93
$2.24 CHF 1.85
3.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.9K CHF 32.2K
$38.6K CHF 32.0K
0.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.0K CHF 32.4K
$39.5K CHF 32.8K
-1.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zurich
Wil
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$282 CHF 234
$311 CHF 258
-9.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$39.00 CHF 32.35
$37.59 CHF 31.19
3.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.0 CHF 45.65
$54.7 CHF 45.40
0.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zurich
Wil
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$84.6 CHF 70.2
$83.6 CHF 69.3
1.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$61.7 CHF 51.2
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$24.31 CHF 20.17
$27.51 CHF 22.82
-11.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zurich
Wil
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,444 CHF 2,857
$2,272 CHF 1,884
51.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$41.6K CHF 34.5K
$31.6K CHF 26.2K
31.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zurich
Wil
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$138 CHF 114
$145 CHF 120
-5.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.0 CHF 45.64
$67.4 CHF 55.9
-18.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$159 CHF 132
$143 CHF 119
11.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$249 CHF 207
$267 CHF 221
-6.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zurich
Wil
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,878 CHF 2,387
$1,470 CHF 1,219
95.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,143 CHF 1,777
$1,090 CHF 904
96.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,559 CHF 4,611
$2,076 CHF 1,722
167.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,003 CHF 3,321
$1,429 CHF 1,185
180.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$28.2K CHF 23.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$16.9K CHF 14.0K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zurich
Wil
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$8,230 CHF 6,827
$4,382 CHF 3,635
87.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.09
1.9
10.00%

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

Last update for Zurich: October 25, 2026

Last update for Wil: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Zurich
$2.1K
Wil
$1.1K 49.1% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Zurich
$674
Wil
$608 9.8% $66
Eating Out
Zurich
$517
Wil
$481 7% $36
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zurich
$376
Wil
$404 7.3% $27
Clothing & Footwear
Zurich
$270
Wil
$280 3.5% $9.6
Getting Around
Zurich
$157
Wil
$135 14% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Zurich
$133
Wil
$139 4% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,878 in Zurich versus $1,470 in Wil. 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 88% higher in Zurich. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $146 in Zurich versus $142 in Wil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $674 vs $608 – making Wil the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇭 Zurich
🇨🇭 Wil
🕒 Local time
19:48 7:48 PM
19:48 7:48 PM
Same time as Zurich
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
443,037
18,988
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.924 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Zurich Wil 39 km
From you
  • Zurich
  • Wil

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 Wil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Zurich and in Wil compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $4,270 in Zurich, $3,136 in Wil – roughly 36% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Zurich compared to Wil?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,406 per month in Zurich and $4,703 in Wil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Zurich and Wil?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Wil, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,470 there versus $2,878 in Zurich.
How do commuting costs compare in Zurich and in Wil?
Public transport costs about 14% less in Wil. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Zurich and Wil?
Kindergarten costs $3,444 per month in Zurich and $2,272 in Wil. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is feasible on a $3,000 budget?
$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,270 in Zurich and $3,136 in Wil. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Where should families live: Zurich or Wil?
Families tend to lean toward Wil – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Zurich or Wil safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Zurich and Wil?
If budget matters most, go with Wil. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zurich makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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