Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Winterthur

For one person, living is cheaper in Winterthur: $3,759 a month against $4,270 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
182

Cost of Living Index in Winterthur
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Winterthur Living Index

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Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,270

/mo nomad

Winterthur

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,759

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zurich and in Winterthur

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

A single person spends $4,270 per month in Zurich vs $3,759 in Winterthur, rent included.

Zurich $4,270
Winterthur $3,759

A couple spends around $6,666 per month in Zurich vs $5,534 in Winterthur, rent included.

Zurich $6,666
Winterthur $5,534

A family of three spends $9,061 per month in Zurich vs $7,309 in Winterthur, rent included.

Zurich $9,061
Winterthur $7,309

Zurich costs about 14% more than Winterthur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Zurich and Winterthur sit above the global median – Zurich by 214%, Winterthur by 176%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.89 CHF 27.80

$29.70 CHF 24.37

14.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 120

$121 CHF 99.4

20.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.10 CHF 14.85

$17.77 CHF 14.58

1.86%

Cappuccino

$6.88 CHF 5.64

$5.75 CHF 4.71

19.65%

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

$5.73 CHF 4.70

$5.35 CHF 4.39

7.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 CHF 4.31

$4.81 CHF 3.94

9.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.61 CHF 7.88

$8.70 CHF 7.14

10.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.37 CHF 6.86

$6.74 CHF 5.53

24.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CHF 1.73

$2.25 CHF 1.84

-6.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 CHF 3.24

$3.65 CHF 3.00

8.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.81 CHF 3.12

$4.35 CHF 3.57

-12.41%

Eggs

$8.40 CHF 6.89

$7.05 CHF 5.79

19.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.05 CHF 22.19

$30.76 CHF 25.24

-12.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.85 CHF 23.67

$29.27 CHF 24.01

-1.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$59.4 CHF 48.72

$42.10 CHF 34.54

41.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 CHF 3.39

$4.05 CHF 3.32

1.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 CHF 2.34

$2.08 CHF 1.71

37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 CHF 2.87

$3.02 CHF 2.48

15.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 CHF 3.74

$6.61 CHF 5.42

-31.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 CHF 2.09

$2.33 CHF 1.91

9.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.90

$2.51 CHF 2.06

-7.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CHF 2.02

$2.29 CHF 1.87

7.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CHF 1.06

$1.11 CHF 0.91

16.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.04 CHF 9.06

$10.68 CHF 8.76

3.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CHF 11.48

$12.15 CHF 9.97

15.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 CHF 2.36

$2.78 CHF 2.28

3.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.61

$3.56 CHF 2.92

-10.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.44 CHF 4.46

$5.24 CHF 4.30

3.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 85.8

$83.1 CHF 68.2

25.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 CHF 6.68

$4.42 CHF 3.63

84.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.56 CHF 3.74

$2.96 CHF 2.43

54.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.8 CHF 73.7

$61.3 CHF 50.3

46.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.90

$2.28 CHF 1.87

1.75%

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

$38.9K CHF 31.9K

$38.6K CHF 31.7K

0.61%

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

$39.0K CHF 32.0K

$38.6K CHF 31.7K

1.00%

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

$282 CHF 232

$417 CHF 342

-32.32%

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

$39.00 CHF 31.99

$28.64 CHF 23.50

36.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 CHF 45.15

$66.3 CHF 54.4

-16.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.6 CHF 69.4

$71.5 CHF 58.6

18.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.7 CHF 50.6

$26.10 CHF 21.41

136.36%

Cinema Ticket

$24.31 CHF 19.95

$21.50 CHF 17.64

13.07%

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

$3,444 CHF 2,825

$1,495 CHF 1,227

130.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.6K CHF 34.1K

$24.7K CHF 20.3K

68.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 CHF 113

$181 CHF 148

-23.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 CHF 45.14

$125 CHF 102

-55.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 131

$173 CHF 142

-8.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$249 CHF 204

$325 CHF 267

-23.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,878 CHF 2,361

$2,166 CHF 1,777

32.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 CHF 1,758

$1,563 CHF 1,282

37.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,559 CHF 4,560

$3,461 CHF 2,839

60.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,003 CHF 3,284

$2,436 CHF 1,998

64.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.2K CHF 23.1K

$21.3K CHF 17.5K

31.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.9K CHF 13.9K

$15.2K CHF 12.5K

11.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,230 CHF 6,751

$6,646 CHF 5,452

23.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

2.41

-13.28%

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

Last update for Zurich: October 25, 2026

Last update for Winterthur: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zurich

$2.1K 50.2%

Winterthur

$1.6K 41.6% 27.1% $580

Groceries & Markets

Zurich

$674 15.8%

Winterthur

$627 16.7% 7% $47

Eating Out

Zurich

$517 12.1%

Winterthur

$458 12.2% 11.4% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zurich

$376 8.8%

Winterthur

$512 13.6% 36.1% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Zurich

$270 6.3%

Winterthur

$362 9.6% 33.7% $91

Getting Around

Zurich

$157 3.7%

Winterthur

$123 3.3% 21.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Zurich

$133 3.1%

Winterthur

$114 3.1% 14.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,878 in Zurich versus $2,166 in Winterthur. 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 24% higher in Zurich. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $146 in Zurich versus $121 in Winterthur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $674 vs $627 – making Winterthur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Zurich

🇨🇭 Winterthur

🕒 Local time

14:44 2:44 PM

Same time as Zurich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

443,037

108,044

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Zurich vs Winterthur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,270 in Zurich, $3,759 in Winterthur – Winterthur comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,406 per month in Zurich and $5,638 in Winterthur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Winterthur, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,166 there versus $2,878 in Zurich.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $146 in Zurich and $121 in Winterthur. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,270 in Zurich and $3,759 in Winterthur. That makes Winterthur about 12% cheaper.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,270 in Zurich and $3,759 in Winterthur. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Zurich has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,759 in Winterthur to $4,270 in Zurich. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Winterthur. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zurich makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.