Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Yens

For one person, living is cheaper in Yens: $3,568 a month against $4,274 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

205

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
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Zurich Living Index
167

Cost of Living Index in Yens
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Yens Living Index

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Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,274

/mo nomad

Yens

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zurich and in Yens

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,274 in Zurich versus $3,568 in Yens.

Zurich $4,274
Yens $3,568

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,740 in Zurich versus $5,328 in Yens.

Zurich $6,740
Yens $5,328

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,207 in Zurich versus $7,088 in Yens.

Zurich $9,207
Yens $7,088

Living in Zurich is roughly 20% more expensive than in Yens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 216% above, Yens 164% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$36.93 CHF 30.15

$29.48 CHF 24.07

25.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 119

$116 CHF 94.4

25.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.49 CHF 15.10

$16.12 CHF 13.16

14.70%

Cappuccino

$7.03 CHF 5.74

$6.35 CHF 5.19

10.71%

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

$6.00 CHF 4.90

$5.07 CHF 4.14

18.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 CHF 4.41

$4.04 CHF 3.30

33.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.91 CHF 8.09

$9.34 CHF 7.63

6.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.63 CHF 7.04

$7.91 CHF 6.46

9.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.78

$2.26 CHF 1.85

-3.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 CHF 3.17

$3.06 CHF 2.50

26.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.82 CHF 3.12

$3.32 CHF 2.71

15.06%

Eggs

$8.43 CHF 6.88

$7.55 CHF 6.17

11.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.56 CHF 22.50

$24.49 CHF 19.99

12.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.03 CHF 22.89

$27.77 CHF 22.67

0.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$60.1 CHF 49.07

$40.09 CHF 32.73

49.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 CHF 3.41

$3.63 CHF 2.97

15.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 CHF 2.28

$2.00 CHF 1.63

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 CHF 2.85

$2.52 CHF 2.06

38.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 CHF 3.74

$4.74 CHF 3.87

-3.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 CHF 2.07

$1.66 CHF 1.35

53.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 CHF 1.93

$1.97 CHF 1.61

19.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 CHF 1.97

$2.08 CHF 1.70

15.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CHF 1.04

$1.37 CHF 1.12

-6.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.89 CHF 8.89

$11.04 CHF 9.01

-1.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 CHF 11.51

$12.38 CHF 10.10

13.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 CHF 2.27

$2.23 CHF 1.82

24.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 CHF 2.64

$3.05 CHF 2.49

5.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.72 CHF 4.67

$3.99 CHF 3.26

43.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 86.5

$107 CHF 87.7

-1.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 CHF 6.59

$7.99 CHF 6.52

1.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.74 CHF 3.87

$4.69 CHF 3.83

1.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$91.4 CHF 74.6

$85.7 CHF 70.0

6.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.43 CHF 1.98

$2.34 CHF 1.91

3.85%

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

$39.4K CHF 32.1K

$39.0K CHF 31.9K

0.83%

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

$39.0K CHF 31.9K

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

-2.30%

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

$284 CHF 232

$280 CHF 229

1.43%

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

$36.15 CHF 29.51

$28.64 CHF 23.38

26.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.7 CHF 46.31

$53.4 CHF 43.61

6.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.4 CHF 68.1

$76.2 CHF 62.2

9.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$62.4 CHF 50.9

$47.19 CHF 38.52

32.17%

Cinema Ticket

$24.03 CHF 19.62

$24.30 CHF 19.84

-1.11%

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

$3,473 CHF 2,835

$2,957 CHF 2,414

17.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.0K CHF 34.3K

$35.6K CHF 29.1K

17.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 113

$143 CHF 117

-3.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 CHF 44.83

$61.4 CHF 50.1

-10.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 CHF 131

$141 CHF 115

13.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 CHF 207

$195 CHF 159

29.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,964 CHF 2,420

$1,735 CHF 1,416

70.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,111 CHF 1,723

$1,655 CHF 1,351

27.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,507 CHF 4,496

$2,868 CHF 2,342

91.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,074 CHF 3,326

$2,682 CHF 2,189

51.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.0K CHF 22.0K

$16.6K CHF 13.6K

62.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K CHF 13.7K

$11.5K CHF 9,368

46.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,335 CHF 6,805

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.03

1.95

4.10%

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

Last update for Zurich: November 3, 2026

Last update for Yens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zurich

$2.1K 49.4%

Yens

$1.7K 46.4% 21.6% $456

Groceries & Markets

Zurich

$673 15.8%

Yens

$569 16% 15.5% $104

Eating Out

Zurich

$548 12.8%

Yens

$459 12.9% 16.1% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zurich

$377 8.8%

Yens

$362 10.2% 3.9% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Zurich

$273 6.4%

Yens

$243 6.8% 11% $30

Getting Around

Zurich

$161 3.8%

Yens

$155 4.3% 3.6% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Zurich

$131 3.1%

Yens

$125 3.5% 5.1% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,964 in Zurich and $1,735 in Yens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $146 in Zurich vs $116 in Yens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $673 vs $569 per month, with Yens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Zurich

🇨🇭 Yens

🕒 Local time

10:29 10:29 AM

Same time as Zurich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

443,037

2,200

💱 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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Zurich Yens 190 km

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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 Yens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yens wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Zurich. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Yens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $6,411 in Zurich and $5,352 in Yens to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,964 in Zurich versus $1,735 in Yens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Zurich. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $4,274 per month in Zurich versus $3,568 in Yens – Yens is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Yens is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Zurich and Yens are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.