Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Yens Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Yens

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,254 in Zurich versus $3,511 in Yens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,409 in Zurich versus $5,311 in Yens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,563 in Zurich versus $7,111 in Yens.

Living in Zurich is roughly 21% more expensive than Yens, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 217% above, Yens 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.04 CHF 24.56

$30.64 CHF 24.24

1.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 118

$145 CHF 115

2.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.83 CHF 16.48

$18.91 CHF 14.96

10.15%

Cappuccino

$6.72 CHF 5.31

$6.15 CHF 4.87

9.27%

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

$5.90 CHF 4.67

$5.34 CHF 4.23

10.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 CHF 4.23

$4.87 CHF 3.85

9.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.85 CHF 7.79

$9.92 CHF 7.85

-0.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 CHF 6.97

$7.43 CHF 5.88

18.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.79

$2.17 CHF 1.71

4.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 CHF 2.61

$3.84 CHF 3.04

-14.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 CHF 3.26

$4.52 CHF 3.57

-8.85%

Eggs

$7.19 CHF 5.68

$7.10 CHF 5.62

1.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.88 CHF 23.64

$26.46 CHF 20.94

12.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.59 CHF 26.57

$28.53 CHF 22.57

17.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$49.65 CHF 39.28

$43.82 CHF 34.67

13.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 CHF 3.20

$3.64 CHF 2.88

10.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 CHF 2.29

$2.11 CHF 1.67

37.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 CHF 2.41

$2.81 CHF 2.22

8.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.24 CHF 4.15

$6.57 CHF 5.20

-20.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 CHF 2.26

$2.44 CHF 1.93

16.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 CHF 1.88

$2.33 CHF 1.84

2.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CHF 1.98

$2.49 CHF 1.97

0.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 CHF 1.35

$1.46 CHF 1.15

16.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.96 CHF 8.67

$10.93 CHF 8.65

0.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 CHF 11.91

$13.76 CHF 10.89

9.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 CHF 2.07

$2.02 CHF 1.60

29.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 CHF 2.56

$3.12 CHF 2.47

3.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.82 CHF 3.81

$3.95 CHF 3.12

22.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 83.9

$98.7 CHF 78.1

7.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.55 CHF 5.97

$8.10 CHF 6.41

-6.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.15 CHF 3.28

$3.37 CHF 2.66

23.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.1 CHF 70.5

$66.2 CHF 52.4

34.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.82

$2.19 CHF 1.73

4.57%

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

$41.1K CHF 32.5K

$40.0K CHF 31.7K

2.65%

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

$39.3K CHF 31.1K

$41.6K CHF 32.9K

-5.46%

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

$259 CHF 205

$304 CHF 240

-14.90%

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

$35.51 CHF 28.09

$51.1 CHF 40.45

-30.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 CHF 46.24

$57.7 CHF 45.65

1.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.8 CHF 70.3

$89.6 CHF 70.9

-0.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.84 CHF 38.63

Cinema Ticket

$25.07 CHF 19.83

$23.13 CHF 18.29

8.39%

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

$3,470 CHF 2,746

$2,554 CHF 2,020

35.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.0K CHF 30.9K

$33.7K CHF 26.7K

15.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 108

$107 CHF 85.0

27.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 CHF 49.29

$70.9 CHF 56.1

-12.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 117

$151 CHF 120

-2.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 CHF 160

$184 CHF 146

9.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,686 CHF 2,125

$1,711 CHF 1,353

57.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,205 CHF 1,744

$1,451 CHF 1,148

51.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,902 CHF 3,878

$2,872 CHF 2,272

70.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,702 CHF 2,929

$2,427 CHF 1,920

52.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$26.1K CHF 20.6K

$15.7K CHF 12.4K

66.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K CHF 13.0K

$10.6K CHF 8,359

55.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,722 CHF 6,900

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Yens: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,686 in Zurich and $1,711 in Yens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $149 in Zurich vs $145 in Yens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $677 vs $618 per month, with Yens 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 Yens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yens wins on cost – living expenses run 21% 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 $6,382 in Zurich and $5,266 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: $2,686 in Zurich versus $1,711 in Yens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Yens runs roughly 7% less than in Zurich. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,470 in Zurich versus $2,554 in Yens. 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. Yens 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 Yens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,511 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Yens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Zurich and Yens 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 Yens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.