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: $4,270 in Zurich versus $3,459 in Yens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,491 in Zurich versus $5,362 in Yens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,712 in Zurich versus $7,264 in Yens.

Living in Zurich is roughly 23% more expensive than in Yens, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 220% above, Yens 159% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.84 CHF 24.93

$30.31 CHF 24.51

1.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 119

-0.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.72 CHF 16.75

$18.91 CHF 15.29

9.57%

Cappuccino

$6.94 CHF 5.61

$5.90 CHF 4.77

17.63%

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

$6.04 CHF 4.88

$5.46 CHF 4.41

10.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 CHF 4.24

$4.71 CHF 3.80

11.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.83 CHF 7.95

$9.65 CHF 7.80

1.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.52 CHF 6.88

$7.49 CHF 6.05

13.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.76

$2.22 CHF 1.80

-1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 CHF 2.63

$3.79 CHF 3.06

-14.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 CHF 3.33

$4.45 CHF 3.60

-7.42%

Eggs

$7.26 CHF 5.87

$7.42 CHF 6.00

-2.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.00 CHF 24.26

$26.28 CHF 21.24

14.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$34.06 CHF 27.54

$28.80 CHF 23.29

18.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.2 CHF 40.56

$44.50 CHF 35.98

12.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 CHF 3.31

$3.62 CHF 2.93

12.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.35

$2.08 CHF 1.68

39.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 CHF 2.44

$2.84 CHF 2.30

6.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 CHF 4.02

$6.61 CHF 5.34

-24.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 CHF 2.22

$2.50 CHF 2.02

10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.89

$2.36 CHF 1.91

-0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 2.06

$2.51 CHF 2.03

1.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CHF 1.39

$1.41 CHF 1.14

21.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.29 CHF 9.13

$11.07 CHF 8.95

1.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 CHF 10.98

$13.74 CHF 11.11

-1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CHF 2.12

$2.07 CHF 1.68

27.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 CHF 2.61

$3.10 CHF 2.50

4.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.02 CHF 4.06

$3.96 CHF 3.20

26.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 CHF 86.6

$99.0 CHF 80.0

8.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 CHF 6.31

$7.73 CHF 6.25

1.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.48

$3.41 CHF 2.76

26.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.9 CHF 70.2

$67.2 CHF 54.4

29.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$2.21 CHF 1.79

1.36%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.1K

$40.3K CHF 32.6K

-1.46%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.2K

$40.7K CHF 32.9K

-2.11%

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

$258 CHF 209

$301 CHF 244

-14.37%

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

$36.31 CHF 29.36

$51.1 CHF 41.31

-28.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 CHF 48.02

$57.5 CHF 46.47

3.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.5 CHF 72.3

$88.9 CHF 71.9

0.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 CHF 40.49

Cinema Ticket

$24.81 CHF 20.06

$22.64 CHF 18.30

9.58%

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

$3,344 CHF 2,703

$2,534 CHF 2,049

31.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.1K CHF 31.6K

$33.4K CHF 27.0K

17.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 CHF 111

$107 CHF 86.3

29.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.7 CHF 49.90

$68.6 CHF 55.5

-10.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 119

$149 CHF 121

-1.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$200 CHF 162

$183 CHF 148

9.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,721 CHF 2,200

$1,694 CHF 1,370

60.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 CHF 1,800

$1,448 CHF 1,170

53.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,054 CHF 4,086

$2,801 CHF 2,265

80.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,797 CHF 3,070

$2,436 CHF 1,970

55.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.3K CHF 22.0K

$17.1K CHF 13.8K

59.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.4K CHF 13.3K

$10.8K CHF 8,726

52.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,287 CHF 6,700

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Yens: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,721 in Zurich and $1,694 in Yens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $147 in Zurich vs $147 in Yens. Groceries flip the comparison at $676 vs $622, with Yens cheaper for home cooking.

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 23% 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 $6,406 in Zurich and $5,189 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: $2,721 in Zurich versus $1,694 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 8% less than in Zurich. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,344 in Zurich versus $2,534 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 $3,459 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 23% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.