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: $4,624 in Zurich versus $3,470 in Yens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,980 in Zurich versus $5,210 in Yens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,337 in Zurich versus $6,951 in Yens.

Living in Zurich is roughly 33% more expensive than in Yens, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 238% above, Yens 154% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.81 CHF 28.60

$28.97 CHF 23.81

20.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 121

$122 CHF 100

20.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.67 CHF 15.34

$16.03 CHF 13.17

16.47%

Cappuccino

$7.34 CHF 6.03

$6.10 CHF 5.01

20.33%

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

$5.73 CHF 4.71

$5.04 CHF 4.14

13.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 CHF 4.30

$4.11 CHF 3.38

27.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.85 CHF 8.10

$9.18 CHF 7.55

7.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.77 CHF 7.21

$8.16 CHF 6.71

7.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$2.24 CHF 1.84

-0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 CHF 3.16

$3.07 CHF 2.52

25.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.00 CHF 3.28

$3.18 CHF 2.62

25.79%

Eggs

$8.75 CHF 7.19

$7.37 CHF 6.06

18.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.45 CHF 22.56

$24.52 CHF 20.15

11.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.85 CHF 22.89

$28.06 CHF 23.06

-0.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$61.8 CHF 50.8

$39.21 CHF 32.22

57.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 CHF 3.38

$3.60 CHF 2.96

14.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 CHF 2.34

$2.03 CHF 1.67

39.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 CHF 2.95

$2.64 CHF 2.17

35.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 CHF 3.85

$4.53 CHF 3.72

3.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 CHF 2.12

$1.70 CHF 1.40

52.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 CHF 1.79

$1.99 CHF 1.64

9.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CHF 2.02

$2.05 CHF 1.69

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 CHF 1.10

$1.31 CHF 1.08

2.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.89 CHF 8.95

$11.27 CHF 9.27

-3.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 CHF 11.00

$12.42 CHF 10.21

7.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 CHF 2.27

$2.35 CHF 1.93

17.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 CHF 2.69

$3.04 CHF 2.50

7.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.48 CHF 4.50

$4.42 CHF 3.64

23.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 CHF 87.9

$99.3 CHF 81.6

7.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 CHF 6.96

$7.86 CHF 6.46

7.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.75 CHF 3.91

$4.65 CHF 3.82

2.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$90.4 CHF 74.3

$86.8 CHF 71.3

4.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 CHF 1.93

$2.37 CHF 1.95

-1.27%

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

$40.3K CHF 33.1K

$44.6K CHF 36.7K

-9.65%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.7K

$39.4K CHF 32.4K

0.93%

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

$281 CHF 231

$283 CHF 233

-0.76%

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

$38.53 CHF 31.66

$28.77 CHF 23.64

33.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 CHF 47.91

$51.4 CHF 42.23

13.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.6 CHF 74.4

$92.7 CHF 76.2

-2.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$62.4 CHF 51.2

$45.86 CHF 37.68

35.96%

Cinema Ticket

$24.90 CHF 20.47

$24.87 CHF 20.43

0.12%

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

$3,639 CHF 2,991

$2,953 CHF 2,427

23.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.6K CHF 35.8K

$31.6K CHF 26.0K

37.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$144 CHF 118

$145 CHF 119

-0.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.9 CHF 49.23

$61.9 CHF 50.9

-3.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$167 CHF 137

$141 CHF 116

18.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$265 CHF 218

$203 CHF 167

30.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,062 CHF 2,517

$1,773 CHF 1,457

72.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,474 CHF 2,033

$1,479 CHF 1,215

67.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,216 CHF 5,108

$2,925 CHF 2,404

112.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,209 CHF 3,459

$2,547 CHF 2,093

65.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$26.9K CHF 22.1K

$16.6K CHF 13.7K

61.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.3K

$12.2K CHF 10.0K

32.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,334 CHF 6,849

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

1.95

6.15%

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

Last update for Zurich: September 14, 2026

Last update for Yens: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,062 in Zurich and $1,773 in Yens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $147 in Zurich vs $122 in Yens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $679 vs $566 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 33% 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 $6,935 in Zurich and $5,205 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: $3,062 in Zurich versus $1,773 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 $3,639 in Zurich versus $2,953 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 $3,470 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 33% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.