Move to Switzerland from US 🇨🇭 Living in Zurich 🏠 Cost of Living 💰 Jobs 💼

Considering a move to Zurich, Switzerland from the US or elsewhere? Zurich has a lot to offer expats because of the high quality of life. However, we always see Switzerland on lists for being an expensive place to live. In this final City Guide for 2020, Josh and Kalie breakdown moving to, living in, and working in Zurich. They talk about different neighborhoods to live in, how much money someone can expect to earn, if it's possible to save, things to do, job availabilities, the cost of living, the weather, and more.
Watch an interview from an expat living in Zurich here: • Honest Expat Living in...
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Are you an expat and want to do an interview? Email us at [e-mail]!

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Would you still move to Zurich despite the high prices? Do you like the potential savings?

[@valeriet5581]

No, makes no sense for us. Cheaper to do day trips and pack some food.

[@bobsimpson9228]

Living in NYC, anytime I look somewhere else I'm like... "this is supposed to be expensive?" lol

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

😁

[@Philipp31415]

Switzerland actually has no capital. Berne is only the de-factor federal city.

[@daotru]

Short and informative! You Two are awesome! Thanks!

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thank you very much! We hope you check out our new channel we'll launch in September. It'll be more like this! - Josh & Kalie

[@TomBarman]

Great video! 🎉 nice energy and info. Have a great 2021 🎉🎉🎉

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks, Paulo!! We appreciate the feedback. Happy New Year 🥳

[@oraevalibby1890]

I wouldn't mind having a second home just in case America gets more insane 😉 we have lost our way people! I hope we get it together but either way would love a vacay home and see if I like it!

[@lightningbug276]

That’s why I’m looking too!

[@mariusmatei2946]

Yeah, me, too (currently, I'm looking into Copenhagen, Oslo, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Dublin, and Zürich)!!

[@rainforestsanctuary-sounds6489]

Sadly the industrial complex and efficiency addiction eroded quality and patience

[@siberwolf33]

One year later... America is more insane

[@TimKuat]

I'm an American and even though this comment was 2 years ago, it has gotten so much more insane. Smart people need to leave now before it gets worse. That's my plan.

[@midas1929]

Unlike other countries, the income tax level is determined by the city or village. Decent city apartments are even for Swiss expensive and hard to get. Choose where you live and how much you are ready to commute. The tax level at your residence can save you 10 k or more easily a year.

[@Yasin_Affandi]

Thanks for this video. Wonderful. Zurich, despite it's high cost of living, is definitely a beautiful city to live in.

[@Yasin_Affandi]

D location is superb. Roadtrips to neighboring countries, north, west, south n east, r all wonderful.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks, Yasin! Is Zurich the Swiss city for you?

[@Yasin_Affandi]

@@ExpatsEverywhere Zurich, Geneva, hard to tell, until I get a ground experience in Switzerland.

[@Yasin_Affandi]

@@ExpatsEverywhere One thing for certain, I need ample opportunities to visit n experience UK, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Chezh, Germany, Greece, Turkey.

[@teresitapasalo4795]

Loved the information!

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thank you. We appreciate the feedback.

[@morgan97475]

Great info. Danke!

[@nusername]

you guys are awesome. subscribed.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Awesome! Thank you! We're hoping to start talking about international locations again after our next project in Portugal wraps up. Bare with us please but we'd love to hear any feedback you have for us.

[@kaimuller7819]

Lake neuchatel is the biggest lake one which is only in Switzerland ( not on the border) . Overall the biggest seiss lake is the lake of geneva

[@deena2931]

Interesting… I am not too shocked by the prices, as I live just outside the Bay Area California and it’s quite expensive here as well.

[@TheSimArchitect]

Thanks for the information! I came across Switzerland as a potential place to save on taxes but I wasn't aware costs were this high there. 😬 Have a great week!

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

You're welcome. Hugo gives a great accompanying interview about living in Switzerland if you haven't seen it. Thank you. You too. - Josh & Kalie

[@Zurich_for_Beginners]

The price for renting of apartment you mentioned are more on the upper limit. It is absolute possible to find a 1 room apartment for 1000...1200 $ per month. About prices for tram rides. Nobody pays the full amount for 134 $ per year you can get a half price card. So you only pay the children price that would be 7$ for a 24h ticket.

[@yannip2083]

What is a reasonable budget for living in Zurich? Can you name some places to find an apartment for $1,000 - $1200? Thank you so much.

[@tomrider4774]

The lake of Zürich is the 5th biggest lake of Switzerland.

[@arnelabih1845]

I am manafiesting to move there visited my family in 2015 and l0ved it.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing with us.

[@JoshuaGaffney8]

Looking to move from New Jersey to Switzerland and the prices are about the same haha. Sounds good to me 😂

[@Yahkobah]

If your income is U.S dollars. Then your ass out. All country's will terminate the U.S dollar in less then 5 years. So your remote jobs won't matter because they won't expect U.S wages

[@lseul8812]

@@Yahkobahgarbarge macro finance take

[@livbalduf6900]

Paying $2100/month at a 1 bedroom apartment in Boston. Not great transportation. Coffee is probably $3-6. The income in Boston is pretty good but not enough to compete with the expensive cost of living. Health care in USA is good but only if you have insurance and still can pay out of pocket…

[@sadbravesfan]

You said it might be worth seeking out a "headhunter" when looking for a job. Is this the same thing as a recruiter? Also, for jobs in the service industry could you actually get hired for that? I was always under the impression that you could only get a work visa for jobs that could not be filled by local citizens i.e. jobs that require highly specialized skills, but maybe I'm mistaken?

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Yes, sorry, headhunter and recruiter is interchangeable. It depends on the job, but it's best to go through a company.

[@rae266]

If you're an EU citizen and can speak the city language, it should be relatively simple to find a job in the service industry. The process for getting a permit is easy for an employer to do. If you're non EU, it will be difficult to get a permit as a third country national, even for a specialised job.

[@nononono3421]

I could move there, same job same company, would work remotely and live in a village as I am sick of living in a city. I just need a decent internet connection:)

[@renegadeace1735]

I want to live in a big city that has low crime and is clean. Looking at Zurich.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Nice! Also look at Singapore.

[@joshconnell7781]

Those prices don't seem much different from here in NC a meal at McDonald's is dang near $15, a mid level wine is more, rent is same or more. At least what I've seen.

[@keirjasphercorong5775]

Fun fact Switzerland has no capital city that's why all the government offices are scattered all over the country, but if we based on maps it says there that Bern is the capital city it is because it’s precisely to avoid a concentration of power that Bern was chosen as the “federal city” exactly 170 years ago. Can you make another video like this but I want to hear about the city of Winterthur, I'll wait for your next video!!!

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks, Keir Jaspher Vlogs. We appreciate the comment. This video was a part of our 2020 series where we asked our audience to choose a great expat city by the alphabet. We started the year with A (Athens) and end the year with Z (Zurich).

[@maryc.garrison]

Zürich prices = California :) but with lower taxes and better life quality... sounds amazing

[@mellyklint6199]

You have no idea.

[@MasterNochi]

True, I'm here thanks to you guys moving to Austin anyways :)

[@ggNotSuree]

@@MasterNochihehe. how long you been there? I’m assuming you mean zurich.

[@Sikhiseeker]

How much can you really make from average job Still 7400?? How’s the people from Switzerland

[@Boyridge]

Sounds like it’s on par with Los Angeles cost of living for someone with good taste and a high income

[@RyanJohnson-ft6qi]

All those prices are the same here in the USa

[@lightningplasma]

Why can't americans just call themselves immigrants? Is the word immigrant only reserved for brown people? Being American and moving somewhere else makes you an "immigrant".

[@dreadxlegionx058]

Been thinking about moving to Switzerland because U.S. is gradually getting worse to live in for men as time passes. Thanks for vid!

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

You're welcome. Are you moving there with a job?

[@peery_continental]

Remember all countries have the potential to become unfavorable and virtually the way you see the US and I agree with you about things getting only worse here but just don't forget you can and will run into economic, social and environmental issues as the years progress in just about any country. No one is immune to the state of the world system right now.

[@AarhamKaisar]

if start my business will i get residency Without investment (millions 😅) I mean start up?

[@nefertariinxs]

Tina Turner also living lake of Zürich gold coast i m living in Lugano

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for sharing, Diana. - Josh & Kalie

[@chucksolutions4579]

I live in San Diego. I’m ready to go somewhere completely different. My wife is a neonatal nurse and I am a firefighter medic. I’m ready to be part of a community and just tired of working to survive. After looking around, Switzerland is the number one country I’d consider moving to, followed by Tasmania, Italy Argentina and New Zealand. We are 43 and 40 years old with (sadly) no children. I’ve heard that Switzerland is paying “young” couples to move there.

[@flyinghigh8516]

From buffalo ny . Usa Im moving WHO IS WITH ME

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

😁

[@andyguzman6232]

To me it sounds like it’s just as expensive as USA but with a much better quality of life

[@StalloneSRB]

German in Swiss is nothing compared to the real German. It's different.. Plus, German is the most important language here. There are much cheaper apartments than you said, but ofc not in city centre :D And the average salary is not that big..

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for sharing, Walsh.

[@Marie-qb1jh]

You quickly rethink your travel plans as soon as you go to MacDonald/ Burger King to grab a quick lunch and find out you paid 60 CHF for 2 people +1 kid. (CHF is higher than Euro)

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

It is painful and we don't even like McDonald's. It just seems like the "cheap" option.

[@Itubersays]

umm the prices are similar to that of NYC but not the quality I imagine one might get over there.

[@astrid5644]

It’s expensive but they pay you more than enough to live comfortably. That’s the difference.

[@mellyklint6199]

@@astrid5644 Lies.

[@astrid5644]

@@mellyklint6199 It’s really not a lie. Cry about it.

[@mellyklint6199]

@@astrid5644 Live comfortably in Switzerland? LOLOL. You must be kidding me. How about that?

[@astrid5644]

@@mellyklint6199 It’s one of the best countries in the world for a reason. It also ranks top 3 for overall satisfaction for the people living there. The only people not comfortable there are immigrants who won’t get off their ass.

[@rahulrathod-vx6yv]

Home

[@davidfeldman603]

Switzerland does not have any capital

[@sinagain4205]

Is it pretty scary that Ukraine isn't to far?

[@zachshelton8321]

How would one get citizenship there?

[@thehungrysage]

It takes a while… I recently went on a tour and the tour guide says it’s a very long process. You have to live there for 10 years. Then you apply to become part of a canton which has requirements like a language test, proof integration by referral of other Swiss citizens… if you get approved, you go on can take the citizenship test which is pretty difficult as it has very random facts… then you can become a citizen

[@ArmadilloGodzilla]

It's basically impossible.

[@borderlord]

Ursula Andress is Swiss. What's the talent like these days?!

[@davidfeldman603]

Bern is Not the capital

[@aztecwarriorr2786]

I'm a roofer, commercial flat or residential. We do asphalt in the US. I am also a carpenter. Is a good wage something I could count on if I come to this country?

[@rainmaker3700]

Most California cities are more expensive then Zurich.

[@Argenswiss]

*Bern isn't the capital they have no official capital

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

**de facto capital of Switzerland or seat of government. Is that better?

[@Argenswiss]

@@ExpatsEverywhere jajaj that satisfies my ocd lawyer brain 🤣👌

[@kevinstrong7520]

quality of life but too expensive

[@B737AviationPilot]

You guys tired of Portugal already? (:

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

😂 No. This was the last episode of our 2020 Great Expat Cities by the Alphabet series.

[@jvanpaszti873]

Lake zurich is not the biggest lake in Switzerland!

[@Condorcet2011]

Hello Are there Covid restrictions there (masks, store closed, lockdown)? I am trying to find a place where life is still normal :) any input appreciated!

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Sweden (not Switzerland) is the place to be from what we’ve heard.

[@rknine7998]

Remove those ugly New York photographs in the background! I would love to move to Switzerland one day!

[@juliajanser5063]

Die Angaben zur Stadt oder Klima oder denn See sind völlig falsch. Bevor berichtet sollte man gründlich recherchieren

[@dronezonesamui5771]

Switzerland is a cold mountain country. The summer is very short and limited to the months of July and August. Zurich describes itself as a cosmopolitan city, but is just a little bigger town. The people are unworldly, stuffy and just run after the money. In addition, Zurich is the most expensive city in the world, and to have a reasonably good existence you need at least CHF 10,000 per month, which you can only get in very good earned jobs.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for the comment.

[@dronezonesamui5771]

@@GoldenLion8 wrote: "10k is very much on the high end" If you have family, car, house or a flat to pay... 10K is comfortable but not even close to "high end" (...) For a "single person" without great demands...yes..5-6K is enough 😉

[@rawerwerawerawer1878]

why the hell does white ppl call them self expat? when the term is immigrant why u ashame to use imigrant?

[@tjtj3812]

Because expats plan to go back to their home country and immigrants plan to make a foreign country their home ☺️

[@Rick-of6gx]

Racist much?!

[@ijeshwardhillon4927]

guy looks like guy from coin bereua

[@zachshelton8321]

Is French the common language?

[@zachshelton8321]

Or German,? That's my foremost question?

[@zachshelton8321]

I could care less which language is predominantly spoken. I just need to know for practical reasons if I'm going to move there

[@zachshelton8321]

I'm not disrespecting anyone. I just want to know the language. Damn, I feel like I'm saying something offensive all of the time.

[@zachshelton8321]

Anyways. What does one have to do to be accepted as a citizen in Switzerland?

[@ArmadilloGodzilla]

German is most common.

[@alexbrasilien]

The whole universe is actually moving to Zürich and this has consequences. Job opportunities are not that high anymore, competition has gone nuts, salaries gor lower and housing has become something out of control. Look at all the issues that massive migration brought to London and Lissabon. Their are Zurich in the very near future. I mean, very near future. You have been warned.

[@jflsdknf]

That applies to every country now unfortunately.

[@ArmadilloGodzilla]

​@@jflsdknfnot so much Russia tho

[@08Pixel]

Salary 6:20

[@lr2ldn]

Not helpful at all.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

What were you looking for that was missed?