Moving to Switzerland from Austria
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Austria to Switzerland — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Austria to Switzerland, you would find that Switzerland is 78.5% more expensive than Austria overall. A €64,304 salary in Austria would need to be roughly CHF93,700 in Switzerland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Austria to Switzerland.
What does your salary buy?
€64,304 → CHF93,700
To maintain the same standard of living in Switzerland
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 59.8% more
Groceries
pay 32.0% more
Transportation
pay 61.6% more
Housing
pay 47.8% more
Childcare
pay 3.4 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 63.3% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Austria to Switzerland, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Austria to Switzerland · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Austria and Switzerland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Switzerland performs significantly better than Austria across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Switzerland leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Switzerland performs significantly better than Austria across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
Switzerland generally does better on infrastructure, though Austria leads in electricity per capita.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Switzerland performs significantly better than Austria across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Switzerland generally does better on family life, though Austria leads in infant mortality.
Data: Federal Ministry of Finance, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Vienna | Bern |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 43°/31°F (6°/0°C) | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 67°/50°F (20°/10°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/37°F (9°/3°C) | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Vienna | Bern |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C) | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) |
| Feb | 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C) | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) |
| Mar | 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C) | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) |
| Apr | 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C) | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) |
| May | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) |
| Jul | 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C) | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) |
| Aug | 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C) | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) |
| Sep | 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C) | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) |
| Oct | 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C) | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) |
| Nov | 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C) | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) |
| Dec | 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C) | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) |
Data:
GeoSphere Austria,
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Austria and Switzerland. To live, work, or study long-term in Switzerland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Switzerland's immigration authority.
Austria passport holder visiting Switzerland
Visa Free
Switzerland passport holder visiting Austria
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Switzerland than Austria?
Day-to-day costs in Switzerland run about 60% higher than Austria on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Switzerland?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €64,304 comparable salary, that's around CHF23,425 in Switzerland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Switzerland?
With 47.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Switzerland can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Austria and Switzerland.
Is Switzerland safe for expats?
Switzerland performs significantly better than Austria across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Switzerland is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Austria.
How is healthcare in Switzerland compared to Austria?
Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Switzerland leads in health coverage index. There are 44.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Switzerland, compared to 55.1 in Austria. Switzerland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Austria: 85).
What's the weather like in Switzerland compared to Austria?
The average high temperature in Bern is 55°F, compared to 58°F in Vienna. Bern receives around 42.8 in of rainfall per year, while Vienna gets 24.4 in.
What language do they speak in Switzerland?
The official languages in Switzerland are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. In Austria, the official language is German.
