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 55.9% more expensive than Austria overall. A €67,000 salary in Austria would need to be roughly CHF97,000 in Switzerland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Switzerland cheaper than Austria?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 58.8% more
Groceries
pay 22.8% more
Transportation
pay 48.3% more
Housing
pay 64.6% more
Childcare
pay 3.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 64.2% 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.
What salary do you need in Switzerland?
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → CHF97,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Switzerland
Calculate with your salary →Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Switzerland cost about 57% more than cities in Austria.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Switzerland
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Austria leads in healthcare spending per person.
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
share of households with internet
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
share of people below the poverty line
Switzerland generally does better on employment & economy, though Austria leads in poverty rate.
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
Austria generally does better on family life, though Switzerland leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Federal Ministry of Finance (2016), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Switzerland vs Austria
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Vienna | Zurich |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Zurich |
|---|---|---|
| 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
Can you move from Austria to Switzerland?
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 56% 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 €67,000 comparable salary, that's around CHF24,250 in Switzerland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Switzerland?
With 47.0 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 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Austria.
How is healthcare in Switzerland compared to Austria?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Austria leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.8 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 Zurich is 55°F, compared to 58°F in Vienna. Zurich 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.
