Moving to Switzerland from Belgium
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Belgium to Switzerland — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Belgium to Switzerland, you would find that Switzerland is 58.1% more expensive than Belgium overall. A €67,000 salary in Belgium would need to be roughly CHF98,300 in Switzerland to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Switzerland cheaper than Belgium?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 47.4% more
Groceries
pay 41.8% more
Transportation
pay 42.5% more
Housing
pay 72.9% more
Childcare
pay 2.0 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 70.6% 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 → CHF98,300
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 61% more than cities in Belgium.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Belgium to Switzerland, based on official data.
people moved from Belgium to Switzerland · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Belgium to Switzerland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Switzerland performs significantly better than Belgium 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 Belgium 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 Belgium 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 performs significantly better than Belgium across all infrastructure metrics.
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 Belgium 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
Belgium 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), Service Public Fédéral Finances (2016), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Switzerland vs Belgium
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Brussels | Zurich |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 63°/47°F (17°/8°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/54°F (21°/13°C) | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Brussels | Zurich |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/33°F (5.6°/0.7°C) | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) |
| Feb | 44°/33°F (6.4°/0.6°C) | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) |
| Mar | 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.9°C) | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) |
| Apr | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) |
| May | 64°/48°F (17.7°/8.9°C) | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.5°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) |
| Jul | 72°/56°F (22.4°/13.6°C) | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) |
| Aug | 72°/56°F (22.5°/13.4°C) | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) |
| Sep | 66°/51°F (18.7°/10.8°C) | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) |
| Oct | 58°/46°F (14.4°/7.6°C) | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) |
| Nov | 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.7°C) | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) |
| Dec | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) |
Data:
Institut Royal Météorologique,
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology
Can you move from Belgium to Switzerland?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Belgium 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.
Belgium passport holder visiting Switzerland
Visa Free
Switzerland passport holder visiting Belgium
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 Belgium?
No — Switzerland is on average about 58% more expensive than Belgium. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Switzerland?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly CHF24,575 in Switzerland on a €67,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Switzerland?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Switzerland has 47.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Switzerland safe for expats?
Switzerland performs significantly better than Belgium across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Switzerland is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Belgium. About 72% of people in Switzerland feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Switzerland compared to Belgium?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Belgium leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Switzerland, compared to 35.7 in Belgium. Switzerland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Belgium: 86).
What's the weather like in Switzerland compared to Belgium?
The average high temperature in Zurich is 55°F, compared to 57°F in Brussels. Zurich receives around 42.8 in of rainfall per year, while Brussels gets 32.3 in.
What language do they speak in Switzerland?
The official languages in Switzerland are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. In Belgium, the official languages are Dutch, French and German.
