Moving to Switzerland from El Salvador

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from El Salvador to Switzerland — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from El Salvador to Switzerland, and you’d need to navigate life in French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Zurich averages 55°F vs 87°F in San Salvador, making it significantly cooler.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from El Salvador to Switzerland, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
42 ↑ 35% vs 2022

people moved from El Salvador to Switzerland · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Switzerland?

Top countries of origin for Switzerland's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How El Salvador and Switzerland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

SV
7.9
CH
0.6
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

SV
38%
CH
72%

Switzerland performs significantly better than El Salvador across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

SV
$1,176
CH
$10,602
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

SV
16.2
CH
44.8

Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though El Salvador leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

SV
31.0
CH
10.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

SV
1.5t
CH
3.8t

El Salvador generally does better on environment, though Switzerland leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

SV
12.5
CH
47.0
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

SV
12.1%
CH
6.5%

Switzerland performs significantly better than El Salvador across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

SV
3.3%
CH
4.9%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

SV
$5,767
CH
$114,769

El Salvador generally does better on employment & economy, though Switzerland leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

SV
72.3 yrs
CH
84.4 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

SV
8.8
CH
3.4

Switzerland performs significantly better than El Salvador across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Ministry of Finance (2016), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Switzerland vs El Salvador

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

San Salvador Rain: 70.0 in/yr (1777 mm)
87° / 66°F

Avg. annual high / low

Zurich Rain: 42.8 in/yr (1086 mm)
55° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months San Salvador Zurich
Jan–Mar 89°/64°F (32°/18°C) 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C)
Apr–Jun 88°/68°F (31°/20°C) 62°/45°F (17°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/67°F (30°/20°C) 70°/53°F (21°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) 46°/36°F (8°/2°C)
View all months
Month San Salvador Zurich
Jan 87°/62°F (30.8°/16.9°C) 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C)
Feb 90°/64°F (32.0°/17.6°C) 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C)
Mar 91°/65°F (32.7°/18.4°C) 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C)
Apr 91°/68°F (32.7°/19.8°C) 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C)
May 88°/69°F (31.1°/20.4°C) 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C)
Jun 86°/68°F (30.1°/20.1°C) 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C)
Jul 87°/67°F (30.3°/19.5°C) 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C)
Aug 87°/67°F (30.4°/19.7°C) 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C)
Sep 85°/67°F (29.5°/19.6°C) 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C)
Oct 85°/67°F (29.5°/19.4°C) 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C)
Nov 86°/65°F (29.9°/18.4°C) 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C)
Dec 86°/63°F (30.1°/17.4°C) 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C)

Data: Gerencia de Meteorología Gerencia de Meteorología, MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology

Can you move from El Salvador to Switzerland?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between El Salvador 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.

El Salvador passport

El Salvador passport holder visiting Switzerland

Visa Free
El Salvador passport holders can enter Switzerland without a visa.
Switzerland passport

Switzerland passport holder visiting El Salvador

Visa Free
Switzerland passport holders can enter El Salvador without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

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 El Salvador and Switzerland.

Is Switzerland safe for expats?

Switzerland performs significantly better than El Salvador across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Switzerland is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 7.9 in El Salvador. About 72% of people in Switzerland feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Switzerland compared to El Salvador?

Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though El Salvador leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Switzerland, compared to 16.2 in El Salvador. Switzerland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (El Salvador: 78).

What's the weather like in Switzerland compared to El Salvador?

The average high temperature in Zurich is 55°F, compared to 87°F in San Salvador. Zurich receives around 42.8 in of rainfall per year, while San Salvador gets 70.0 in.

What language do they speak in Switzerland?

The official languages in Switzerland are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. In El Salvador, the official language is Spanish.

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At a Glance

SV CH
Population 6,365,503 9,092,436
Currency Salvadoran Colón (SVC) Swiss Franc (CHF)
Languages Spanish French, Italian, Romansh, Swiss German
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +503 +41
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 911 112