Moving to Switzerland from France
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from France to Switzerland — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from France to Switzerland, you would find that Switzerland is 93.3% more expensive than France overall. A €65,700 salary in France would need to be roughly CHF106,295 in Switzerland to maintain the same lifestyle.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from France to Switzerland.
What does your salary buy?
€65,700 → CHF106,295
To maintain the same standard of living in Switzerland
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 92.0% more
Groceries
pay 50.3% more
Transportation
pay 62.8% more
Housing
pay 91.5% more
Childcare
pay 3.4 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 62.4% 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.
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 83% more than cities in France.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from France to Switzerland, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from France to Switzerland · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How France and Switzerland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
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 generally does better on safety, though France leads in feel safe walking at night.
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 France 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
France generally does better on environment, though Switzerland leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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 France leads in broadband per 100 people.
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 performs significantly better than France 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
France generally does better on family life, though Switzerland leads in life expectancy.
Data: Direction Générale des Finances Publiques, 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 | Paris | Bern |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/38°F (9°/3°C) | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 74°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 52°/43°F (11°/6°C) | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Paris | Bern |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C) | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) |
| Feb | 47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C) | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) |
| Mar | 53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C) | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) |
| Apr | 58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C) | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) |
| May | 66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C) | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) |
| Jul | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C) | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) |
| Aug | 76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C) | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) |
| Sep | 69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C) | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) |
| Oct | 60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C) | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) |
| Nov | 51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C) | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) |
| Dec | 46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C) | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) |
Data:
Météo-France,
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between France 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.
France passport holder visiting Switzerland
Visa Free
Switzerland passport holder visiting France
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 France?
Day-to-day costs in Switzerland run about 75% higher than France 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 €65,700 comparable salary, that's around CHF26,574 in Switzerland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, 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 France and Switzerland.
Is Switzerland safe for expats?
Switzerland generally does better on safety, though France leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Switzerland is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.6 in France. About 72% of people in Switzerland feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Switzerland compared to France?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though France leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Switzerland, compared to 33.4 in France. Switzerland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (France: 85).
What's the weather like in Switzerland compared to France?
The average high temperature in Bern is 55°F, compared to 60°F in Paris. Bern receives around 42.8 in of rainfall per year, while Paris gets 25.6 in.
What language do they speak in Switzerland?
The official languages in Switzerland are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. In France, the official language is French.
