Moving to Switzerland from Hungary

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Hungary to Switzerland, you would find that Switzerland is 3.3 times more expensive than Hungary overall. A HUF23,342,818 salary in Hungary would need to be roughly CHF159,168 in Switzerland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Hungary to Switzerland.

What does your salary buy?

HUF23,342,818 CHF159,168

To maintain the same standard of living in Switzerland

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 3.4 times more

Groceries

pay 2.4 times more

Transportation

pay 2.7 times more

Housing

pay 3.1 times more

Childcare

pay 6.7 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.8 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 HUF = 0.0026 CHF (July 2026)

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 Hungary to Switzerland, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
4,175 ↑ 27% vs 2022

people moved from Hungary 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 Hungary and Switzerland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

HU
1.0
CH
0.5
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

HU
7.4
CH
2.4

Switzerland performs significantly better than Hungary across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

HU
$2,875
CH
$10,602
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

HU
33.0
CH
44.4

Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Hungary 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

HU
42.0
CH
10.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

HU
4.5t
CH
3.7t

Switzerland performs significantly better than Hungary across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

HU
35.5
CH
47.1
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

HU
8.1%
CH
6.5%

Switzerland performs significantly better than Hungary across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

HU
4.1%
CH
4.0%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

HU
$40,600
CH
$82,900

Hungary generally does better on employment & economy, though Switzerland leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

HU
77.2 yrs
CH
83.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

HU
4.6
CH
3.6

Switzerland performs significantly better than Hungary across all family life metrics.

Data: National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Budapest Rain: 21.0 in/yr (534 mm)
60° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Budapest Bern
Jan–Mar 43°/31°F (6°/-1°C) 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/52°F (22°/11°C) 62°/45°F (17°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 78°/59°F (26°/15°C) 70°/53°F (21°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 49°/37°F (9°/3°C) 46°/36°F (8°/2°C)
View all months
Month Budapest Bern
Jan 37°/27°F (2.6°/-3.0°C) 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C)
Feb 41°/29°F (5.1°/-1.8°C) 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C)
Mar 51°/36°F (10.6°/2.0°C) 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C)
Apr 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.8°C) 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C)
May 72°/53°F (22.4°/11.5°C) 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C)
Jun 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.4°C) 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C)
Jul 82°/62°F (27.9°/16.4°C) 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C)
Aug 81°/61°F (27.4°/16.0°C) 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C)
Sep 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.8°C) 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C)
Oct 61°/45°F (16.1°/7.0°C) 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C)
Nov 47°/36°F (8.5°/2.3°C) 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C)
Dec 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.7°C) 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C)

Data: Hungarian Meteorological Service Hungarian Meteorological Service, MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Hungary 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.

Hungary passport

Hungary passport holder visiting Switzerland

Visa Free
Hungary passport holders can enter Switzerland without a visa.
Switzerland passport

Switzerland passport holder visiting Hungary

Visa Free
Switzerland passport holders can enter Hungary without a visa.

Data: 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 Hungary?

Day-to-day costs in Switzerland run about 163% higher than Hungary 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 HUF23,342,818 comparable salary, that's around CHF39,792 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 Hungary and Switzerland.

Is Switzerland safe for expats?

Switzerland performs significantly better than Hungary across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Switzerland is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.0 in Hungary.

How is healthcare in Switzerland compared to Hungary?

Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Hungary leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Switzerland, compared to 33.0 in Hungary. Switzerland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Hungary: 79).

What's the weather like in Switzerland compared to Hungary?

The average high temperature in Bern is 55°F, compared to 60°F in Budapest. Bern receives around 42.8 in of rainfall per year, while Budapest gets 21.0 in.

What language do they speak in Switzerland?

The official languages in Switzerland are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. In Hungary, the official language is Hungarian.

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At a Glance

HU CH
Population 9,699,577 8,508,698
Currency Hungarian Forint (HUF) Swiss Franc (CHF)
Languages Hungarian French, Italian, Romansh, Swiss German
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +36 +41
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112