Moving to Switzerland from Illinois
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Illinois to Switzerland — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Illinois to Switzerland, you would find that Switzerland is 45.3% more expensive than Illinois. A $75,000 salary in Illinois would need to be roughly CHF89,800 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 Illinois?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 83.6% more
Groceries
pay 20.9% more
Transportation
pay 73.0% more
Housing
pay 30.4% more
Childcare
pay 69.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 49.4% 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.
What salary do you need in Switzerland?
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → CHF89,800
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 51% more than cities in Illinois.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Illinois to Switzerland, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from United States to Switzerland · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Illinois and Switzerland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Switzerland performs significantly better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Switzerland performs significantly better than Illinois across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Illinois generally does better on employment & economy, though Switzerland leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Switzerland performs significantly better than Illinois across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Switzerland vs Illinois
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Chicago | Zurich |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/22°F (3°/-6°C) | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 80°/60°F (27°/16°C) | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/32°F (9°/0°C) | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Chicago | Zurich |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/17°F (-0.6°/-8.6°C) | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) |
| Feb | 35°/20°F (1.8°/-6.6°C) | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) |
| Mar | 47°/29°F (8.1°/-1.6°C) | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) |
| Apr | 59°/39°F (15.0°/3.8°C) | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) |
| May | 70°/48°F (21.1°/9.1°C) | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 80°/58°F (26.5°/14.5°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) |
| Jul | 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C) | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) |
| Aug | 82°/63°F (27.7°/17.2°C) | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) |
| Sep | 75°/54°F (23.8°/12.4°C) | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) |
| Oct | 62°/43°F (16.8°/6.0°C) | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) |
| Nov | 48°/32°F (9.0°/0.2°C) | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) |
| Dec | 35°/21°F (1.6°/-6.3°C) | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology
Can you move from Illinois to Switzerland?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.
United States passport holder visiting Switzerland
Visa Free
Switzerland passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 Illinois?
Day-to-day costs in Switzerland run about 45% higher than Illinois 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 $75,000 comparable salary, that's around CHF22,450 in Switzerland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Switzerland?
Working remotely from Switzerland's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Illinois and Switzerland.
How is healthcare in Switzerland compared to Illinois?
Switzerland performs significantly better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Switzerland compared to Illinois?
The average high temperature in Zurich is 55°F, compared to 59°F in Chicago. Zurich receives around 42.8 in of rainfall per year, while Chicago gets 36.9 in.
What language do they speak in Switzerland?
The official languages in Switzerland are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. In Illinois, the official language is English.
