Moving to Switzerland from Ireland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Ireland to Switzerland — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Ireland to Switzerland, you would find that Switzerland is 83.6% more expensive than Ireland overall. A €65,700 salary in Ireland would need to be roughly CHF88,774 in Switzerland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Ireland to Switzerland.
What does your salary buy?
€65,700 → CHF88,774
To maintain the same standard of living in Switzerland
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.0 times more
Groceries
pay 69.6% more
Transportation
pay 26.9% more
Housing
pay 15.4% more
Childcare
pay 3.6 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 34.2% 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 49% more than cities in Ireland.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Ireland to Switzerland, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Ireland to Switzerland · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Ireland 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 Ireland 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 Ireland 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 Ireland 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 Ireland 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
Ireland generally does better on employment & economy, though Switzerland leads in unemployment 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
Switzerland generally does better on family life, though Ireland leads in infant mortality.
Data: The Office of the Revenue Commissioners, 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 | Dublin | Bern |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/37°F (10°/3°C) | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/44°F (15°/7°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/52°F (19°/11°C) | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/41°F (11°/5°C) | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Dublin | Bern |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/36°F (8.1°/2.4°C) | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) |
| Feb | 47°/36°F (8.3°/2.3°C) | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) |
| Mar | 54°/38°F (12.1°/3.4°C) | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) |
| Apr | 54°/40°F (12.1°/4.6°C) | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) |
| May | 59°/44°F (14.8°/6.9°C) | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 64°/49°F (17.6°/9.6°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) |
| Jul | 67°/53°F (19.5°/11.7°C) | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) |
| Aug | 67°/53°F (19.2°/11.5°C) | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) |
| Sep | 63°/50°F (17.0°/9.8°C) | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) |
| Oct | 56°/45°F (13.6°/7.3°C) | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) |
| Nov | 51°/40°F (10.3°/4.5°C) | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) |
| Dec | 47°/37°F (8.3°/2.8°C) | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) |
Data:
Met Éireann, The Irish Meteorological Service,
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Ireland 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.
Ireland passport holder visiting Switzerland
Visa Free
Switzerland passport holder visiting Ireland
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 Ireland?
Day-to-day costs in Switzerland run about 46% higher than Ireland 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 CHF22,194 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 Ireland and Switzerland.
Is Switzerland safe for expats?
Switzerland generally does better on safety, though Ireland leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Switzerland is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Ireland. About 72% of people in Switzerland feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Switzerland compared to Ireland?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ireland leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Switzerland, compared to 40.6 in Ireland. Switzerland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Ireland: 83).
What's the weather like in Switzerland compared to Ireland?
The average high temperature in Bern is 55°F, compared to 56°F in Dublin. Bern receives around 42.8 in of rainfall per year, while Dublin gets 29.8 in.
What language do they speak in Switzerland?
The official languages in Switzerland are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. In Ireland, the official languages are English and Irish.
