Moving to Switzerland from Netherlands
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Netherlands to Switzerland — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Netherlands to Switzerland, you would find that Switzerland is 53.8% more expensive than Netherlands overall. A €65,577 salary in Netherlands would need to be roughly CHF87,890 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 your spending power changes when you relocate from Netherlands to Switzerland.
What does your salary buy?
€65,577 → CHF87,890
To maintain the same standard of living in Switzerland
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 49.8% more
Groceries
pay 56.8% more
Transportation
pay 22.4% more
Housing
pay 17.7% more
Childcare
pay 2.3 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 48.8% 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 44% more than cities in Netherlands.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Netherlands to Switzerland, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Netherlands to Switzerland · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Netherlands and Switzerland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Switzerland performs significantly better than Netherlands across all safety metrics.
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 Netherlands 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 Netherlands 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 Netherlands 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
Netherlands generally does better on employment & economy, though Switzerland leads in gdp per capita.
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
Netherlands generally does better on family life, though Switzerland leads in life expectancy.
Data: Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst, 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 | Amsterdam | Bern |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Amsterdam | Bern |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C) | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) |
| Feb | 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C) | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) |
| Mar | 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C) | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) |
| Apr | 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C) | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C) | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C) | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) |
| Aug | 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C) | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) |
| Sep | 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C) | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) |
| Oct | 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C) | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) |
| Nov | 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C) | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) |
| Dec | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) |
Data:
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute,
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Netherlands 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.
Netherlands passport holder visiting Switzerland
Visa Free
Switzerland passport holder visiting Netherlands
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 Netherlands?
Day-to-day costs in Switzerland run about 45% higher than Netherlands 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 €65,577 comparable salary, that's around CHF21,972 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 Netherlands and Switzerland.
Is Switzerland safe for expats?
Switzerland performs significantly better than Netherlands across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Switzerland is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Netherlands.
How is healthcare in Switzerland compared to Netherlands?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Netherlands leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Switzerland, compared to 39.1 in Netherlands. Switzerland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Netherlands: 85).
What's the weather like in Switzerland compared to Netherlands?
The average high temperature in Bern is 55°F, compared to 56°F in Amsterdam. Bern receives around 42.8 in of rainfall per year, while Amsterdam gets 30.7 in.
What language do they speak in Switzerland?
The official languages in Switzerland are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. In Netherlands, the official language is Dutch.
