Moving to Switzerland from Spain
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Spain to Switzerland — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Spain to Switzerland, you would find that Switzerland is 2.5 times more expensive than Spain overall. A €64,304 salary in Spain would need to be roughly CHF112,119 in Switzerland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Bern averages 55°F vs 68°F in Madrid, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Spain to Switzerland.
What does your salary buy?
€64,304 → CHF112,119
To maintain the same standard of living in Switzerland
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 2.2 times more
Groceries
pay 99.0% more
Transportation
pay 2.1 times more
Housing
pay 92.8% more
Childcare
pay 5.0 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.3 times 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Spain to Switzerland, based on official data.
people moved from Spain to Switzerland · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Spain to Switzerland.
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 Spain 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Switzerland leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Spain 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
Switzerland performs significantly better than Spain 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
Switzerland performs significantly better than Spain 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
Switzerland generally does better on family life, though Spain leads in infant mortality.
Data: Agencia Tributaria, Spain, 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 | Madrid | Bern |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madrid | Bern |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) |
| Feb | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) |
| Mar | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) |
| Apr | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) |
| Jul | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) |
| Aug | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) |
| Sep | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) |
| Oct | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) |
| Nov | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) |
| Dec | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) |
Data:
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología,
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Spain 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.
Spain passport holder visiting Switzerland
Visa Free
Switzerland passport holder visiting Spain
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 Spain?
No — Switzerland is on average about 91% more expensive than Spain. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Switzerland?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly CHF28,030 in Switzerland on a €64,304 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, deposits, visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Switzerland?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Switzerland has 47.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Switzerland safe for expats?
Switzerland generally does better on safety, though Spain leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Switzerland is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Spain. About 72% of people in Switzerland feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Switzerland compared to Spain?
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Switzerland leads in health coverage index. There are 44.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Switzerland, compared to 44.8 in Spain. Switzerland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Spain: 85).
What's the weather like in Switzerland compared to Spain?
The average high temperature in Bern is 55°F, compared to 68°F in Madrid. Bern receives around 42.8 in of rainfall per year, while Madrid gets 16.6 in.
What language do they speak in Switzerland?
The official languages in Switzerland are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. In Spain, the official languages are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.
