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 95.3% more expensive than Spain overall. A €67,000 salary in Spain would need to be roughly CHF121,000 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 — Zurich averages 55°F vs 68°F in Madrid, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Switzerland cheaper than Spain?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 89.7% more
Groceries
pay 61.5% more
Transportation
pay 76.0% more
Housing
pay 2.0 times more
Childcare
pay 4.5 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.
What salary do you need in Switzerland?
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → CHF121,000
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 64% more than cities in Spain.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Switzerland
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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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Spain 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
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
share of households with internet
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
share of people below the poverty line
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.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2013–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Agencia Tributaria, Spain (2016), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Switzerland vs Spain
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Madrid | Zurich |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Zurich |
|---|---|---|
| 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
Can you move from Spain to Switzerland?
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 95% 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 CHF30,250 in Switzerland on a €67,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Switzerland?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Switzerland has 47.0 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 0.6 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?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Spain leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Switzerland, compared to 42.9 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 Zurich is 55°F, compared to 68°F in Madrid. Zurich 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.
