Moving to Switzerland from Sweden
What to Expect
Considering a move from Sweden to Switzerland? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Sweden to Switzerland, you would find that Switzerland is 83.7% more expensive than Sweden overall. A SEK740,000 salary in Sweden would need to be roughly CHF113,000 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 Sweden?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 99.0% more
Groceries
pay 33.4% more
Transportation
pay 38.4% more
Housing
pay 2.1 times more
Childcare
pay 8.8 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 53.5% 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?
SEK740,000 → CHF113,000
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 74% more than cities in Sweden.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Sweden to Switzerland.
people moved from Sweden to Switzerland · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Switzerland compared to Sweden.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Sweden generally does better on safety, though Switzerland leads in homicide rate.
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 Sweden 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
Sweden performs better than Switzerland 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
Sweden generally does better on infrastructure, though Switzerland leads in broadband per 100 people.
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 Sweden 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
Sweden generally does better on family life, though Switzerland leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Skatteverket (2016), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Switzerland vs Sweden
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Stockholm | Zurich |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Stockholm | Zurich |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) |
| Feb | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) |
| Mar | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) |
| Apr | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) |
| May | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) |
| Jul | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) |
| Aug | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) |
| Sep | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) |
| Oct | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) |
| Nov | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) |
| Dec | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) |
Data:
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI),
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology
Can you move from Sweden to Switzerland?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sweden 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.
Sweden passport holder visiting Switzerland
Visa Free
Switzerland passport holder visiting Sweden
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 Sweden?
On average Switzerland is around 84% pricier than Sweden, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Switzerland?
Budget about CHF28,250 for 3 months in Switzerland (based on a SEK740,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Switzerland?
Connectivity is usually fine (Switzerland: 47.0 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Switzerland offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Switzerland safe for expats?
Sweden generally does better on safety, though Switzerland leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Switzerland is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Sweden. About 72% of people in Switzerland feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Switzerland compared to Sweden?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sweden leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Switzerland, compared to 44.1 in Sweden. Switzerland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sweden: 85).
What's the weather like in Switzerland compared to Sweden?
The average high temperature in Zurich is 55°F, compared to 52°F in Stockholm. Zurich receives around 42.8 in of rainfall per year, while Stockholm gets 21.5 in.
What language do they speak in Switzerland?
The official languages in Switzerland are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. In Sweden, the official language is Swedish.
