Moving to Australia from Switzerland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Switzerland to Australia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Switzerland to Australia, you would find that Australia is 34.7% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF60,598 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly A$62,494 in Australia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Canberra averages 67°F vs 55°F in Bern, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Switzerland and Australia.
What does your salary buy?
CHF60,598 → A$62,494
To maintain the same standard of living in Australia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 50.2% less
Groceries
pay 27.4% less
Transportation
pay 41.7% less
Housing
pay 28.0% less
Childcare
pay 52.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 1.4% less
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 Australia cost about 42% less than cities in Switzerland.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Switzerland to Australia.
people moved from Switzerland to Australia · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to Australia?
Top countries of origin for Australia's foreign-born residents.
- 1,285,149
- 653,232
- 611,266
- 579,264
- 286,303
- 269,812
- · · ·
-
62.15,359
Switzerland
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Australia compared to Switzerland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Switzerland performs better than Australia 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
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Switzerland leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Switzerland performs better than Australia 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 generally does better on infrastructure, though Australia leads in water stress level.
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 generally does better on employment & economy, though Australia 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
Australia generally does better on family life, though Switzerland leads in life expectancy.
Data: Swiss Federal Tax Administration, 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 | Bern | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bern | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
Bureau of Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland and Australia. To live, work, or study long-term in Australia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Australia's immigration authority.
Switzerland passport holder visiting Australia
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Australia passport holder visiting Switzerland
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 Australia than Switzerland?
On average Australia is about 42% less expensive than Switzerland, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Australia?
Budget about A$15,624 for 3 months in Australia (based on a CHF60,598 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Australia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Australia: 35.1 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Australia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Australia safe for expats?
Switzerland performs better than Australia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Australia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in Switzerland.
How is healthcare in Australia compared to Switzerland?
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Switzerland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 39.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Australia, compared to 44.4 in Switzerland. Australia scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in Australia compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 55°F in Bern. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Bern gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Australia?
The official language in Australia is English. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
