Moving to Estonia from Switzerland
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Switzerland to Estonia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Switzerland to Estonia, you would find that Estonia is 57.1% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF62,000 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly €28,700 in Estonia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Estonian.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Estonia cheaper than Switzerland?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 48.9% less
Groceries
pay 51.4% less
Transportation
pay 48.5% less
Housing
pay 65.9% less
Childcare
pay 80.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 45.7% 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.
What salary do you need in Estonia?
What does your salary buy?
CHF62,000 → €28,700
To maintain the same standard of living in Estonia
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 Estonia cost about 50% less than cities in Switzerland.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Switzerland to Estonia, based on official data.
people moved from Switzerland to Estonia · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Switzerland to Estonia.
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 Estonia 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 Estonia 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 better than Estonia 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 better than Estonia 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 generally does better on employment & economy, though Estonia leads in top income tax 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
Estonia generally does better on family life, though Switzerland leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (2016), Estonian Tax and Customs Board (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Estonia vs Switzerland
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Zurich | Tallinn |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 31°/21°F (0°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 57°/41°F (14°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 65°/51°F (19°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 40°/31°F (4°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Zurich | Tallinn |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 29°/20°F (-1.4°/-6.6°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 29°/18°F (-1.8°/-7.5°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 36°/24°F (2.0°/-4.3°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 47°/32°F (8.2°/0.1°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 59°/41°F (14.9°/5.0°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 66°/49°F (19.1°/9.7°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 70°/54°F (21.2°/12.1°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 68°/53°F (19.9°/11.6°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 58°/45°F (14.5°/7.2°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 48°/38°F (9.1°/3.3°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 38°/30°F (3.3°/-1.2°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.6°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Institute
Can you move from Switzerland to Estonia?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland and Estonia. To live, work, or study long-term in Estonia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Estonia's immigration authority.
Switzerland passport holder visiting Estonia
Visa Free
Estonia 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 Estonia than Switzerland?
Yes — Estonia is on average about 57% cheaper than Switzerland. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Estonia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €7,175 in Estonia on a CHF62,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Estonia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Estonia has 35.4 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 Estonia safe for expats?
Switzerland generally does better on safety, though Estonia leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Estonia is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Switzerland. About 75% of people in Estonia feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Estonia compared to Switzerland?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Estonia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 34.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Estonia, compared to 44.8 in Switzerland. Estonia scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in Estonia compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Tallinn is 48°F, compared to 55°F in Zurich. Tallinn receives around 27.3 in of rainfall per year, while Zurich gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Estonia?
The official language in Estonia is Estonian. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
