Moving to Finland from Switzerland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Switzerland to Finland — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Switzerland to Finland, you would find that Finland is 44.8% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF62,000 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly €36,900 in Finland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Finnish and Swedish.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Finland cheaper than Switzerland?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 43.9% less
Groceries
pay 36.2% less
Transportation
pay 22.8% less
Housing
pay 55.2% less
Childcare
pay 77.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 26.5% 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 Finland?
What does your salary buy?
CHF62,000 → €36,900
To maintain the same standard of living in Finland
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 Finland cost about 41% less than cities in Switzerland.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Switzerland to Finland, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Switzerland to Finland · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Switzerland and Finland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
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 Finland 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 Finland 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 generally does better on environment, though Finland leads in air pollution deaths.
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 Finland leads in electricity per capita.
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 Finland leads in poverty 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
Finland 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), Finnish Tax Administration (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Finland vs Switzerland
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Zurich | Helsinki |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 29°/18°F (-1°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 58°/40°F (14°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 65°/49°F (19°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Zurich | Helsinki |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 27°/17°F (-2.6°/-8.5°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 27°/15°F (-2.9°/-9.3°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 34°/22°F (1.1°/-5.6°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 46°/31°F (7.5°/-0.7°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 60°/40°F (15.5°/4.4°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 68°/49°F (19.8°/9.3°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 71°/53°F (21.8°/11.8°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 68°/51°F (19.9°/10.7°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 57°/43°F (14.0°/6.1°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 47°/36°F (8.1°/2.2°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 36°/28°F (2.5°/-2.4°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 31°/20°F (-0.8°/-6.6°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
Finnish Meteorological Institute
Can you move from Switzerland to Finland?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland and Finland. To live, work, or study long-term in Finland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Finland's immigration authority.
Switzerland passport holder visiting Finland
Visa Free
Finland 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 Finland than Switzerland?
Generally yes: Finland runs about 45% cheaper than Switzerland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Finland?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CHF62,000 comparable salary, that's around €9,225 in Finland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Finland?
With 36.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Finland can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Switzerland and Finland.
Is Finland safe for expats?
Switzerland generally does better on safety, though Finland leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Finland is 1.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Switzerland. About 86% of people in Finland feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Finland compared to Switzerland?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Finland leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Finland, compared to 44.8 in Switzerland. Finland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in Finland compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Helsinki is 48°F, compared to 55°F in Zurich. Helsinki receives around 25.6 in of rainfall per year, while Zurich gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Finland?
The official languages in Finland are Finnish and Swedish. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
