Moving to France from Switzerland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Switzerland to France — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Switzerland to France, you would find that France is 41.0% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF60,598 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly €37,401 in France to maintain the same lifestyle.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Switzerland to France.
What does your salary buy?
CHF60,598 → €37,401
To maintain the same standard of living in France
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 46.2% less
Groceries
pay 28.3% less
Transportation
pay 31.8% less
Housing
pay 44.6% less
Childcare
pay 70.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 29.2% 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 France cost about 45% 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 France, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Switzerland to France · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Switzerland and France 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 France 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 France 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 France 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 France 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 better than France 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
France 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 | Paris |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 48°/38°F (9°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 74°/58°F (23°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 52°/43°F (11°/6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bern | Paris |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
Météo-France
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland and France. To live, work, or study long-term in France, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check France's immigration authority.
Switzerland passport holder visiting France
Visa Free
France 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 France than Switzerland?
Generally yes: France runs about 43% cheaper than Switzerland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to France?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CHF60,598 comparable salary, that's around €9,350 in France for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from France?
With 49.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, France 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 France.
Is France safe for expats?
Switzerland generally does better on safety, though France leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in France is 1.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in Switzerland. About 82% of people in France feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in France compared to Switzerland?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though France leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 33.4 doctors per 10,000 people in France, compared to 44.4 in Switzerland. France scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in France compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Paris is 60°F, compared to 55°F in Bern. Paris receives around 25.6 in of rainfall per year, while Bern gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in France?
The official language in France is French. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
