Moving to Greece from Switzerland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Switzerland to Greece? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Switzerland to Greece, you would find that Greece is 55.3% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF62,000 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly €29,800 in Greece to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Greek. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Athens averages 72°F vs 55°F in Bern, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Switzerland and Greece.
What does your salary buy?
CHF62,000 → €29,800
To maintain the same standard of living in Greece
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 54.0% less
Groceries
pay 43.8% less
Transportation
pay 38.3% less
Housing
pay 64.6% less
Childcare
pay 82.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 48.9% 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 Greece cost about 52% 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 Greece.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Greece compared to Switzerland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Switzerland performs better than Greece 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
Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Switzerland leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Switzerland performs better than Greece 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 Greece 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 performs better than Greece 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
Switzerland generally does better on family life, though Greece leads in infant mortality.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (2016), GSIS, Greece (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Bern | Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 57°/42°F (14°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 78°/57°F (26°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 90°/67°F (32°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bern | Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
Hellenic National Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland and Greece. To live, work, or study long-term in Greece, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Greece's immigration authority.
Switzerland passport holder visiting Greece
Visa Free
Greece 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 Greece than Switzerland?
On average Greece is about 55% less expensive than Switzerland, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Greece?
Budget about €7,450 for 3 months in Greece (based on a CHF62,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Greece?
Connectivity is usually fine (Greece: 44.7 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Greece offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Greece safe for expats?
Switzerland performs better than Greece across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Greece is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Switzerland.
How is healthcare in Greece compared to Switzerland?
Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Switzerland leads in health coverage index. There are 65.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Greece, compared to 44.8 in Switzerland. Greece scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in Greece compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Athens is 72°F, compared to 55°F in Bern. Athens receives around 16.3 in of rainfall per year, while Bern gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Greece?
The official language in Greece is Greek. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
