Moving to Hawaii from Switzerland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Switzerland to Hawaii? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Switzerland to Hawaii, you would find that Hawaii is 4.3% more expensive than Switzerland overall. A CHF61,000 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly $77,600 in Hawaii to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Honolulu averages 84°F vs 55°F in Zurich, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Hawaii cheaper than Switzerland?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 16.5% less
Groceries
pay 66.2% more
Transportation
pay 33.2% less
Housing
pay 29.3% more
Childcare
pay 33.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 16.9% 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.
What salary do you need in Hawaii?
What does your salary buy?
CHF61,000 → $77,600
To maintain the same standard of living in Hawaii
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to Hawaii
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Switzerland to Hawaii.
people moved from Switzerland to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
94.47,989
Switzerland
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Hawaii compared to Switzerland.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Switzerland performs better than Hawaii across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Switzerland performs better than Hawaii across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Hawaii generally does better on employment & economy, though Switzerland leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Switzerland performs better than Hawaii across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Hawaii vs Switzerland
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Zurich | Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 80°/67°F (27°/19°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 85°/71°F (29°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 89°/74°F (31°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 84°/71°F (29°/22°C) |
View all months
| Month | Zurich | Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 80°/66°F (26.7°/19.1°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 80°/66°F (26.8°/18.9°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 81°/68°F (27.3°/19.8°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 83°/69°F (28.2°/20.8°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 85°/71°F (29.2°/21.6°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 87°/73°F (30.6°/23.0°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 88°/74°F (31.1°/23.6°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 89°/75°F (31.5°/23.9°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.6°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 87°/73°F (30.4°/23.0°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 84°/71°F (28.8°/21.9°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 81°/68°F (27.3°/20.2°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
National Weather Service
Can you move from Switzerland to Hawaii?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Switzerland passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States 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 Hawaii than Switzerland?
On average Hawaii is around 4% pricier than Switzerland, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Hawaii?
Budget about $19,400 for 3 months in Hawaii (based on a CHF61,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Hawaii?
From major Hawaii cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Switzerland and Hawaii are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Hawaii compared to Switzerland?
Switzerland performs better than Hawaii across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Hawaii compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Honolulu is 84°F, compared to 55°F in Zurich. Honolulu receives around 17.1 in of rainfall per year, while Zurich gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Hawaii?
The official language in Hawaii is English. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
