Moving to Illinois from Switzerland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Switzerland to Illinois? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Switzerland to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 34.5% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF60,598 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly $41,500 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Switzerland and Illinois.
What does your salary buy?
CHF60,598 → $41,500
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 51.5% less
Groceries
pay 18.8% less
Transportation
pay 46.4% less
Housing
pay 14.0% less
Childcare
pay 34.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 30.4% 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 Illinois cost about 39% 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 Illinois.
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 Illinois compared to Switzerland.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Switzerland performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Switzerland performs better than Illinois 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
Switzerland generally does better on employment & economy, though Illinois leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Switzerland performs better than Illinois across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Bern | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bern | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
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 Illinois than Switzerland?
On average Illinois is about 45% less expensive than Switzerland, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
Budget about $10,375 for 3 months in Illinois (based on a CHF60,598 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Illinois?
From major Illinois cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Switzerland and Illinois are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Switzerland?
Switzerland performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Illinois compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Springfield is 63°F, compared to 55°F in Bern. Springfield receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Bern gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Illinois?
The official language in Illinois is English. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
