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 31.2% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF62,000 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly $51,700 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Illinois cheaper than Switzerland?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 45.5% less
Groceries
pay 17.3% less
Transportation
pay 42.2% less
Housing
pay 23.3% less
Childcare
pay 40.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 33.1% 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 Illinois?
What does your salary buy?
CHF62,000 → $51,700
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
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 Illinois cost about 34% less than cities in Switzerland.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Illinois
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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
Illinois 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 Illinois 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 Illinois vs Switzerland
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Zurich | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 38°/22°F (3°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 80°/60°F (27°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 48°/32°F (9°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Zurich | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 31°/17°F (-0.6°/-8.6°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 35°/20°F (1.8°/-6.6°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 47°/29°F (8.1°/-1.6°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 59°/39°F (15.0°/3.8°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 70°/48°F (21.1°/9.1°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 80°/58°F (26.5°/14.5°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 82°/63°F (27.7°/17.2°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 75°/54°F (23.8°/12.4°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 62°/43°F (16.8°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 48°/32°F (9.0°/0.2°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 35°/21°F (1.6°/-6.3°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
National Weather Service
Can you move from Switzerland to Illinois?
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 31% less expensive than Switzerland, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
Budget about $12,925 for 3 months in Illinois (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 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 Chicago is 59°F, compared to 55°F in Zurich. Chicago receives around 36.9 in of rainfall per year, while Zurich 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.
