Moving to Indiana from Switzerland

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Switzerland to Indiana — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Switzerland to Indiana, you would find that Indiana is 42.1% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF60,598 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly $38,798 in Indiana 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 ↓

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Switzerland to Indiana.

What does your salary buy?

CHF60,598 $38,798

To maintain the same standard of living in Indiana

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 54.0% less

Groceries

pay 26.7% less

Transportation

pay 52.4% less

Housing

pay 20.0% less

Childcare

pay 46.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 42.1% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 CHF = 1.24 USD (July 2026)

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 Indiana cost about 45% less than cities in Switzerland.

Switzerland

Zurich 102%
Geneva 101%

Indiana

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Switzerland to Indiana, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
490 ↓ 8% vs 2022

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.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Switzerland and Indiana stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

CH
19.5%
IN
38.5%

Switzerland performs better than Indiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

CH
96.0%
IN
88.5%

Switzerland performs better than Indiana across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

CH
4.0%
IN
2.7%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

CH
$82,900
IN
$59,083

Indiana generally does better on employment & economy, though Switzerland leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

CH
83.2 yrs
IN
75.0 yrs

Switzerland performs better than Indiana across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Bern Rain: 42.8 in/yr (1086 mm)
55° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Indianapolis Rain: 40.8 in/yr (1036 mm)
62° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Bern Indianapolis
Jan–Mar 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) 72°/53°F (22°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) 81°/63°F (27°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) 51°/35°F (11°/2°C)
View all months
Month Bern Indianapolis
Jan 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) 35°/21°F (1.7°/-6.1°C)
Feb 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) 40°/24°F (4.4°/-4.4°C)
Mar 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.8°C)
Apr 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.4°C)
May 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) 72°/53°F (22.5°/11.7°C)
Jun 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C)
Jul 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) 84°/67°F (28.8°/19.2°C)
Aug 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.3°C)
Sep 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.9°C)
Oct 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) 64°/45°F (18.0°/7.3°C)
Nov 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) 52°/36°F (11.0°/2.3°C)
Dec 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) 38°/25°F (3.6°/-3.9°C)

Data: MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology, National Weather Service 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

Switzerland passport holder visiting United States

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Switzerland passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Switzerland

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Switzerland without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Indiana than Switzerland?

Generally yes: Indiana runs about 48% cheaper than Switzerland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Indiana?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CHF60,598 comparable salary, that's around $9,700 in Indiana for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Indiana?

Working remotely from Indiana's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Switzerland and Indiana.

How is healthcare in Indiana compared to Switzerland?

Switzerland performs better than Indiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Indiana compared to Switzerland?

The average high temperature in Indianapolis is 62°F, compared to 55°F in Bern. Indianapolis receives around 40.8 in of rainfall per year, while Bern gets 42.8 in.

What language do they speak in Indiana?

The official language in Indiana is English. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.

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At a Glance

CH
Population 8,508,698 6,483,802
Currency Swiss Franc (CHF) United States Dollar ($)
Languages French, Italian, Romansh, Swiss German English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +41 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 112 911