Moving to Iran from Switzerland
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Switzerland to Iran — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Switzerland to Iran, you would find that Iran is 83.9% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF62,000 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly IRR16,500,000,000 in Iran to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Persian (Farsi). Expect a noticeable climate shift — Tehran averages 72°F vs 55°F in Bern, making it significantly warmer.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Switzerland to Iran.
What does your salary buy?
CHF62,000 → IRR16,500,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Iran
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 84.5% less
Groceries
pay 79.0% less
Transportation
pay 77.6% less
Housing
pay 86.6% less
Childcare
pay 96.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 87.4% 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 Iran cost about 59% less than cities in Switzerland.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Switzerland to Iran.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Switzerland performs better than Iran 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
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iran leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Switzerland performs better than Iran 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 Iran 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 performs better than Iran 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 performs better than Iran across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2014–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2007). 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 | Tehran |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 52°/35°F (11°/2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 82°/61°F (28°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 94°/72°F (35°/22°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bern | Tehran |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 45°/30°F (7.2°/-1.1°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 50°/33°F (9.9°/0.7°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 60°/41°F (15.4°/5.2°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 71°/52°F (21.9°/10.9°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 82°/61°F (28.0°/16.1°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 93°/70°F (34.1°/20.9°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 98°/75°F (36.8°/24.0°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 96°/73°F (35.4°/23.0°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 89°/67°F (31.5°/19.2°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.7°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.3°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland and Iran. To live, work, or study long-term in Iran, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Iran's immigration authority.
Switzerland passport holder visiting Iran
Visa on Arrival
Iran passport holder visiting Switzerland
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Iran than Switzerland?
Yes — Iran is on average about 84% cheaper than Switzerland. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Iran?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly IRR4,125,000,000 in Iran on a CHF62,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Iran?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Iran has 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Iran safe for expats?
Switzerland performs better than Iran across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Iran is 2.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Switzerland.
How is healthcare in Iran compared to Switzerland?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iran leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Iran, compared to 44.8 in Switzerland. Iran scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in Iran compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Tehran is 72°F, compared to 55°F in Bern. Tehran receives around 9.1 in of rainfall per year, while Bern gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Iran?
The official language in Iran is Persian (Farsi). In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
