Moving to Italy from Switzerland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Switzerland to Italy — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Switzerland to Italy, you would find that Italy is 47.1% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF60,626 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly €35,101 in Italy to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Rome averages 69°F vs 55°F in Bern, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Switzerland to Italy.
What does your salary buy?
CHF60,626 → €35,101
To maintain the same standard of living in Italy
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 49.2% less
Groceries
pay 35.3% less
Transportation
pay 35.5% less
Housing
pay 46.4% less
Childcare
pay 75.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 48.2% 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 Italy cost about 46% less than cities in Switzerland.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Switzerland to Italy, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Switzerland to Italy · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Switzerland and Italy stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Switzerland performs better than Italy 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 Italy 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 Italy 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 Italy across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Switzerland performs better than Italy 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 generally does better on family life, though Italy leads in infant mortality.
Data: Swiss Federal Tax Administration, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Bern | Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 56°/39°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bern | Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.1°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 55°/38°F (13.0°/3.5°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 59°/41°F (15.2°/5.2°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 64°/46°F (17.7°/7.5°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 73°/53°F (22.8°/11.6°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 87°/64°F (30.3°/18.0°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.3°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 61°/44°F (15.9°/6.9°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 55°/40°F (12.6°/4.2°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland and Italy. To live, work, or study long-term in Italy, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Italy's immigration authority.
Switzerland passport holder visiting Italy
Visa Free
Italy 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 Italy than Switzerland?
Generally yes: Italy runs about 47% cheaper than Switzerland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Italy?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CHF60,626 comparable salary, that's around €8,775 in Italy for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Italy?
With 31.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Italy can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Switzerland and Italy.
Is Italy safe for expats?
Switzerland performs better than Italy across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Italy is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in Switzerland. About 61% of people in Italy feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Italy compared to Switzerland?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Italy leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 42.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Italy, compared to 44.4 in Switzerland. Italy scores 84 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in Italy compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Rome is 69°F, compared to 55°F in Bern. Rome receives around 31.7 in of rainfall per year, while Bern gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Italy?
The official languages in Italy are Catalan and Italian. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
