Moving to Minnesota from Switzerland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Switzerland to Minnesota — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Switzerland to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 33.9% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF62,000 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly $49,600 in Minnesota 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 Minnesota cheaper than Switzerland?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 41.6% less
Groceries
pay 16.2% less
Transportation
pay 42.9% less
Housing
pay 31.5% less
Childcare
pay 47.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 30.9% 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 Minnesota?
What does your salary buy?
CHF62,000 → $49,600
To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota
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 Minnesota cost about 32% less than cities in Switzerland.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Minnesota
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Switzerland to Minnesota, and how the trend has changed.
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
How Switzerland and Minnesota stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Switzerland performs better than Minnesota across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Switzerland performs better than Minnesota 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
Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota vs Switzerland
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Zurich | Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 31°/15°F (0°/-10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 69°/48°F (20°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 78°/59°F (26°/15°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Zurich | Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 24°/8°F (-4.6°/-13.6°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 29°/13°F (-1.7°/-10.7°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 41°/24°F (5.2°/-4.3°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 58°/37°F (14.3°/2.9°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 69°/49°F (20.8°/9.4°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 79°/59°F (26.0°/14.9°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 83°/64°F (28.6°/17.8°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 80°/62°F (26.9°/16.6°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 72°/52°F (22.1°/11.3°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 58°/40°F (14.4°/4.3°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 27°/12°F (-2.7°/-10.9°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
National Weather Service
Can you move from Switzerland to Minnesota?
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 Minnesota than Switzerland?
Generally yes: Minnesota runs about 34% cheaper than Switzerland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Minnesota?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CHF62,000 comparable salary, that's around $12,400 in Minnesota for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Minnesota?
Working remotely from Minnesota's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Switzerland and Minnesota.
How is healthcare in Minnesota compared to Switzerland?
Switzerland performs better than Minnesota across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Minnesota compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Minneapolis is 55°F, compared to 55°F in Zurich. Minneapolis receives around 30.6 in of rainfall per year, while Zurich gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Minnesota?
The official language in Minnesota is English. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
