Moving to New Zealand from Switzerland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Switzerland to New Zealand — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Switzerland to New Zealand, you would find that New Zealand is 43.3% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF60,598 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly NZ$65,910 in New Zealand to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Switzerland to New Zealand.
What does your salary buy?
CHF60,598 → NZ$65,910
To maintain the same standard of living in New Zealand
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 56.1% less
Groceries
pay 33.8% less
Transportation
pay 41.2% less
Housing
pay 40.2% less
Childcare
pay 68.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 17.7% 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 New Zealand cost about 53% 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 New Zealand, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Switzerland to New Zealand · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to New Zealand?
Top countries of origin for New Zealand's foreign-born residents.
- 286,746
- 144,207
- 122,506
- 85,289
- 73,846
- 70,412
- · · ·
-
33.4,323
Switzerland
Key Indicator Comparison
How Switzerland and New Zealand stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Switzerland performs better than New Zealand 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 New Zealand 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 New Zealand 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 generally does better on infrastructure, though New Zealand leads in electricity per capita.
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
New Zealand generally does better on employment & economy, though Switzerland leads in gdp per capita.
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
New Zealand generally does better on family life, though Switzerland leads in life expectancy.
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 | Wellington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bern | Wellington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
New Zealand National Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland and New Zealand. To live, work, or study long-term in New Zealand, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check New Zealand's immigration authority.
Switzerland passport holder visiting New Zealand
Electronic Travel Authorisation
New Zealand 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 New Zealand than Switzerland?
Generally yes: New Zealand runs about 49% cheaper than Switzerland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to New Zealand?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CHF60,598 comparable salary, that's around NZ$16,478 in New Zealand for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from New Zealand?
With 35.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, New Zealand 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 New Zealand.
Is New Zealand safe for expats?
Switzerland performs better than New Zealand across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in New Zealand is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in Switzerland.
How is healthcare in New Zealand compared to Switzerland?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 35.7 doctors per 10,000 people in New Zealand, compared to 44.4 in Switzerland. New Zealand scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in New Zealand compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Wellington is 62°F, compared to 55°F in Bern. Wellington receives around 37.7 in of rainfall per year, while Bern gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in New Zealand?
The official languages in New Zealand are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
