Moving to North Carolina from Switzerland
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Switzerland to North Carolina — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Switzerland to North Carolina, you would find that North Carolina is 34.9% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF61,393 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly $43,541 in North Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Asheville averages 67°F vs 55°F in Bern, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Switzerland to North Carolina.
What does your salary buy?
CHF61,393 → $43,541
To maintain the same standard of living in North Carolina
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 52.5% less
Groceries
pay 4.5% less
Transportation
pay 46.7% less
Housing
pay 11.7% less
Childcare
pay 39.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 38.2% 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 North Carolina cost about 34% less than cities in Switzerland.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Switzerland to North Carolina, based on official data.
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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Switzerland to North Carolina.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Switzerland performs better than North Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Switzerland performs better than North Carolina 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
North Carolina 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 North Carolina across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Bern | Asheville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 52°/32°F (11°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 58°/38°F (15°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bern | Asheville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-0.9°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
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 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 North Carolina than Switzerland?
Yes — North Carolina is on average about 42% cheaper than Switzerland. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to North Carolina?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $10,885 in North Carolina on a CHF61,393 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from North Carolina?
Usually fine from major cities in North Carolina. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in North Carolina compared to Switzerland?
Switzerland performs better than North Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in North Carolina compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Asheville is 67°F, compared to 55°F in Bern. Asheville receives around 37.0 in of rainfall per year, while Bern gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in North Carolina?
The official language in North Carolina is English. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
