Moving to Singapore from Switzerland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Switzerland to Singapore? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Switzerland to Singapore, you would find that Singapore is 5.4% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF62,000 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly SGD91,000 in Singapore to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Singapore averages 89°F vs 55°F in Zurich, making it significantly warmer.
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How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 60.7% less
Groceries
pay 9.7% less
Transportation
pay 27.5% more
Housing
pay 25.1% more
Childcare
pay 31.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.9% 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 Singapore?
What does your salary buy?
CHF62,000 → SGD91,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Singapore
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Singapore compared to Switzerland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Singapore performs significantly better than Switzerland 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
Singapore generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Switzerland leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Switzerland performs better than Singapore 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 Singapore 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
Singapore 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
Switzerland generally does better on family life, though Singapore leads in infant mortality.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (2016), Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Singapore vs Switzerland
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Zurich | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 89°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 90°/78°F (32°/26°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 89°/78°F (31°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 88°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Zurich | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.3°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.6°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 90°/77°F (32.2°/24.9°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 90°/78°F (32.4°/25.3°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 90°/78°F (32.3°/25.7°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 89°/78°F (31.9°/25.7°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.4°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.3°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 89°/77°F (31.6°/25.2°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 89°/77°F (31.8°/25.0°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 88°/76°F (31.2°/24.6°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 87°/76°F (30.5°/24.3°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
Meteorological Service Singapore
Can you move from Switzerland to Singapore?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland and Singapore. To live, work, or study long-term in Singapore, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Singapore's immigration authority.
Switzerland passport holder visiting Singapore
Visa Free
Singapore 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 Singapore than Switzerland?
On average Singapore is about 5% less expensive than Switzerland, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Singapore?
Budget about SGD22,750 for 3 months in Singapore (based on a CHF62,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Singapore?
Connectivity is usually fine (Singapore: 27.8 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Singapore offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Singapore safe for expats?
Singapore performs significantly better than Switzerland across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Singapore is 0.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Switzerland.
How is healthcare in Singapore compared to Switzerland?
Singapore generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Switzerland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 28.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Singapore, compared to 44.8 in Switzerland. Singapore scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in Singapore compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Singapore is 89°F, compared to 55°F in Zurich. Singapore receives around 83.2 in of rainfall per year, while Zurich gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Singapore?
The official languages in Singapore are Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
