Moving to United States from Switzerland
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Switzerland to United States — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Switzerland to United States, you would find that United States is 24.7% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF62,000 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly $56,500 in United States 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 United States cheaper than Switzerland?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 39.7% less
Groceries
pay 10.3% less
Transportation
pay 41.9% less
Housing
pay 9.3% less
Childcare
pay 36.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 31.4% 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 United States?
What does your salary buy?
CHF62,000 → $56,500
To maintain the same standard of living in United States
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 United States cost about 1% more than cities in Switzerland.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to United States
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Switzerland to United States, 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 United States.
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 United States 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 performs better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Switzerland performs better than United States 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 United States 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
share of people below the poverty line
United States 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 United States leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (2016), Internal Revenue Service (2016), The World Factbook (2010). How we calculate this
Weather in United States vs Switzerland
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Zurich | New York City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 43°/30°F (6°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 70°/54°F (21°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 81°/66°F (27°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 54°/41°F (12°/5°C) |
View all months
| Month | Zurich | New York City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 38°/27°F (3.5°/-2.8°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 42°/29°F (5.3°/-1.7°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 50°/35°F (9.8°/1.8°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 61°/45°F (16.2°/7.1°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 71°/54°F (21.6°/12.2°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 79°/64°F (26.3°/17.6°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 83°/68°F (28.1°/19.9°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 75°/61°F (24.0°/16.0°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 64°/50°F (17.7°/10.0°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 54°/42°F (12.1°/5.3°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 43°/32°F (6.1°/0.0°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
National Weather Service
Can you move from Switzerland to United States?
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 United States than Switzerland?
Yes — United States is on average about 25% cheaper than Switzerland. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to United States?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $14,125 in United States on a CHF62,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from United States?
Internet is rarely the blocker — United States has 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is United States safe for expats?
Switzerland performs better than United States across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United States is 5.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Switzerland. About 63% of people in United States feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in United States compared to Switzerland?
Switzerland performs better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 36.8 doctors per 10,000 people in United States, compared to 44.8 in Switzerland. United States scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in United States compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in New York City is 62°F, compared to 55°F in Zurich. New York City receives around 49.9 in of rainfall per year, while Zurich gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in United States?
The official language in United States is English. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
