Moving to Washington from Switzerland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Switzerland to Washington? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Switzerland to Washington, you would find that Washington is 29.8% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF60,231 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly $46,962 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Switzerland and Washington.
What does your salary buy?
CHF60,231 → $46,962
To maintain the same standard of living in Washington
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 45.2% less
Groceries
pay 12.9% less
Transportation
pay 42.4% less
Housing
pay 3.2% less
Childcare
pay 31.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 24.7% 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 Washington cost about 25% less than cities in Switzerland.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Switzerland to Washington.
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
The numbers behind daily life in Washington compared to Switzerland.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Switzerland performs better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Switzerland performs better than Washington 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
Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though Switzerland leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Switzerland performs better than Washington 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 | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bern | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°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 Washington than Switzerland?
On average Washington is about 37% less expensive than Switzerland, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Washington?
Budget about $11,740 for 3 months in Washington (based on a CHF60,231 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Washington?
From major Washington cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Switzerland and Washington are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Washington compared to Switzerland?
Switzerland performs better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Washington compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Olympia is 60°F, compared to 55°F in Bern. Olympia receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Bern gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Washington?
The official language in Washington is English. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
