Moving to Switzerland from Vermont

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Vermont to Switzerland — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Vermont to Switzerland, you would find that Switzerland is 67.1% more expensive than Vermont. A $75,000 salary in Vermont would need to be roughly CHF102,024 in Switzerland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Vermont to Switzerland.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 CHF102,024

To maintain the same standard of living in Switzerland

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 98.3% more

Groceries

pay 36.9% more

Transportation

pay 2.0 times more

Housing

pay 16.5% more

Childcare

pay 59.5% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 36.2% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 0.8069 CHF (June 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Get free moving quotes to Switzerland

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Vermont to Switzerland, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
2,363 ↓ 8% vs 2022

people moved from United States to Switzerland · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Switzerland?

Top countries of origin for Switzerland's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Vermont and Switzerland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

VT
27.2%
CH
19.5%

Switzerland performs significantly better than Vermont across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

VT
88.4%
CH
96.0%

Switzerland performs significantly better than Vermont across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

VT
2.6%
CH
4.0%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

VT
$56,462
CH
$82,900

Vermont generally does better on employment & economy, though Switzerland leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2022

average years of life at birth

VT
78.8 yrs
CH
83.2 yrs

Switzerland performs significantly better than Vermont across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Montpelier Rain: 42.4 in/yr (1078 mm)
56° / 32°F

Avg. annual high / low

Bern Rain: 42.8 in/yr (1086 mm)
55° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Montpelier Bern
Jan–Mar 34°/8°F (1°/-13°C) 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C)
Apr–Jun 67°/42°F (20°/5°C) 62°/45°F (17°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 79°/53°F (26°/12°C) 70°/53°F (21°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 46°/25°F (8°/-4°C) 46°/36°F (8°/2°C)
View all months
Month Montpelier Bern
Jan 28°/3°F (-2.2°/-15.9°C) 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C)
Feb 33°/6°F (0.3°/-14.5°C) 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C)
Mar 42°/16°F (5.4°/-8.9°C) 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C)
Apr 55°/30°F (12.8°/-1.1°C) 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C)
May 69°/42°F (20.3°/5.5°C) 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C)
Jun 78°/53°F (25.5°/11.7°C) 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C)
Jul 83°/58°F (28.4°/14.2°C) 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C)
Aug 81°/55°F (27.4°/13.0°C) 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C)
Sep 73°/47°F (22.8°/8.2°C) 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C)
Oct 59°/35°F (15.1°/1.4°C) 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C)
Nov 46°/26°F (7.6°/-3.4°C) 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C)
Dec 32°/13°F (0.2°/-10.8°C) 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service, MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States and Switzerland. To live, work, or study long-term in Switzerland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Switzerland's immigration authority.

United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Switzerland

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Switzerland without a visa.
Switzerland passport

Switzerland passport holder visiting United States

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Switzerland passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United States.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Switzerland than Vermont?

Day-to-day costs in Switzerland run about 69% higher than Vermont on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Switzerland?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around CHF25,506 in Switzerland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Switzerland?

Working remotely from Switzerland's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Vermont and Switzerland.

How is healthcare in Switzerland compared to Vermont?

Switzerland performs significantly better than Vermont across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Switzerland compared to Vermont?

The average high temperature in Bern is 55°F, compared to 56°F in Montpelier. Bern receives around 42.8 in of rainfall per year, while Montpelier gets 42.4 in.

What language do they speak in Switzerland?

The official languages in Switzerland are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. In Vermont, the official language is English.

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At a Glance

CH
Population 625,741 8,508,698
Currency United States Dollar ($) Swiss Franc (CHF)
Languages English French, Italian, Romansh, Swiss German
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +1 +41
Time zones 11 1
Emergency number 911 112