Moving to Switzerland from Zimbabwe
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Zimbabwe to Switzerland — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Zimbabwe to Switzerland, you would find that Switzerland is 3.6 times more expensive than Zimbabwe overall. A ZWL24,000,000 salary in Zimbabwe would need to be roughly CHF221,000 in Switzerland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Bern averages 55°F vs 78°F in Harare, making it significantly cooler.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Zimbabwe to Switzerland.
What does your salary buy?
ZWL24,000,000 → CHF221,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Switzerland
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 4.5 times more
Groceries
pay 2.1 times more
Transportation
pay 77.4% more
Housing
pay 5.5 times more
Childcare
pay 6.6 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.1 times more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Zimbabwe to Switzerland, based on official data.
people moved from Zimbabwe to Switzerland · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Zimbabwe to Switzerland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Switzerland performs significantly better than Zimbabwe 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 generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Zimbabwe generally does better on environment, though Switzerland leads in air pollution deaths.
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 performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Switzerland performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all employment & economy metrics.
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 performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (2016), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Harare | Bern |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/49°F (24°/10°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 82°/59°F (28°/15°C) | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Harare | Bern |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.8°C) | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) |
| Feb | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.7°C) | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) |
| Mar | 79°/58°F (26.2°/14.5°C) | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) |
| Apr | 78°/54°F (25.6°/12.5°C) | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) |
| May | 75°/49°F (23.8°/9.3°C) | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 71°/44°F (21.8°/6.8°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) |
| Jul | 71°/44°F (21.6°/6.5°C) | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) |
| Aug | 75°/47°F (24.1°/8.5°C) | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) |
| Sep | 83°/53°F (28.4°/11.7°C) | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) |
| Oct | 84°/58°F (28.8°/14.5°C) | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) |
| Nov | 82°/60°F (27.6°/15.5°C) | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) |
| Dec | 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.8°C) | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Services Department,
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Zimbabwe 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.
Zimbabwe passport holder visiting Switzerland
Visa Required
Switzerland passport holder visiting Zimbabwe
Visa on ArrivalData: 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 Zimbabwe?
No — Switzerland is on average about 258% more expensive than Zimbabwe. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Switzerland?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly CHF55,250 in Switzerland on a ZWL24,000,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Switzerland?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Switzerland has 47.0 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 Switzerland safe for expats?
Switzerland performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Switzerland is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Zimbabwe.
How is healthcare in Switzerland compared to Zimbabwe?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Switzerland, compared to 1.4 in Zimbabwe. Switzerland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Zimbabwe: 55).
What's the weather like in Switzerland compared to Zimbabwe?
The average high temperature in Bern is 55°F, compared to 78°F in Harare. Bern receives around 42.8 in of rainfall per year, while Harare gets 33.1 in.
What language do they speak in Switzerland?
The official languages in Switzerland are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. In Zimbabwe, the official languages are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language.
Compare further: Zimbabwe vs. Switzerland
At a Glance
ZW
|
CH
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,950,795 | 9,092,436 |
| Currency | Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL) | Swiss Franc (CHF) |
| Languages | Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language | French, Italian, Romansh, Swiss German |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +263 | +41 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 999 | 112 |