✦ Compare
San Francisco vs
Zurich
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
To keep the same standard of living in Zurich, CH, you'd need
$83,262 / year
Zurich, CH is 11% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (Zurich, CH vs San Francisco, CA)
- Housing-8%
- Food & groceries+32%
- Transport+10%
- Utilities+16%
- Healthcare+27%
- Goods & services+32%
Median 1-bed rent
$3,300 /mo
San Francisco, CA overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$2,500 /mo
Zurich, CH overview →
▤ Full comparison
| San Francisco, CA | Zurich, CH | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 152 | 169 |
| Housing | 224 | 205 |
| Food | 121 | 160 |
| Transport | 118 | 130 |
| Utilities | 112 | 130 |
| Healthcare | 118 | 150 |
| Goods & services | 127 | 168 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $3,300/mo | $2,500/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $2,500/mo | $1,900/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $6,500/mo | $5,000/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $14,000 | $18,000 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $656 | $591 |
| Inexpensive meal | $22 | $30 |
| Monthly transit pass | $98 | $90 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 37% | 40% |
| VAT / sales tax | 0% | 8.1% |
| Social security (employee) | 7.7% | — |
| Corporate tax | 21% | 15% |
| Capital gains | 20% | 0% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $4,300/mo | $6,000/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,257/mo | — |
| GDP per capita | $82,000 | $93,000 |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | Native | High |
| Coworking spaces | 150 | 40 |
| Time zone | UTC-8 | UTC+1 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 45 | 82 |
| Healthcare index | 80 | 90 |
| Pollution index | 40 | 25 |
| Internet speed | 220 Mbps | 200 Mbps |
| Walkability | 88 | 85 |
| Public transport | 80 | 95 |
| Family-friendly | 55 | 75 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | $500/mo | $350/mo |
| Life expectancy | 79 yr | 84 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +11 °C | 0 °C |
| July avg | +17 °C | +18 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 256 | 65 |
| Rainfall / year | 600 mm | 1,080 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs Switzerland. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
? Frequently asked questions
Is San Francisco cheaper than Zurich?
Zurich is about 11% more expensive than San Francisco overall — its cost-of-living index is 169 versus 152 for San Francisco.
How much do you need to earn in Zurich to live like in San Francisco?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in San Francisco is worth about $83,262 in Zurich. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, San Francisco or Zurich?
United States has the lower top income-tax rate — 37% versus 40% in Switzerland.
◷ More comparisons from San Francisco
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.