✦ Compare
Zurich vs
San Francisco
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 San Francisco, CA, you'd need
$67,558 / year
San Francisco, CA is 10% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (San Francisco, CA vs Zurich, CH)
- Housing+9%
- Food & groceries-24%
- Transport-9%
- Utilities-14%
- Healthcare-21%
- Goods & services-24%
Median 1-bed rent
$2,500 /mo
Zurich, CH overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$3,300 /mo
San Francisco, CA overview →
▤ Full comparison
| Zurich, CH | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 169 | 152 |
| Housing | 205 | 224 |
| Food | 160 | 121 |
| Transport | 130 | 118 |
| Utilities | 130 | 112 |
| Healthcare | 150 | 118 |
| Goods & services | 168 | 127 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $2,500/mo | $3,300/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,900/mo | $2,500/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $5,000/mo | $6,500/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $18,000 | $14,000 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $591 | $656 |
| Inexpensive meal | $30 | $22 |
| Monthly transit pass | $90 | $98 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 40% | 37% |
| VAT / sales tax | 8.1% | 0% |
| Social security (employee) | — | 7.7% |
| Corporate tax | 15% | 21% |
| Capital gains | 0% | 20% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $6,000/mo | $4,300/mo |
| Minimum wage | — | $1,257/mo |
| GDP per capita | $93,000 | $82,000 |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | High | Native |
| Coworking spaces | 40 | 150 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 | UTC-8 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 82 | 45 |
| Healthcare index | 90 | 80 |
| Pollution index | 25 | 40 |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | 220 Mbps |
| Walkability | 85 | 88 |
| Public transport | 95 | 80 |
| Family-friendly | 75 | 55 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | $350/mo | $500/mo |
| Life expectancy | 84 yr | 79 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | 0 °C | +11 °C |
| July avg | +18 °C | +17 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 65 | 256 |
| Rainfall / year | 1,080 mm | 600 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Switzerland vs United States. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
? Frequently asked questions
Is Zurich cheaper than San Francisco?
San Francisco is about 10% cheaper than Zurich overall — its cost-of-living index is 152 versus 169 for Zurich.
How much do you need to earn in San Francisco to live like in Zurich?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Zurich is worth about $67,558 in San Francisco. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Zurich or San Francisco?
United States has the lower top income-tax rate — 37% versus 40% in Switzerland.
◷ More comparisons from Zurich
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.