✦ Compare
Zurich vs
Seattle
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 Seattle, WA, you'd need
$56,729 / year
Seattle, WA is 24% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Seattle, WA vs Zurich, CH)
- Housing-20%
- Food & groceries-30%
- Transport-11%
- Utilities-26%
- Healthcare-23%
- Goods & services-32%
▤ Full comparison
| Zurich, CH | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 169 | 128 |
| Housing | 205 | 165 |
| Food | 160 | 112 |
| Transport | 130 | 116 |
| Utilities | 130 | 96 |
| Healthcare | 150 | 116 |
| Goods & services | 168 | 114 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $2,500/mo | $2,100/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,900/mo | $1,650/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $5,000/mo | $4,200/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $18,000 | $9,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $591 | $781 |
| Inexpensive meal | $30 | $20 |
| Monthly transit pass | $90 | $99 |
| 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 | 70 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 | UTC-8 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 82 | 52 |
| Healthcare index | 90 | 80 |
| Pollution index | 25 | 30 |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | 200 Mbps |
| Walkability | 85 | 74 |
| Public transport | 95 | 70 |
| Family-friendly | 75 | 62 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | $350/mo | $450/mo |
| Life expectancy | 84 yr | 79 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | 0 °C | +5 °C |
| July avg | +18 °C | +19 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 65 | 152 |
| Rainfall / year | 1,080 mm | 950 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1.5 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 Seattle?
Seattle is about 24% cheaper than Zurich overall — its cost-of-living index is 128 versus 169 for Zurich.
How much do you need to earn in Seattle to live like in Zurich?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Zurich is worth about $56,729 in Seattle. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Zurich or Seattle?
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.