Living and Salary in Switzerland?

Hi Vishal-

The cost of living in Switzerland is among the highest in the world, especially in Zurich and Geneva. Accommodation especially is exceptionally pricey, and demand is also high for the places that are available. You'll need to count on earning a fairly large amount to cover costs each month. For more information on specific pricing I suggest you have a look at the Cost of Living in Zurich page. 

Hi Anonymous

You will need to apply for a residence permit, which allows you to both live and work in Switzerland. It's quite difficult for someone from a non-EU state to get a residence permit, however. The first step will be to secure a job so your employer can apply on your behalf. The downside is many companies don't like to hire people who aren't EU citizens and already living in Switzerland with a residence permit - so I'm afraid it's a bit of a Catch-22. For more details I suggest you read  Visas for Switzerland. Good luck!

hi, plz if i want to apply for a job in switzerland what should i do? am from lebanon and i work in a bank for like 3 yrs but id love to work and live in switzerland,can u help me plz,thx

Hi Vishal

Are you still moving to Zurich? I suggest you get in contact with the Indian Association of Greater Zurich (www.iagz.ch) - a group for Indian expats living and working in Zurich. They should be able to tell you where the popular Indian areas are.

I am from nigeria, a graduate of textile science and technology. I wish to do my master in polymer and chemical in switzerland. I want to know the procedure and the cost and will i be granted a working permit.

Hi Anonymous

You will need to first apply at the institution of your choice to get a provisional acceptance and then apply for a visa the Swiss embassy in Abuja. You can check with them what documentation you require, but you will probably need to provide proof of acceptance, proof that you have enough funds for the duration of your studies and an affidavit that you will return to Nigeria when you're finished with your studies.

The fees will depend on the institution. For example, a 1.5 year MSc at the Swiss Textile College will cost CHF 15,300.

Hi, I got a job offer in Zurich for 90.000 CHF per year. Is that enough to life in Swizerland? Thanks,

I'm a UK citizen and a waiter how much will my salary be in switzerland thanks

Hi Anonymous

Whether your salary will be enough depends on your lifestyle. I suggest you make a list of what your averages purchases are in a month and then have a look at the Cost of Living in Switzerland page for more info on prices. Also have a look at Accommodation in Switzerland for more information on what you can expect to pay to rent an apartment.

Hi, I moving to Lausanne next year in february to study for one year and plan later on to work there. i have no idea about the living cost in Lausanne. Kindly request you to advise about the living cost such as accommodation, food, transportation,etc..how much should i budget monthly ? taxes applicable on student ? thanks

What are the tax slab in Bern, switzerland ? Like if a person getting a salary of 60K CHF then what will be the deduction, Please help me to understand the tax for a salaried person in Switzerland.

I am geting hired in a healthcare company in switzerland what salary should i ask for monthly as i have five years of experience what sholud ask to live happly in switzerland plez help

iam from india and i want to work in switzerland for 3 years after completing my mba i want to how to find a job in switzerland?accomodation, what are the offical languages spoken in switzerland?

i got an unlimitted residence visa here in rome italy and i want to go and work in switzerland ,do i need to get working visa?thanks let me know pls.

Salaries in Switzerland. Hello there, I think it's not fair for someone who lives in Switzerland to dismiss an important question like the salary one. So, answering: "It depends on your lifestyle" is equivalent to saying: " I haven't a clue, I am not living in Switzerland, how should I know". If you pretend to be an expert, you should be able to answer this kind of essential and basic question. Otherwise, don't write about it. 90 000CHF gross/year is 7500/month. Depending on the city, canton, taxes will be around from 1000 to 1500. Health insurance is paid by you. Minimum cost would be around 300 to 500 CHF/ month or much more. So, net salary after social and other taxes could be between 6200 to 5500 CHF. A decent basic furnished apartment to rent (over 25 M) in a city like Zurich or Geneva is around 2000 to 3000 CHF/month. It's also not as widespread as in English speaking countries to rent fully furnished flat or houses, so it costs relatively more. Unfurnished ones might be more affordable but you need to buy every piece of furniture from washing machine, fridges to bed and wardrobes (at Swiss prices). In Switzerland, like elsewhere, you should consider paying no more than 1/3 of your salary for accommodation. Anyway, the landlords and agencies won't rent you if they see there is a risk you can't pay. With 7500 gross per month, the rent shouldn't be higher than 2500/month. It's going to limit the type of accommodation, quarter and style you can afford. In short, you will have between 3700 to 3000 CHF left per month after paying rent and taxes. For everyday cost like shopping, eating, utilities, there are calculator online (everything cost at least 30% more in Switz. than in other countries in Europe). It will now depend on your life style, if you have a family or you're alone, if you want to go out, enjoy city and country life, eat out, have a car, do nice week ends, travel abroad etc... If you want a real nice life and save some money for old age, then 90K/year seems quite not enough.

My husband has a job offer to work in Zurich for a company making 160k u.s. per year. Accommodations, car and airplane tickets are paid for. is this a decent salary to live on for a couple in their early 50's?

i got a job in Switzerland my salary is 2900 CHF per month with food and accommodation. i want to know how much amount i have to pay tax and insurance per annum from this salary.

Hi there,

For the B2 language certificate, I would imagine that as long as you obtained the certificate from an accredited institute it wouldn't make much of a difference whether you did that inside or outside of Switzerland.

With regards to your questions about work and residency - what nationality are you and your husband? You can only apply for a residence permit once you have secured a job, and you may not work without having obtained a residence permit. The likelihood of obtaining a job and a permit both depend on whether you are an EU/EFTA national. If you are, you are much more likely to succeed. You can read more on our Visas for Switzerland and Working in Switzerland pages.

A general tip: in future, try to post forum questions as a new topic rather than as a comment on an existing forum question as you've done here; that way you're much more likely to receive a wider range of responses and advice, possibly from locals or fellow expats in the country.

Best of luck.
Meagan

hi, I submitted by credentials to red cross for assessing my paper as a nurse they told me its accepted but i need to have B2 language certificate,if i will accomplish that would you suggest much better to do it in Switzerland? if i finish this language skills is it possible that i will get a job and how can i bring my son and husband to live with me in Switzerland?