Cost of Living · GB vs CH
🇬🇧 London vs 🇨🇭 Zürich: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $2,037 in United Kingdom vs $3,208 in Switzerland — 57.52% more expensive.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Switzerland
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: 15.56%
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: 15.7%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): 15.73%
Closest to United Kingdom prices
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: +66.78%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: +66.78%
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: +66.78%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | United Kingdom | Switzerland | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,447 | $2,413 (2,005 CHF) | +66.78% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $1,158 | $1,931 (1,604 CHF) | +66.78% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $2,646 | $4,413 (3,667 CHF) | +66.78% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $15.50 | $23.17 (19 CHF) | +49.48% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $64.59 | $96.54 (80 CHF) | +49.47% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $9.60 | $13.84 (12 CHF) | +44.17% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.99 | $1.32 (1 CHF) | +33.33% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.87 | $3.84 (3 CHF) | +33.8% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $3.05 | $4.09 (3 CHF) | +34.1% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $8.97 | $12.02 (10 CHF) | +34% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $3.59 | $4.81 (4 CHF) | +33.98% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $4.31 | $5.77 (5 CHF) | +33.87% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $10.76 | $14.42 (12 CHF) | +34.01% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.79 | $2.40 (2 CHF) | +34.08% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $5.17 | $7.72 (6 CHF) | +49.32% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $7.58 | $8.77 (7 CHF) | +15.7% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $4.31 | $6.44 (5 CHF) | +49.42% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $2.06 | $2.76 (2 CHF) | +33.98% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $56.75 | $81.77 (68 CHF) | +44.09% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $2.40 | $3.46 (3 CHF) | +44.17% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $3.44 | $5.15 (4 CHF) | +49.71% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.55 | $2.32 (2 CHF) | +49.68% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.90 | $1.04 (1 CHF) | +15.56% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $175 | $252 (209 CHF) | +44.1% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $61.11 | $88.06 (73 CHF) | +44.1% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $39.28 | $56.61 (47 CHF) | +44.12% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $43.06 | $64.36 (53 CHF) | +49.47% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $12.06 | $18.02 (15 CHF) | +49.42% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $25.84 | $38.62 (32 CHF) | +49.46% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $52.09 | $60.29 (50 CHF) | +15.74% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $85.24 | $98.65 (82 CHF) | +15.73% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $215 | $322 (267 CHF) | +49.46% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much more expensive is Switzerland than United Kingdom?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $3,208 in Switzerland versus $2,037 in United Kingdom — 57.52% more. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Switzerland?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $7.72 in Switzerland (≈ 6.42 CHF), versus about $5.17 in United Kingdom.
- How much is rent in Switzerland compared to United Kingdom?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $2,413/month in Switzerland versus $1,447/month in United Kingdom (+66.78%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.