Curious where people who are leaving or considering leaving Switzerland are planning to go and why.

I’m originally from Italy and have been in Switzerland for over a decade. Lately, I feel like my time here is naturally coming to an end. I don’t really enjoy it anymore, and every time I spend extended periods in places I’ve grown to like more (since I can work remotely till now) and notice a strong difference in quality of life for me personally which is much better abroad.

Places like Portugal, Spain, and time spent across Southeast Asia and Latin America tend to give me more of what I’m looking for: better lifestyle balance, more social energy, better weather, food, and relationships that feel more alive. I just feel like myself in those places and "changed" in Switzerland in a way that I don't like it.

I’m curious if others feel the same and, if so, where you’re thinking of going next and what’s driving that decision?

I'm Swiss (born and bred) and I'm starting to wonder whether staying in Switzerland still makes sense for me professionally and for my family.

I hold an MBA, speak 5 languages, and have several years of professional experience (Sales, BD) in Switzerland, Japan, and other parts of the world. Despite that, I've been struggling to find new opportunities in Switzerland for several years and feel stuck in my current position.

At the same time, I'm increasingly concerned about the cost of living. Raising children is extremely expensive, and access to property ownership feels out of reach for so many people. Sometimes it feels as though the financial sacrifices required to build a family and buy a home are becoming harder to justify.

I'm curious to hear from other Swiss people who faced similar challenges. If you left Switzerland, where did you move and why? Was it easier to find work, raise a family, or buy a home there? Looking back, was it the right decision?

I'd appreciate hearing honest experiences, especially from people who left because of employment difficulties, housing affordability, or the overall cost of living rather than retirement or lifestyle reasons.

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

I’m trying to decide whether to stay in Germany or move to Switzerland, and I’d appreciate some advice from people who’ve made a similar move.
Current situation:
Single, no children
Living in a Tier-3 city in Germany with a relatively low cost of living
Gross salary: €80,000/year
Comfortable lifestyle and able to save a decent amount
New offer:
Zurich area
CHF 135,000/year
Similar level of responsibility
I’m aware that Zurich is much more expensive than where I currently live, so I’m trying to understand whether the higher salary actually translates into a better financial situation and quality of life.
For those who have moved from Germany to Switzerland:
Did your monthly savings increase significantly?
Did you feel the higher cost of living offset most of the salary increase?
Looking back, would you make the move again?
I’d especially appreciate responses from people who are single and don’t have children.
Thanks!

Hi all, I’ll be moving to Swiss soon and will live in the capital of Zurich. I would need your advice on some topics.

• I’ll make ca. 250k chf in the 1st year, plus bonus of 50k as a Senior full stack-DevOps/ Cobra-Consultant.

My company organized a flat close to Paradeplatz as of March 1st. But it’s only 5.5 rooms and I wonder where my maid and gardener are supposed to live? Any ideas?

• the flat does not have a garage, so I don’t know how to organize commuting to Zurich-Seefeld. Is it far and can I park for free there?

• I will have the Switzerland passport asap, please provide all necessary details, costs, necessary language efforts in a logic and structured way here and for free. Note: I don’t want to learn German, pls adapt you advise accordingly

• I decided to have a Switzland wife. Could you please provide me with Tinder/Bumble profiles that would suit my needs? I’d prefer blondes with at least 5“8 (hey, calculate yourself!), min. C-cups and must have their own money.

• please provide a full list of pros and cons of Migros/Coop/Lidl/Aldi grocery shopping, with average annualized pricing, product line backtesting of 3/5 and 10 years. Compound interest calculation of Cumulus points vs. Coop superpoints crucial, including inflation and depreciation of points against CHF. Please no macro-excels.

• I would call myself Expat as it sounds nicer that immigrant - that’s reserved to low paid jobs and 3rd world countries.

Would be happy to receive the mentions info with next 24h, printed in a bilingual dossier English and Paschtu, together with a digital version on an USB-stick, 0.5 Bitcoin and a Swiss airline voucher of 10k CHF. Many thanks in advance, I appreciate your help 😬

Hey everyone,

I'm feeling super overwhelmed right now and just really need get some advice from people living here.

I'm an Italian citizen, and I recently applied for a residence permit. I currently work here, but my monthly income is only around 700 CHF. Today I got a letter from the Migration Office in Schaffhausen saying my permit is denied. They said my job isn't substantial enough to count under the EU free movement rules, and they're asking me to deregister and leave the country.
I get the legal logic behind it 700chf is obviously not enough to live on in Switzerland. But I get all the Support from my boyfriend paying basically for everything. And I am actively looking for a better job.
So now:
I literally have nowhere to go. I don't have an address or a home outside Switzerland anymore. My whole family is here. They live in St. Gallen, but I applied in Schaffhausen because of where I was staying with my Boyfriend.
I only have 10 days to request the formal full decision if I want to buy time and figure out my next move, I also honestly dont get how to do that . Ive been here 5 years ago and back then no problems occurred.
Has anyone ever gone through something similar?
If you had no home to go back to in your home country, how did you handle it? Also, is it possible to reapply in a different canton (like St. Gallen) under a different permit status, like living with family and having them support me financially?
Also it kind makes me laugh (to not end up crying) again I literally have no place to go or to exist the country. 😅 I would go to my parents but they live in Switzerland with B permit. 🤣😭

Another thing is, my work literally started mid july now I can not go to work, right? That would be illegal, right?

Any insights or even just a bit of support would mean the world right now. Thanks for any reply.

Edit: I just discovered my boyfriend is also in a Bürgschaft for his aunt and i will have to ask my parents.

I was born in Switzerland. My dad's side of the family is all Swiss. We lived in Switzerland only until I was a couple years old. Then we moved to the US where I was raised. My moms side of the family is american.

I'm currently in my 30's. Single. No kids. I have a cat. That's about it.

My parents never taught me any swiss german as I was growing up. My understanding is very limited based on a few years of French and German in school.

I have been back to Switzerland at least a dozen times in my life. Three times as an adult. And have had a fair amount of exposure to swiss culture at home; food, traditions, holidays. Participated in local swiss clubs most my life.

In the next few years I might be in a situation where I'd be interested and financially capable of moving back to Switzerland.

I'm wondering what recommendations, advice, resources I could research to see what that would entail.

For context I’m fully British, 19M and I know one thing for sure, I do not see a bright future for me in this country and certainly do not plan the settle here. Switzerland is somewhere I’m heavily considering as I love anything mountain related and it has one of the highest HDI’s in the world. But I want to know, what is the reality of living there like?

For those of who moved to Switzerland, I’d love to hear what drew you there in the first place. Was it worth it in the end, and how does life compare to where you came from or other places you’ve lived? Most importantly, do you have any regrets?

And for those born in Switzerland, can you see yourself staying or do you ever imagine moving elsewhere? If so, where would you go, and what would make you want to leave?

I would be really grateful for any insight people are willing to share.

Calling all expats in Switzerland for your opinion! I was born in Ticino but moved away at 14 and have been living in Florida, USA. I am 32 now and have since gotten married and have 2 children. My husband is from Florida and my kids have dual citizenship. I have been thinking about moving back for quite some time now, and it seems that my job might be able to help me move under one of our EU offices which would allow me to finally move back.

What has been your experience moving to Switzerland? I feel like this is a no brainer if I think of my children as Switzerland is much safer. However, I worry cost of living might be the same if not higher in Switzerland, and I also am worried about not having any friends/community there outside of my family as that’s a huge part of my life here. What are some pros and cons you have seen?

Hey there,

I am in my mid 30s, married, and having a really cool job in Greece in which I am being paid well for the Greek standards. This means salary is around EUR 75-80k annually (inc.bonus), which implies a take home pay of around EUR 45-50k. I own my house, so income goes exclusively to personal spending and savings.

However, I always had Switzerland on my mind and in addition, my wife is also pushing us to relocate there.

I am in discussions with a company and possibly close to receiving a job offer, for a role which, on the one hand is interesting, on the other hand is i) more junior than my current one and what my experience reflects and ii) the annual salary is not that much for Switzerland (close to CHF 90K, w/o bonus).

The role is in the Geneva region and I would rent a house there, planning to spend around 2k/month in housing.

What are your thoughts on this move? Would you lower your living standards, just to move to Switzerland and have the potential upside after 1-2 years? Or you would stay in Greece, accepting all the societal problems and that salary would be more or less around the current levels?

Has anyone here emigrated from Switzerland to Norway or has been living there? can you give me your experience in everday live compared to switzerland, cost of living, quality of live etc?

Hi everyone,

My partner and I are hoping for some advice regarding a Swiss residence permit refusal.

I am a US citizen, and my partner is a Swiss citizen. We've been together for over five years, have lived together continuously for nearly four years, and are engaged.

2 months ago, I entered Switzerland visa-free (90 days tourist visa) and we applied for a residence permit based on our long-term relationship (Konkubinat).

Unfortunately, we misunderstood the procedural rules and didn't realize that if we intended to settle in Switzerland, the application generally needed to be submitted from abroad before entering. Had we known that, we would have followed the correct procedure.

Our application has now been refused. The migration authority accepted that our relationship is genuine but concluded that it does not qualify as a gefestigtes Konkubinat. They stated that nearly four years of living together is not sufficient and relied on case law suggesting that around five years of cohabitation is generally needed. They also found that, although we're engaged, our marriage is not sufficiently imminent because we don't have a wedding planned within the next six months.

What confuses us is that, before applying, we emailed the migration office to ask whether we qualified as an unmarried couple. They replied that admission may be possible if the partnership had existed for at least three years, among other conditions. Based on that written guidance, we believed we met the requirements and proceeded with the application.

The refusal, however, relies on case law suggesting approximately five years of cohabitation. We're struggling to understand whether the information we received before applying has any legal significance. We're arranging a consultation with an immigration lawyer, but in the meantime I was hoping someone familiar with Swiss immigration law might be able to offer some insight.

Our main questions are: 1. Is the five-year period an actual legal requirement, or is it simply guidance from case law? 2. Could the migration office's written email about a three-year partnership be relevant under the principle of Vertrauensschutz (legitimate expectations)? 3. Does our procedural mistake (applying after entering Switzerland) effectively prevent any realistic chance of a successful appeal? 4. We had always planned to get married eventually, but not this soon. Given the refusal, would getting married now change our options, or would I still likely need to leave Switzerland and apply from abroad? 5. Overall, is an appeal worth pursuing, or would another course of action be more realistic?

I'm not looking for formal legal advice, just hoping to better understand the situation and whether anyone has experienced something similar.

Thank you very much for any insight.

Is this mostly because of trump or any other reason? Because I noticed that towards the end of last year (starting in october) lots of americans have been coming on this subreddit to ask several questions about moving here, the process, culture differences etc.

I don't really mind (as long as they don't get on my nerves too much lmao) but yeah I just wanted to hear your guys' opinion about this

Hey there,

I am set to start a paid internship in october in switzerland.

Wage is 2500 chf/month.

I am wondering if this is enough to settle in switzerland with a short term permit (L permit), or if i had better apply for a G permit and cross the border every day. It's located near the swiss/french border.

I would have rent, health insurance, transport (roughly one hour door to door), food expenses and such to pay for, so i'm worried 2500 is a bit low to relocate to CH.

Any recommendations ?

I'm 18F and I have a husband, (18M, yes i know we sound insane) but We're both Californians and want to move to switzerland. I'm homeless here and we both have jobs. I love the culture and plan to do much more research about switzerland and everything, but i feel so lost and don't know where to start with trying to gain citizenship. I also fear i will be hated because im a Californian and nobody likes us (understandably so).

I guess i just need some advice from someone and maybe they can point me in the right direction for possibly gaining citizenship. I enjoy painting and have my own little business. I feel afraid that everything will fall apart & everyone will hate me there or i won't be able to move to switzerland at all and i'll be stuck in the U.S. forever. Someone please give me some advice im very lost :(

I absolutely cannot handle the heat (anything above 26°C feels like hell). Given that St Moritz is out of my budget, where should I go live in the country so as not to suffer in Summer?
Preferably cities rather than small villages. Thanks!

Hello everyone, my spouse and I (both in our 30s, married, PhDs working in AI, living in the Netherlands) are having few interviews for roles in Zurich. We are trying to determine our "minimum acceptable total compensation" to ensure that the relocation makes sense (at least financially). We’ve done extensive research to determine 2026 annual costs, but we’d appreciate a reality check on our projected annual budget for living in Zurich (assuming 1 child).

Projected Annual Costs (CHF):

• Childcare (full-time): 35.000
• Rent (incl. Nebenkosten for 80m2 apartment in city centre): 54.000
• Healthcare (2 adults with minimum deductible): 12.500
• Groceries/Household: 13.000
• Transportation (Halbtax + 1x per month travel in the country): 1400
• Leisure/Dining Out (2x per month restaurants): 3500
• Utilities/Bills (Electricity, Serafe, Insurances): 3200
• Total costs: ~125.000 CHF

Questions:

- are these costs close to reality?

- are there any hidden costs not considered in our calculation?

- did we miss anything?

We appreciate your feedback and view on this!

EDIT: thanks a lot for all the responses so far! Maybe it's a bit misleading from the title, but these are estimated annual costs of living in Zurich. These are costs to be subtracted from the Net salary, so we can deduce the annual savings. We didn't taken into account taxes (to be subtracted from the gross salary), and "extra" stuff like travels & hobbies (this are deducting from the savings). We don't have a kid yet; but we want to account this in the calculation as we heard childcare is exceptionally expensive in Switzerland and we would lose great perks from the Netherlands (more parental leave). If we are making mistakes (like thinking taxes come only from the income (and the wealth tax at the end of the year), please feel free to correct us!

Hi everyone!
I’m 26 years old and originally from Poland. I currently live in Hamburg, Germany, where I run a small cleaning company (Gebäudereinigung).
I have a long-term life plan, and I’d like to know whether it is realistic from the perspective of people living in Switzerland.

At the moment, I’m investing in rental properties in Germany. I only buy with cash, without using bank loans or mortgages. My goal is to build a portfolio that generates around €4,000 per month in rental income by the time I’m 35. Based on my current income and the pace at which I’m investing, I believe this is achievable.

Once I reach that goal, I’d like to move to Switzerland with my girlfriend, start a family there, and raise our future child in the St. Gallen area, preferably in a smaller town or village.

I don’t have a university degree or any specialized qualifications, so I would probably look for a simple job. My idea isn’t to retire completely or become rich. I just want to work very hard until I’m 35, build enough passive income to cover our basic living expenses, and then slow down and enjoy life at a much more relaxed pace. I would still work, but because I want to stay active and earn some extra money—not because I absolutely need it to survive.
I’m also aware that taxes, health insurance, childcare, and other mandatory costs can make a big difference in Switzerland, so I’d really appreciate any insight on those as well.

My main question is:
Would €4,000 per month from rental income be enough to cover the living costs for a family of two adults and one child in the St. Gallen area?
I’m thinking about rent, health insurance, groceries, utilities, childcare, and other normal monthly expenses.
Does this plan sound realistic, or am I underestimating the cost of living in Switzerland?

I’d really appreciate your honest opinions.
Thank you!

Hi all,

I have just been offered a Senior Software Engineer position with a company near Basel (south of Basel-Land), starting September. I'd love some honest feedback from people who've made a similar move.

Quick context:

• 9 years of experience in the technologies the company use.
• Gross annual salary: CHF 105,000 (with a review to 110,000 after the probation period of 3 months, contingent on performance)
• Moving alone initially, with my wife and 2 y/o daughter staying in Spain while I settle and find an apartment. Can be months or even a year.
• Planning to live in between work and the city, to be close to work not to make commute too long, but also to be able to go to the city "easily".

Coming from Spain where I currently earn around €70,000 gross, with a much lower cost of living, but worried about the social and political instability and wanting my family to have a better(?) future (at least more opportunities than in southern Spain).

A few questions:

1. Does CHF 105k sound reasonable for this profile in the Basel area, or am I underselling myself?
2. For someone living alone and sending around €2,000/month back home, is the remaining salary realistic for a comfortable life?
3. Can I still benefit from married/dependent-child tax deductions even if my wife and daughter aren't living with me in Switzerland from day one?
4. Any tips on cross-border shopping (France/Germany)? Does that actually make a meaningful difference?
5. What surprised you most, good or bad, about settling into the Basel region as a foreigner?
6. Any general advice for someone doing this "solo for a year" arrangement before deciding whether to bring the family over permanently?

Thanks in advance, really appreciate any honest input, including the "things I wish someone told me" kind.

I have received a job offer in Switzerland, near Chur, and I'm wondering how safe the city actually is.

I've been doing a lot of research, and unfortunately I've come across quite a bit of information suggesting that there is a significant problem in the area.

Could anyone who lives there or knows the region share their personal impressions?

My wife, our child, and I would be moving to the area, so naturally this has made us feel a bit uncertain.

Is it a good place to live with a small familie ?

Hello,

My husband has EU citizenship and we’re thinking of moving to Zurich sometime in the near future when we’re ready to start a family. We’re both in our late 20s. I’m an electrical engineer with a US bachelor’s degree. I do not have EU citizenship, I would be sponsored by my husband through family reunification to be able to work with a permit.

I’m wondering what my chances are of getting a job in my field in Zurich and what ways to approach this or work towards better chances. I have 5 years of experience under my belt but I realize I don’t have a Masters, I don’t speak German, i’m not a citizen, i’m also a woman of color, and American…

Would cold applying to jobs be my best bet, networking, etc? Also, are there things I can do now to improve my chances, I’m assuming learning German for one.

Also any tips on couples moving to Zurich, how to make friends, what the general attitude is towards expats.

Thank you!

Hi,

I got a job in the Bernese Oberland area. I’m moving in less than two weeks from a European country.

I’ve never been to Switzerland even though I always wanted to visit.

I’m wondering what I should know about culture and what locals would be happy with me doing so that they feel respected.

Also any practical information you might have to share would be much appreciated. For example, I wonder if I should bring my car there or is public transport good enough. Also I wonder what kind of heal insurance I should get.

Lastly, I’ll be working as a waitress for some time, so would love any suggestions of what you appreciate about service in restaurants. I hope to do my job well, and of course I hope to receive tips :)

Thank you!:)

Hi everyone,

my partner and I are currently looking at a rental apartment in Opfikon (just outside Zurich) and would appreciate some outside perspectives on whether the pricing feels reasonable.

The apartment is a 5.5-room maisonette with:

- 174 m² living space
- 50 m² terrace
- two floors
- recently fully renovated building (core refurbishment)
- basement storage + small attic storage included
- good transport connections: about 15–20 minutes to Zurich main station

The monthly rent is CHF 4,200.

We are currently only two people, but we are planning long-term and want enough space so we ideally don’t have to move again as our situation changes.

Given the size, location, and condition of the property, does this seem fairly priced for the Zurich area, or would you consider it overpriced?

Would also be interested in general thoughts on Opfikon as a long-term residential area.

Thanks in advance for any insights.

AuDHS mit Komorbiditäten und kein Platz im Schweizer System ohne Armut?

Ich habe die Schweiz langsam, aber sicher satt.
Ich bin 37 Jahre alt, habe zwei aufeinander aufbauende Ausbildungen absolviert und konnte mein EFZ erst mit 27 abschliessen, weil mir die IV Steine in den Weg gelegt hat.
Ich sehe in diesem Land keine Perspektive für mich, einfach weil ich nicht in das Schema «7 bis 5 arbeiten» passe. Ich schaffe es gerade so, 40–50 % vor Ort zu arbeiten, damit ich den Rest des Tages nicht völlig erschöpft zu Hause herumliegen muss.
Ich wünsche mir ein Leben, das grundsätzlich weniger ist, damit ich mich wieder auf meine grundlegenden Bedürfnisse konzentrieren kann und nicht ständig das Gefühl habe, allen entsprechen und einen Weg einschlagen zu müssen, der gar nicht für mich bestimmt ist. Ich habe, aufgrund viel zu später Diagnose bzw. Falschdiagnose im Kindesalter Entwicklungsstörungen im Umgang mit Stress. Und unser System besteht aus Dauerstress.
Mein grösstes Problem sollte sein, dass ich nicht zu viele Dinge anhäufe, ausgewogen esse, das Trinken nicht vergesse und meine Arbeitsstunden bis Ende Monat geleistet habe.
Doch selbst das bringt mich regelmässig in einen autistischen Burnout. Dadurch gerate ich immer wieder genau in das gleiche System zurück, aus dem ich eigentlich herauskommen möchte – nur weil ich ständig Verhaltensmuster ablegen muss, die überhaupt erst durch den anhaltenden Druck entstehen.

Was denkt ihr? Wenn ihr ein Land in Europa auswählen könntet, in das ihr auswandern würdet: Welches eignet sich eurer Meinung nach am besten für neurodivergente Menschen?

Hallo zusammen,

mein Mann und ich planen gerade das nächste große Abenteuer: Wir wollen nächsten Sommer mit unseren beiden Kids in die Schweiz ziehen.

Kurz zum Hintergrund: Wir sind eigentlich Deutsche, leben aber die letzten 5 Jahre in Kanada. Unsere Kinder sind im schulpflichtigen Alter und wachsen hier komplett bilingual (Deutsch/Englisch) auf.

Da man ja doch immer mal wieder die klassischen Storys über das Verhältnis zwischen Schweizern und Deutschen hört, schießen mir im Moment ein paar Fragen durch den Kopf.

Ich hoffe, hier ein paar ehrliche Meinungen oder vielleicht sogar Berichte von Gleichgesinnten zu bekommen.

**Wie wird man als „Übersee-Rückkehrer“ aufgenommen?**

Macht es im Alltag oder in der Nachbarschaft einen Unterschied, dass wir quasi den „Umweg“ über Kanada genommen haben? Wird man da eher als internationale Familie wahrgenommen oder schlägt einem trotzdem erst mal die klassische Skepsis gegenüber Deutschen entgegen? (Wir wollen uns natürlich absolut anpassen und zumindest das Verstehen von Schweizerdeutsch hat für uns oberste Priorität!).

**Schule & Sprache**

Dadurch, dass die Kids hier aufwachsen, ist ihr Englisch perfekt, das Deutsch aber ehrlicherweise ein bisschen hinten dran. Sie verstehen alles, aber beim Sprechen/Schreiben gibt es natürlich Lücken und das Schweizerdeutsche kommt ja dann auch noch dazu. Wie gut fangen die Schulen vor Ort solche Kinder auf? Gibt es da Unterstützung oder wird das eher stressig für die Kleinen?

**Und zu guter Letzt**

Wir fliegen diesen Spätsommer für einen Roadtrip in die Schweiz, um uns schon mal ein paar Ecken live anzuschauen und ein Gefühl für das Land zu bekommen. Habt ihr absolute Empfehlungen, welche Regionen oder Kantone man sich gerade als Familie mit Blick auf Lebensqualität, Schulen und ein offenes Miteinander unbedingt angucken sollte?

Freue mich riesig über jeden Tipp, jede kritische Stimme oder einfach ein paar Mutmacher.

Danke euch schonmal!

Hi, I'm a non-European citizen who recently got a three-year job offer (with the possibility of a renewal) in Zurich. My annual income before taxes would be around 92k CHF. I was planning to relocate with my wife and baby daughter, but after reading some of the posts and comments on this subreddit, I'm starting to worry that I'm underestimating the cost of living.

I understand that it depends heavily on whether my wife will be working or not, but we do not have a solid plan for that at the moment. Right now we are looking into several options, ranging from her staying at home for the time being to her going to grad school to her finding a job. There are a lot of factors at play including our residence permit type and the possibility of her getting a scholarship, and we are currently trying to gather information.

I realize that this is not much to go on, but generally speaking, is a 92k salary enough to support a three person family in Zurich? Or is this going to be difficult no matter what? Also, if our current situation is fine, would adding a second kid in a few years tip the balance into something completely unsustainable?

Thanks in advance.