Certain institutions and disciplines will be more expensive than others. The average cost for a whole bachelor’s degree is around CHF 25,000. In contrast, fees for universities in Switzerland are substantially lower and exceptionally reasonable compared to other leading educational institutions. See our guide to international schools in Switzerland. Expat employees, however, can often negotiate to include education expenses in their employment package. Competition for places is stiff and tuition fees are expensive, ranging anywhere from CHF 25,000 to CHF 100,000 per year. Read more about schools in Switzerland to help you decide.Īn alternative option is a private or an international school, which follows international curriculums in native languages. There are also bilingual Swiss schools that teach the Swiss curriculum in a local language and English, with annual fees up to CHF 25,000. However, as lessons are taught in one of the canton’s official languages, international children who don’t speak French, German, Italian or Romansh can struggle. Public schools are state-funded, meaning tuition fees do not exist.

The state education system in Switzerland is recognized to be one of the best in the world. Online cost surveyors estimate Geneva’s cost of living to be: Mercer ranked the cost of living in Geneva as the eighth-highest in the world. Online cost surveyors rank Zurich as having the highest costs for meals at an inexpensive restaurant, fitness clubs, imported beer, and taxis, estimating the total cost of living to be: Zurich was ranked as the world’s fourth-most expensive city in Mercer’s 2021 report, and the most expensive city in Europe.

You can compare the average salaries in Switzerland. While the average Swiss household expenditure is considerably higher than neighboring European countries, the cost of living in Switzerland is supported by superior wages and high living standards – an advantage many expats working in Switzerland find particularly appealing.

Average monthly apartment rent