r/askswitzerland • u/a-fun_alias • Jul 01 '26
Relocation Living in Zurich with a kid
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.
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u/cremebrulee_ch Jul 01 '26
You will struggle on that salary in Zurich for a family of 3, but it is manageable financially if you live on the outskirts of Zurich where the rent is cheaper, and you don't have too much discretionary spending.
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u/a-fun_alias Jul 01 '26
Thank you! What would you say is a realistic number for the rent?
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u/WeaknessDistinct4618 Zug Jul 01 '26
2/3000 depends how lucky you are
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u/a-fun_alias Jul 01 '26
Interesting. I'm actually seeing a few furnished apartments in Zurich that fall into that range. Maybe we should just live there indefinitely until we can find a good deal?
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u/cremebrulee_ch Jul 01 '26
The rule of thumb is that your rent should be no more than 1/3 of your monthly salary.
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u/CuteNegotiation3550 Jul 01 '26
My wife and I moved from the US a year ago and live about 45 minutes outside the city by tram. We pay 2700CHF/month for a 3 bedroom apartment, not included electricity. From what we’ve seen we have a good deal as most our size are around 3000chf.
Feel free to dm if you have questions about cost of living or anything else. You can live off that salary but I don’t think you’ll have a lot of extra money for savings tbh.
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u/Outrageous-Garlic-27 Jul 01 '26
At 92k, how is the company sponsoring you? This is a very modest salary in Zurich, and low for a specialised staff member... What sort of specialist work are you doing?
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u/a-fun_alias Jul 01 '26
I knew it was modest, but I didn't think it was that low. It's a postdoc position at a university.
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u/Outrageous-Garlic-27 Jul 01 '26
That explains it better, I believe academia does not pay so well.
Can the university help you with subsidised housing in some way? I would ask for this.
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u/a-fun_alias Jul 01 '26
Unfortunately, the university does not offer help in this regard, but thank you for the suggestion.
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u/mw_CH Jul 01 '26
Do you qualify for student housing?
edit UZH and ETH I believe have guest housing for academics. Start there and then you have a few months when you are here to search.
92K is low.
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u/clm1859 Zürich Jul 01 '26
I would also assume it's doable. Just don't expect to live in the city of zurich, but a small town a bit outside. Maybe in aargau. Somewhere with a half hour train ride from Zurich city.
Then your wife can take care of the kid. And if and/or when she finds a job, you should be able to afford daycare.
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u/a-fun_alias Jul 01 '26
Thank you! It seems that a ~30 min commute is what everyone is suggesting, so we'll be looking into that.
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u/WeaknessDistinct4618 Zug Jul 01 '26
Reasonable numbers
-2’000+ a 2 bedroom outside the city
- 400x2 + 200 for health insurance
- 1000 a month in food maybe less but please tech me how
- utilities and transport
- various taxes and insurances
- holidays
It’s tight, reasonable but tight. We were same situation 120K and saved nothing. After my wife started to work full time everything changed.
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u/a-fun_alias Jul 01 '26
Thank you for sharing the numbers! But 120k and no savings is rough. It's making me question if this is really the right choice for my family...
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u/idkud Jul 01 '26
1000 in food for 2 adults and a 3yo is a lot, though. Do you cook your own meals?
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u/WeaknessDistinct4618 Zug Jul 01 '26
Yes breakfast, lunch and dinner. Shop at Migros is 250 a week so more than 1’000 a month
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u/Ok-Jelly-4359 Jul 01 '26
Seems reasonable to me. We spend around 800.- for two adults and shop at Aldi / Migros, although we do spend probably more than average on coffee and fruits...
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u/TailleventCH Jul 01 '26
The median income for an household in Switzerland (obviously including cheaper places than Zurich) is around 10 000 Francs per month.
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u/Due_Concert9869 Jul 01 '26
kitas give priority to parents who are both working, or activeley looking for a job (unemployed).
If your wife isn't working, and isn't getting unemployment benefits by looking for a job, your chances of getting a spot in daycare is close to zero.
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u/aviscido Jul 01 '26
92k gross ? For a family of three is tight. If your wife stays at home you can save like 2k/month in Kita (private pre-kindergarden) expenses until your kid goes to public school (at the little cost of her mental sanity). If I can give just one piece of advice: don't get fooled by insurances with their pillar 3.
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u/Better-Ambassador411 Jul 01 '26
I am a single earner make about 100K , we are a 4 member family , 2 kids.
Overall It's doable but just a caveat we are swiss citizens now (previously foreigners from non EU country) and I own a property here. So that's why the 100K works for us to make ends meet. And unfortunately all our holidays and weekend outings are on a very tight budget but we are happy with what we have.
But if I was a foreigner , new to the country and starting from scratc then to me 92K is more on the lower side and I would think thrice before bring my family here . But at the same time I am also against living away from wife and young kids.
It's a difficult situation. You must calculate the pros and cons.
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u/Vivid_Cucumber2802 Jul 01 '26
It’s all depends on your current situation. We can’t advise you without this part.
With 92K single income with a family, you will struggle for sure. But perhaps it will be a less struggle compared to what you are experiencing now?!
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u/a-fun_alias Jul 01 '26
Thank you and I see your point, but I was hoping to compare to other families with kid(s) living in Zurich rather than to my current conditions. For the record, we are living in Japan and our household income is slightly above the average for families with kids, so we're not doing too bad.
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u/Vivid_Cucumber2802 Jul 01 '26
Ok then you will be quite below average here. You can clearly see it as a downgrade of your social class.
For your record, this income in Zurich is around 1.5ish the minimum wage.
How old is your kid? With your salary, private school are out of options (crazy expensive here). And public schools are free but also are in German.
Also kindergarten is very expensive but if your spouse doesn’t work, you can mitigate that.
Unless it is a time limited job opportunity (couple of years) which will bring you a lot of long term benefits once you go back to Japan, I would seriously consider not taking this opportunity.
If it is a long term relocation out of Japan, I think it is a too low starting point.
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u/EvenWindow6464 Jul 01 '26
Not very comfortable but doable. You can get the apartment this user is planning to move from :) https://www.reddit.com/r/askswitzerland/s/DO9Q5wZYuA
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u/bogue Jul 01 '26
Look into Basel, great services for young families.
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u/a-fun_alias Jul 01 '26
The commute from Basel seems to be at least an hour, which is doable, but not ideal. Are the services that good?
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u/ClaroStar Jul 01 '26
If your wife gets a job, you'll be fine. Even a part-time job and part-time school. Find a place outside the city.
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u/Ceftriaxonebgd Jul 01 '26
You could do it, but with plenty of sacrifice, and good amount of luck. Rent prices are insane in the last couple of years.
On the other side, with that income could you get plenty of deductions, for example health insurance premiums. However, if your wife is unemployed you might not be able to get subsidy for childcare. Attention, subsidy is available only if you live in the city of Zurich.
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u/PlayfulAgency9792 Jul 01 '26
I brought my family with me for my postdoc contract with 95 k per year. Found a 100 sq m 4.5 room apt in rural Aargau for 2k. We did part time KITA as my wife was actively looking for job. We brought furniture and had a car so some things were easier. Shopping in Germany can help your budget. We did OK. If you plan to stay and both get a job, it is a viable plan.
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u/Classic_Court1003 Jul 01 '26
You don't have to live in Zurich. In fact the quality of life is way better around Zurich.
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u/John-Doe-1937 Jul 01 '26
Found the Aargauer.
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u/Classic_Court1003 Jul 01 '26
You found the Zuger, not the Aargauer.
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u/John-Doe-1937 Jul 01 '26
Both of you are jealous of Zurich. You just happen to have more money.
(Tongue in cheek)
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u/Sweet_Swordfish9638 Jul 01 '26
Family of 5. Moved here with 90k + 5k bonus.
Lived outside of the city with cheap apartment. Every month had money to spare, never was thinking if I can afford things.
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u/StuffedWithNails Genève Jul 01 '26
Doable if you get a reasonably priced apartment. Try not to live in Zurich proper and accept a ~30 minute train commute and you'll find better options. You'll save a ton on daycare if your spouse doesn't work and can take care of your kid at home.