A recent survey of expats presents Switzerland as a double edged sword. The survey, which covers 59 nations, ranks Switzerland near the top on quality of life but near the bottom on cost.
In the ranking by InterNations, Switzerland is listed 30 out of 59 countries overall for its attractiveness to expats. However, its score contains both bright and a dark spots.
On quality of life, Switzerland ranked 9th. 99% of those surveyed said they were happy with the natural environment, ranking the nation second behind only New Zealand on this sub-measure. Peacefulness (95%), sanitation (95%), air quality (89%), transport infrastructure (96%) and political stability (91%) were other strong points.
Most expats (85%) also agreed that the Swiss economy was strong making Switzerland a good place to work.
On the other hand Switzerland performed badly on socialising and affordability.
Many Swiss-based expats reported that it was a hard to integrate into Swiss life. On this aspect Switzerland ranked 52nd. 28% reported not feeling at home and 61% said it was hard to make local friends. 52% said they relied on friendships with other expats, a percentage higher than the 32% average reported across the whole survey. Needing to learn a local dialect was a challenge cited by some respondents.
Finally, Switzerland was considered the second most challenging destination in terms of cost, ranking 58th, just above Hong Kong at 59th. 65% of expats reported being dissatisfied with the cost of living in Switzerland. The cost of healthcare in particular was cited negatively by 34% of respondents.
More on this:
InterNations survey (in English)
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Lynx says
My quality of life is badly affected by the costs. I’d love to buy an e-car (or a hybrid), but the cost is more than double that of an equivalent fossil-fuel car. My costs have risen much more than my salary. 20 years ago, I could afford to eat in restaurants / go out partying every night, on half my current salary. Now, I’m lucky if I can do this once a month. They say 1 in every 10 Swiss is a millionaire, but can I find one? No – maybe they don’t go out here as it is too expensive.
C says
Shame they didn’t ask about the quality of commuting in Switzerland, and how everyone seems to think they are kinfgs of the road sitting in the middle lane of the autobahn, and when roadworks are being done, the second lane is not wide enough to fit a shopping cart down it. I agree it’s super expensive to live here unless you have a good salary. I do find myself though that the people in the countryside are very friendly, but those in the city are usually come across as aggressive almost, especially the drivers. Swiss drivers are really terrible. Single mindedness comes to mind in a lot of areas
Jason says
As an expat who has lived in Switzerland for the past 17 years I can attest to the difficulty of befriending Swiss people but you must first speak the language of your area to ever hope to integrate. If not then 25% of Swiss residents are foreigners, supplying an adequate amount of possible friends to choose from. As far as expenses go, yes Switzerland has the most expensive food in Europe, the home costs are high and on and on. However one must simply learn the ways in which to save/spend less. We are home owners in the Alps and live off of a very low income by Swiss standards. As a family of four we must earn more than 88’000CHF per year (which we do not) or our heath insurance cost is automatically subsidize. The remaining cost is super low. Then we are given money quarterly for our two children without asking for it. On top of that we pay basically no taxes due to our low income. Coming from the U.S. where you are financially punished for having a low income I can say from experience that the Swiss system is more than fair. Yes,if you earn a large income you will pay more for health insurance and taxes. Even your speeding tickets will cost more (the Swiss fine you based on your income), but it’s very fair here. Did I mention we never lock our doors? It’s super safe, clean, healthy and one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
pm says
Also after retirement many people struggle with their life. the retirement money does not cover costs of living, specifically for those who didn’t have a higher salary during working period.
Even they they receive a supplementary benefit, so called ; ERGÄNZUNGSLEISTUNGEN, they still having to struggle to pay their costs of a decent life.
QQ says
I don’t agree with the sanitation score as it is not hard to see used face mask everywhere in the street, also food packaging, dogs’ poo, cig butts in Geneva. One thing I find most unacceptable is that smoking is allowed at bus stops or the ashtrays are put at the entrance of bldgs or shopping centers. These are places I visit almost every day and I am forced to take in second-hand nicotine.
Ricardo Jorge Mateus Albino says
geneva it is dirt. not as the rest of the country. outdoors the nicotine doesnt get into you…and for sure you still have a lot of space where you can walk without the smell.