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| Ours are similar age, 12, 10, 4.
Expenses (Monthly)
Rent 2120 incl the 'heating' etc. (we struggled to get a 5.5 room apartment under 2000)
Electricity - 60 - that includes having a washing machine and dryer that runs every day, lighting, stove and computers.
Phone and ADSL - 120
Public transport - 250chf for two adults, up-front cost 150chf each for halbtax cards and also 30chf for each of the to older kids for 'family' cards.
Food and other general household expenses (some clothing, prepaid mobile vouchers, replacement of things like the toaster when it blew up).
Health insurance - basic with some supplemental - 850.
Additional cash for paying the 'gap' between franchise and insurance for doctor's appointments and incidental medications - 250chf per month (don't always use it, but it's really bad if you avoid going to the doctor because you can't afford it).
Set up costs will be high. Our apartment is virtually 100% second-hand furniture which we have 'upgraded' over time with higher quality second-hand stuff. We brought in all our kitchen basics, clothing and shoes, linen, towels, bedding, kids books and toys, and our setup cost over the first 3 months was covered with savings and basically we did one Ikea run for the absolute basics (we slept on mattresses on the floor and ate off a 50cm bar table for the first two weeks !)....
That gives absolutely no budget for anything extra for school (assuming kids will go to the local swiss school) - or holidays back home.
We were 100% car dependent in Sydney, but we have lived now for 4 years without a car and rarely miss it...
It all depends how much your 'lifestyle' matters to you, and whether your wife can land a second job, and how happy you are to put your kids into the local school system. You certainly won't have choice of schooling on that budget, and your wife would need to have a very substantial profession to off-set the cost of childcare. Childcare costs would be easily 1000 - 1500 per month, per child, if you needed full time care because both parent were working....
We live on the edge of Zurich city. I'm sure you could get cheaper rent the further you get out of town, but ultimately if you can get away without running a car, and don't have major debts, and have enough savings to get through the transition phase, and your wife is resourceful and you have a strong marriage, and can adapt to the language... those are lots of 'ifs'.
Our lifestyle definitely relies on being a dual-income family at the moment...and with two incomes we can afford to pay school/childcare fees, extras like music and sport lessons for one child who likes these things, holidays, and paying off debt... | |
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Thanks your post is very useful. You didn't mention the value for "Food and other general household expenses". I would like to know that since our families are the same size.