hello i am another uk banker looking to flee the UK

I am a married man with a 6th month old baby

i am looking for a quide to working out how to compare salary offerings between london and zurich

i am on a very good salary in london 150k so i am trying to work out after taxes insurances etc what would be the equivalent salary in zurich...

then with the equivalent salary what city would offer the best quality of life.

salaries in my profession seem to me to be lower in switzerland. the cost of living in switerland doesnt seem lower the london either.

i get confused re total tax/insurance take in switzerland is it roughly about 30% of income ?

so in a nut shell i am trying to work out the benefits of all the hassle of moving to switzerland

thanks for your help

And what particular profession are you in?

Edit: Woops sorry didnt see the first line...DUUUHHH

Think of it like this.

If you earned 150k in the UK, didn't have to pay council tax, didn't pay national insurance and your total outgoings from tax and other expenditures (health care etc.) came out to 30%..you would be a lot better off.
That is how Switzerland works.
Now add in Public transport is cheaper, housing is bigger and of a better standard + you live 20mins from some mountains and/or a lake and you understand the appeal of the place.

You could take massive cut in your UK salary and still go home with the same amount of money in your pocket.

As a Londoner with children I would say Zürich has been a great place to live and bring up the kids.

In terms of expense I find London really expensive, having spent half term in the capital - let me just plug Crystal Palace football team here - good luck on Wednesday, you were brilliant against Villa on the 14th.

Your ability to speak some variation of the local language will have some bearing on whether you can maximise the opportunities here.

As for salary if you are interviewing and successful the relevant company will give you a good idea of your take home pay (although they cannot be totally on the mark unless you know for sure where you want to live).

Good luck

In a nutshell: yes, taxes are lower. However, on the whole, my husband and I have realized that day-to-day expenses are higher.

For example, 5dl of beer runs about 8 CHF (smaller than a pint). 1 Kg ground beef? 10-12 CHF. A small chicken? 13-14 CHF. A decent iron? 125 CHF on up. Rent for a 2 br apartment runs about 2,400 CHF on up. Health insurance costs about 600-700 CHF for two people.

It ends up almost a wash. You don't end up paying council tax or as high of income taxes, but random things are quite expensive.

Don't base your move solely on monetary reasons. Do keep in mind that your wife, should she choose to work, might have trouble getting a job with a baby. Do you have friends here? How close are you to your family, especially with that new baby?

I'm not going to deny that Switzerland is a great place to live - it's awesome. It's just not 'paradise' or the answer to all of your problems.

This is very true, you will not find a paradise, no where is. There are as many problems in Switzerland as in the UK, they are just different problems.
I would also say those figures are on the high side.
Meat though is really expensive, if you want to eat beef everyday or eat out in a restaurant 3 times a week you will need to get a 2nd job on top of your day job.

i'd say rule of thumb, to have around the same pocket money comparing london to switzerland you need to convert your UK salary by £1 = 2CHF. So in your case looking at a 300kCHF salary.

30% is a reasonable rule of thumb to factor Swiss taxes, but beware of higher living costs too!

At 300k the a slightly higher cost of living isnt going to affect things. Just decide if it's what you want mate. Its much safer and cleaner and clockwork out here, but there's less life around - depends on how you live. if you like london cos of the social scene, booze after work, resteraunts, theatre and all that then i would stay there. If you want quiet nights in with your wife and kid then yes it's a good option.

Unless your job is in absolute danger and no more opportunities are coming up in UK, think twice, weigh thrice !!

On that kind of salary over there you could occaisionally hire a helicopter to come over here if you like it that much, living here is a whole different ball game...

thanks guys for your prompt replies .. food for thought

I'm gonna tell Gordon Brown about you. He knows where you live

	Quote:	pimlico
	hello i am another uk banker looking to flee the UK