IS there a good website link etc which can compare the cost of living Switzerland vs germany. I am planning to move to Germany with a salary pacage of 90K euros as against 140K CHF here. How do i compare.

The salary is a little higher. The tax is way higher in Germany as is VAT. Fuel is cheaper in CH.

For a website, try Google.

although you pay more tax... cost of living in Germany is a fraction of that in Switzerland so work out how much your left with after your salary has been taxed. Then decide!!!

Hi,

Only wanted to reinforce what the others said. Get a tax calculation done in both countries and work out what's left. Cost of living is siginificantly cheaper in Germany but do check out accommodation costs as some citiies, eg Munich, have high accommodation costs not incomparable to Switzerland.

HTH

Where in Germany? I agree, taxes are higher and you really see it on your net.

On the other hand, cost of living is indeed slightly lower than in Switzerland. I lived in Frankfurt for 5 years and I was surprised about how - for example, a take-out order of simple Thai food is nearly twice as high in Zurich.

But it's more than salary, cost of living, etc. At the end of the day you have to decide which culture you could tolerate more. I can't say anything about the Swiss culture because I've never really lived there. Just visited on many occasions but they're not enough to make a proper assessment.

In Frankfurt, it was generally fine. You pick your crowd, you learn how to ignore unpleasant things, etc... I guess it will be the same strategy in Zurich in the event.

The amount of Germans arriving in CH says a lot.

DC

And if you somehow, like me, end up on the dole queue suddenly after a few years working, you are certainly better off in Switzerland.

but good for honing your German speaking abilities ... my mate is now doing his first three months of RAV and is being sponsored through intensive business German ... try that at your local UK dole office ...

i second that.

i have a number of colleagues who resigned from our bank and are now in zurich. i can count up to 6 who did that over the course of the past 2 years. ask them if they ever see themselves going back to germany to work again and they all say 'no' in concert! they cite the following as reasons: a) quality of life is better b) they get pay higher c) taxes are lower d) you have the mountains

you do have more holidays in Germany... I think it's 30 days paid holidays per year...

Based on your salary numbers (EUR 90k vs CHF 140k), you will have:

6% less in Switzerland than Germany on a gross salary basis, but
19% more in Switzerland after tax, social insurance and health insurance (if you are single)

BUT:
The cost of living is 28% higher in Switzerland than Germany

RESULT:
That leaves you with about 10% less purchasing power than in Germany
And you will work 15% more hours in Switzerland to achieve it.

Does that help?

________________________________________________
To work out the taxes in Germany you can use:
http://www.parmentier.de/steuer/wagetax.htm

On a gross salary of EUR 90,000 you would pay 45.5% in tax plus social charges. But you would have health insurance for you and your family included in this amount.

For Zurich taxes, look at:
http://www.steueramt.zh.ch/html/steu...e_personen.htm

On CHF 140,000 in Zurich you would pay 20% in tax plus 7.5% in social charges (AHV), but not have health insurance included. Add CHF 5,000 a year for health insurance - or 3.5% of income based on CHF 140k - for a single person. If you have family add CHF 3,500 - 4,000 for each additional member of the family.

Working hours:
Swiss people on average work 15% more hours in a year than in Germany.
Average hours worked in a week in Switzerland is 42, in Germany 38.
State-guaranteed vacation is 4 weeks in Switzerland, 6 weeks in Germany.
Germany has an extra 5 days of public holidays.

Dear Dingo

Thanks for your reply...its excellant. Not I have to check how much additional I save it due to children (3 nos) in Switzerland since this tax free here. I might not get kindergeld in Germany due to tax bracket.
thnaks once again.

Aside from a slight differential, can you factor in what your career prospects might be in one country vs. the other? Not always easy, but if so many Germans are saying they prefer to live in CH, then there must be something going on...

fduvall

You also get 6K a year tax allowance for each child in Switzerland.

I have 5 kids - wahoooooooooo!

Five kids!

Not a quiet moment at your place then, I am sure!

The previous poster mentioned things like Kindergeld or tax allowances for children, etc. It is important to take these into account - they can really add up.