Hi all,

I know we've all got very different lifestyles, and figures will vary wildly, but I've been having a discussion with a friend of mine regarding the cost of "entertainment" and food in ZH.

Now I'm end 20's, not a morning person and work silly hours, so my (binge) drinking will be restricted to the weekends. Food shopping will be a mixture of Aldi and COOP/Migros. I don't really eat out much (might like a curry once a month or so).

I reckon that on 1500chf a month, it's possible to have 2 or three good weekends out a month (8 pinters - no shots), and manage to eat more than beans on toast.

He however believes (after looking at the cost of a pint) that I need to double that figure. This is just the entertainment side of things. Rent, savings, insurance etc is already taken care of.

So who reckons that they can do a couple of EF socials a month, and a weekend or two out AND feed themselves for a month on 1500 chf. I know it really depends on just how much one hates their liver......

Can it be done?

I manage perfectly adequately on a similar amount each month, and I would hardly consider myself the Temperance Society's Ship's Biscuit of the Month.

Your friend must live on champagne and caviar.

I suspect he's talking out of a certain area, however as I said, we all have different lifestyles )) I'm more of a bottle of wine every few days and a raging knees up occasionally type of person.

Just found a flat. 2 weeks till I find out for myself!

It's perfectly doable! However there are some cheaper and some more expensive venues which depends not only on the location. I'm sorry to say that but in Zurich the pubs where some of the English speaking expats tend to gather are among the more expensive places.

It's however also possible to burn through 1.5kCHF a month on night-outs alone without buying any food except the anti-hangover kebabs...

If you want to stay on the safe side, start your first night-outs with mineral water and work your way up to beer and the 12 years old single malt from under the counter as you gain experience...

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