Zurich consistently gets high scores for its quality of living but also ranks among the most expensive cities in the world. Does one compensate for the other? Here’s what readers of The Local told us.
This is the question we put to our readers who reside in the city and canton: Is the quality of life in Zurich really worth the high cost of living?
As expected, some survey participants think Zurich is much overpriced, while others say living there “is worth every penny.”
Not worth it
First, the ‘No’ camp
According to one reader, Daniel, “the cost of housing is much too high for the standard of living. There is a lot to offer, but many people cannot participate due to [the] high cost of these things.”
For another reader too, Zurich is also “way too expensive.”
“Coming from Central Europe, we also have perfect transportation, minimal crime, air conditioning everywhere, prepared for summers just as much as for winters,” they said. “The housing in Zürich is out of common sense, starts at 3K for a family for a month. Some people are earning just above that.”
And then there was this response: “From my perspective, we’ve become lulled into the collective mindset of high prices equaling high quality in the city of Zurich,” said Jeff from Canada. “While there are many aspects that contribute to the high costs of living, most importantly the salaries, cracks are visible in the areas of public transport (i.e. increasing delays or breakdowns on trains, busses and trams), declining customer service quality and inflated prices in cafös and restaurants are amongst examples where the quality puts the high costs into question. Other cities are simply becoming better than Zurich – such as Vienna and Milan.”
Another reader told The Local: “Because of the high living costs many of [the] ‘quality’ living services are not affordable to low or middle-class citizens; many of them struggle to cover basic living costs such as rent and food, everything above that for them is pure luxury. In my opinion Zürich is overpriced”.
Harry from the USA offered a more philosophical take on the issue: “Everything in life is a trade-off. Moving to either extreme end is never good in the long run.”
‘The cost is worth it’
For other readers, however, the benefits of living in Zurich outweigh its downsides.
For Dennis, “though the cost of living is high, it is a price one pays for decent infrastructure, safety and an excellent system for bringing up children.”
His assessment was shared by Montel, who said that “especially with children, the cost is worth it for the education, available activities. and safety. But the cost of housing remains too high,” he added.
Cavidan from Turkey also sees definite advantages in Zurich.
“Security, international environment that is better than in other cities in terms of inclusion and diversity, cultural activities, international schools, easy access to the airport… makes Zurich one of the best cities to live in despite the high cost of living,” he noted.
Comments on The Local’s Facebook page also offer a glimpse into how Zurich residents view their city.
While some said they would not want to live in such an expensive place, another, Isabella, offered a different perspective.
For her, living in Zurich “is worth every penny. By contrast: I’ve lived in London and I could never have had the same lifestyle there. I was a hairdresser in Zurich, had a large apartment and could afford to go on a holiday once or twice a year.”
READ MORE: Why is world’s most expensive city also the best to live in?
