Eleven pros and cons of living in Switzerland
While from afar Switzerland might look like a perfect country, it has its flaws as well. If you are planning to move here, it’s good to have an honest look at both the good and the bad (though, thankfully, never ugly).
Switzerland is a hugely popular destination for foreign nationals, attracted to the country’s high wages, quality of life, natural beauty, and maybe even all that cheese and chocolate.
All that is true, but there is also the flipside: important things that anyone settling here needs to know about.
Since it’s always good to end on a high note, let’s begin this overview with the negative aspects of living in Switzerland.
Con: The cost of living
It is no secret that Switzerland’s largest cities, the ones where foreigners usually settle because that’s where most job opportunities can be found, are among the most expensive in the world.
Study after study shows that prices for most common goods and services like food, entertainment and public transportation in Zurich and Geneva, and sometimes also in Basel, Bern, and Lausanne, are higher than in most other major European cities.
However, if looked from a different perspective, there are some indications that, if you take into account the purchasing power of an average resident as compared to other nations, Switzerland may not be as expensive after all.
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: Why Switzerland’s cost of living isn’t as high as you think
Con: Swiss-German
If you move to the French or Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, you will have to learn the local language — but that particular inconvenience exists whenever you move to a new country.
However, if you happen to be settling in the Swiss-German regions, mastering the local language could be a major headache.
While German is difficult at the best of times, Swiss German can be especially challenging.
The spoken form doesn’t have much in common with High German, with many native German speakers saying they cannot understand a word. Swiss German speakers have also been known to switch to English rather than speak High German.
READ MORE: Swiss German tips and quirks: Your introduction to ‘Dialekt’
Con: Bureaucracy
To be fair, Switzerland is not the only country on the face of the earth where bureaucracy is alive and well, but the Swiss officials seem to be especially fond of it.
Various rules and regulations micromanage many aspects of people’s lives, and you will have to tackle a lot of paperwork on a pretty regular basis.
Almost everything you do in Switzerland requires a pile of documents — for example, you have to register and de-register at your local municipality or commune every time you move.
Also, at one time or another while residing in Switzerland you will be asked to prove where you live, or that you don’t have a criminal record, or that you are not being pursued for debts.
Each of these requires you to get an official document, and pay for it as well.
READ MORE: The most essential pieces of paperwork you’ll need in Switzerland
Con: Aloofness
The Swiss have a reputation for being stand-offish, especially towards foreigners.
Whether or not this is actually true of all Swiss in all the regions is debatable, but there is some evidence indicating that this is the case at least some of the time.
READ MORE: ‘Foreigners rather than equals’: How Switzerland is failing immigrants
As a reader survey conducted by The Local in 2021 demonstrated, The Swiss "approach friendships the same way they do everything else: slowly and cautiously”.
Con: Early closures
This may not be a deal-breaker, but many foreigners moving to Switzerland from countries with a ‘24/7’ retail culture are shocked that virtually everything closes here after 6:30 pm on weekdays and whole days on Sundays.
Swiss businesses — including shops — can open from Monday to Friday between 6 am and 9 pm, and on Saturdays until 6 pm. However, even within these parameters, it is rare to find a store that stays open until 9pm.
By the same token, Sundays are “quiet days” which means that grass can’t be mowed and other noisy activities are off limits on this day.
READ MORE: Why is everything in Switzerland closed on Sundays – and what can you do instead?
However, you may be more sympathetic towards these rules if you know that they derive from the “positive side” of Switzerland: life-work balance (see below).
Now let’s move on to some of the advantages of living in Switzerland.
Apart from high salaries and a high quality of life, these are the perks you can expect:
Pro: Beauty nearly everywhere
There are very few places anywhere in Switzerland that can’t be described as “picturesque”, “quaint” or “stunning”.
Whether you are visiting cities, countryside, or mountains, everything around you is going to be… yes, picturesque, and most likely very clean as well.
And since Switzerland is small and compact, you don’t have to travel far or long to find yourself surrounded by ...stunning nature.
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: Why are major Swiss cities so expensive?
Pro: Infrastructure
Switzerland has a well-developed infrastructure, with excellent roads, wifi connectivity, telecommunications, railroads, and other systems that are vital to a country's economic development and prosperity.
When "everything works", life becomes easier and more convenient — even if shops close early!
Pro: Mobility
Switzerland has a dense network of trains, buses, and trams, which means it is not necessary for you to own a car in order to travel from point A to point B.
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: Why PostBuses are true Swiss icons
True, Swiss public transportation is not cheap, but various international surveys have ranked it among the best, most punctual, and cleanest in Europe.
Pro: Life-work balance
Yes, the Swiss work a lot, but they also draw a number of benefits from their employment.
Among them are annual and compassionate leaves, as well as Switzerland’s labour law which protects the workforce from mistreatment.
Also, many companies offer their employees an advantageous collective agreement negotiated with the trade unions, which protects their salaries and work conditions.
READ MORE: What is a Swiss collective bargaining agreement — and how could it benefit you?
Pro: Vocational training
Switzerland excels in the field of “apprenticeships”.
Compulsory education ends in Switzerland at age 16, when students have a choice between going to a university or opting for a three-year vocational education and training (VET).
More than two-thirds opt for a VET pathway, a three-year, dual-track programme that includes two days in a vocational school and three days getting an on-the-job training in their chosen sector.
It includes a variety of fields such as business and commercial, administration, retail, tourism, construction, information technology, arts, wellness services, as well as various trades — in all, 230 professions, according to the Educationsuisse platform.
READ MORE : Why is vocational training so popular in Switzerland and how much can I earn?
Pro: Democracy
Switzerland’s system of grass-roots direct democracy is unique in the world.
The cornerstone of Swiss democracy is the regular use of referendums, in which citizens vote on all kinds of local, cantonal, and national political issues.
They can also create new laws and amend the country’s Constitution by bringing forth various proposals and initiatives to the ballot box.
All this means that the Swiss get the kind of government and country they themselves choose to have.
READ MORE: How Switzerland’s direct democracy system works
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Switzerland is a hugely popular destination for foreign nationals, attracted to the country’s high wages, quality of life, natural beauty, and maybe even all that cheese and chocolate.
All that is true, but there is also the flipside: important things that anyone settling here needs to know about.
Since it’s always good to end on a high note, let’s begin this overview with the negative aspects of living in Switzerland.
Con: The cost of living
It is no secret that Switzerland’s largest cities, the ones where foreigners usually settle because that’s where most job opportunities can be found, are among the most expensive in the world.
Study after study shows that prices for most common goods and services like food, entertainment and public transportation in Zurich and Geneva, and sometimes also in Basel, Bern, and Lausanne, are higher than in most other major European cities.
However, if looked from a different perspective, there are some indications that, if you take into account the purchasing power of an average resident as compared to other nations, Switzerland may not be as expensive after all.
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: Why Switzerland’s cost of living isn’t as high as you think
Con: Swiss-German
If you move to the French or Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, you will have to learn the local language — but that particular inconvenience exists whenever you move to a new country.
However, if you happen to be settling in the Swiss-German regions, mastering the local language could be a major headache.
While German is difficult at the best of times, Swiss German can be especially challenging.
The spoken form doesn’t have much in common with High German, with many native German speakers saying they cannot understand a word. Swiss German speakers have also been known to switch to English rather than speak High German.
READ MORE: Swiss German tips and quirks: Your introduction to ‘Dialekt’
Con: Bureaucracy
To be fair, Switzerland is not the only country on the face of the earth where bureaucracy is alive and well, but the Swiss officials seem to be especially fond of it.
Various rules and regulations micromanage many aspects of people’s lives, and you will have to tackle a lot of paperwork on a pretty regular basis.
Almost everything you do in Switzerland requires a pile of documents — for example, you have to register and de-register at your local municipality or commune every time you move.
Also, at one time or another while residing in Switzerland you will be asked to prove where you live, or that you don’t have a criminal record, or that you are not being pursued for debts.
Each of these requires you to get an official document, and pay for it as well.
READ MORE: The most essential pieces of paperwork you’ll need in Switzerland
Con: Aloofness
The Swiss have a reputation for being stand-offish, especially towards foreigners.
Whether or not this is actually true of all Swiss in all the regions is debatable, but there is some evidence indicating that this is the case at least some of the time.
READ MORE: ‘Foreigners rather than equals’: How Switzerland is failing immigrants
As a reader survey conducted by The Local in 2021 demonstrated, The Swiss "approach friendships the same way they do everything else: slowly and cautiously”.
Con: Early closures
This may not be a deal-breaker, but many foreigners moving to Switzerland from countries with a ‘24/7’ retail culture are shocked that virtually everything closes here after 6:30 pm on weekdays and whole days on Sundays.
Swiss businesses — including shops — can open from Monday to Friday between 6 am and 9 pm, and on Saturdays until 6 pm. However, even within these parameters, it is rare to find a store that stays open until 9pm.
By the same token, Sundays are “quiet days” which means that grass can’t be mowed and other noisy activities are off limits on this day.
READ MORE: Why is everything in Switzerland closed on Sundays – and what can you do instead?
However, you may be more sympathetic towards these rules if you know that they derive from the “positive side” of Switzerland: life-work balance (see below).
Now let’s move on to some of the advantages of living in Switzerland.
Apart from high salaries and a high quality of life, these are the perks you can expect:
Pro: Beauty nearly everywhere
There are very few places anywhere in Switzerland that can’t be described as “picturesque”, “quaint” or “stunning”.
Whether you are visiting cities, countryside, or mountains, everything around you is going to be… yes, picturesque, and most likely very clean as well.
And since Switzerland is small and compact, you don’t have to travel far or long to find yourself surrounded by ...stunning nature.
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: Why are major Swiss cities so expensive?
Pro: Infrastructure
Switzerland has a well-developed infrastructure, with excellent roads, wifi connectivity, telecommunications, railroads, and other systems that are vital to a country's economic development and prosperity.
When "everything works", life becomes easier and more convenient — even if shops close early!
Pro: Mobility
Switzerland has a dense network of trains, buses, and trams, which means it is not necessary for you to own a car in order to travel from point A to point B.
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: Why PostBuses are true Swiss icons
True, Swiss public transportation is not cheap, but various international surveys have ranked it among the best, most punctual, and cleanest in Europe.
Pro: Life-work balance
Yes, the Swiss work a lot, but they also draw a number of benefits from their employment.
Among them are annual and compassionate leaves, as well as Switzerland’s labour law which protects the workforce from mistreatment.
Also, many companies offer their employees an advantageous collective agreement negotiated with the trade unions, which protects their salaries and work conditions.
READ MORE: What is a Swiss collective bargaining agreement — and how could it benefit you?
Pro: Vocational training
Switzerland excels in the field of “apprenticeships”.
Compulsory education ends in Switzerland at age 16, when students have a choice between going to a university or opting for a three-year vocational education and training (VET).
More than two-thirds opt for a VET pathway, a three-year, dual-track programme that includes two days in a vocational school and three days getting an on-the-job training in their chosen sector.
It includes a variety of fields such as business and commercial, administration, retail, tourism, construction, information technology, arts, wellness services, as well as various trades — in all, 230 professions, according to the Educationsuisse platform.
READ MORE : Why is vocational training so popular in Switzerland and how much can I earn?
Pro: Democracy
Switzerland’s system of grass-roots direct democracy is unique in the world.
The cornerstone of Swiss democracy is the regular use of referendums, in which citizens vote on all kinds of local, cantonal, and national political issues.
They can also create new laws and amend the country’s Constitution by bringing forth various proposals and initiatives to the ballot box.
All this means that the Swiss get the kind of government and country they themselves choose to have.
READ MORE: How Switzerland’s direct democracy system works
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