4 ms·

It is very expensive

by intrasight 11y ago

Locke1689 11y ago
Compared to San Francisco, or Oklahoma?
- dpeck 11y ago
  yes
- pathy 11y ago
  Seems moderately comparable to SF. [1] Switzerland is generally considered to be very expensive compared to most places though. [1] http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=United+States&city1=San+Francisco%2C+CA&country2=Switzerland&city2=Zurich http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?coun...
- rsync 11y ago
  Yes, it is more expensive in every way than San Francisco. Given the re-float of the Franc, it's even worse now. (I live in SF but one of the rsync.net locations is in Zurich and I travel there frequently)
  - MHordecki 11y ago
    Given the re-float, it's actually much better now (for residents) - prices of imported goods have fallen.
    - rsync 11y ago
      Yes, but my datacenter rates in Zurich rose quite a bit :)
  - davidgay 11y ago
    In every way except rent, though. And given rents in San Francisco...
- MHordecki 11y ago
  Rent is cheaper than SF. Average going rate for a 1 bedroom apt. in places like Zurich is slightly less than 2k (this includes utilites). You can save big time by not having to use a car. Switzerland has an excellent public transport system. This also gives you a lot of freedom in terms of where you want to live (which also influences rent prices). There's an ubiquitous Zipcar-like service. Imported goods are usually the same price as the rest of Europe ("Swiss" markup is offset by lower VAT most of the time). Everyday goods such as food are much, much more expensive, though. Expect to pay about 20-25 CHF for a meal in a "hole-in-the-wall" kind of place. For a nice evening out for two, add a zero to this. Groceries cost accordingly, chicken breast go for 13-20 CHF per pound for example. Still not the most expensive place I've lived in, so I can't complain.
sampo 11y ago
In the richest countries in Europe, Switzerland and Norway, also supermarkets and restaurants are priced to match the general income level of the population. In the US it is easier to have a six figures salary, but still drive over to a cheaper part of town to buy lunch for under $8, or buy cheap stuff from Walmart, ShopRite etc. Whereas if you live in Norway, you have to drive to Sweden in order to buy cheaper groceries.
alkonaut 11y ago
Visiting a country can be expensive. Then you make money in country A, which you spend in country B with higher prices. If you live in a country with high salaries and high prices, it just means there are nominally high prices, not necessarily "expensive". Some parts and some markets of Switzerland are "expensive" for example Zürich housing. The same is true for SF.

It is very expensive

Locke1689 11y ago

Compared to San Francisco, or Oklahoma?

dpeck 11y ago
yes
pathy 11y ago
Seems moderately comparable to SF. [1] Switzerland is generally considered to be very expensive compared to most places though. [1] http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=United+States&city1=San+Francisco%2C+CA&country2=Switzerland&city2=Zurich http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?coun...
rsync 11y ago
Yes, it is more expensive in every way than San Francisco. Given the re-float of the Franc, it's even worse now. (I live in SF but one of the rsync.net locations is in Zurich and I travel there frequently)
- MHordecki 11y ago
  Given the re-float, it's actually much better now (for residents) - prices of imported goods have fallen.
  - rsync 11y ago
    Yes, but my datacenter rates in Zurich rose quite a bit :)
- davidgay 11y ago
  In every way except rent, though. And given rents in San Francisco...
MHordecki 11y ago
Rent is cheaper than SF. Average going rate for a 1 bedroom apt. in places like Zurich is slightly less than 2k (this includes utilites). You can save big time by not having to use a car. Switzerland has an excellent public transport system. This also gives you a lot of freedom in terms of where you want to live (which also influences rent prices). There's an ubiquitous Zipcar-like service. Imported goods are usually the same price as the rest of Europe ("Swiss" markup is offset by lower VAT most of the time). Everyday goods such as food are much, much more expensive, though. Expect to pay about 20-25 CHF for a meal in a "hole-in-the-wall" kind of place. For a nice evening out for two, add a zero to this. Groceries cost accordingly, chicken breast go for 13-20 CHF per pound for example. Still not the most expensive place I've lived in, so I can't complain.

sampo 11y ago

In the richest countries in Europe, Switzerland and Norway, also supermarkets and restaurants are priced to match the general income level of the population. In the US it is easier to have a six figures salary, but still drive over to a cheaper part of town to buy lunch for under $8, or buy cheap stuff from Walmart, ShopRite etc. Whereas if you live in Norway, you have to drive to Sweden in order to buy cheaper groceries.

alkonaut 11y ago

Visiting a country can be expensive. Then you make money in country A, which you spend in country B with higher prices. If you live in a country with high salaries and high prices, it just means there are nominally high prices, not necessarily "expensive". Some parts and some markets of Switzerland are "expensive" for example Zürich housing. The same is true for SF.