Cologne vs Zurich - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Cologne Zurich
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1990
$3784
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$4775
$9038
🏠 One person rent
$1083
$2349
🏘️ Family rent
$1841
$4207
🍽️ Food expenses
$556
$934
🚐 Transport expenses
$204
$216
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$3654
$6864
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
8 km
🎓 Higher education
92
82
😀 Quality of life
96
96
🏙️ Population
1.09M
449K

The cost of living in Cologne is 47% less expensive than in Zurich. Cities ranked 2067th and 13th ($1990 vs $3784) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 12th and 3rd in Germany and Switzerland, respectively. Check Germany vs Switzerland comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Cologne compared to 1.8 months in Zurich. Cologne ranked 1st best city to live in Germany vs Zurich ranked 2nd in Switzerland, while ranked 15th and 9th among best cities to live in the world.

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Prices in Cologne vs Zurich

Prices for goods and services in Cologne and Zurich are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Cologne Zurich
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$16.4
$29.2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$79.3
$93.8
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$11.5
$19.8
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$5.6
$9.85
☕ Cappuccino
$4.15
$7.57
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.78
$5.63
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1084
$2745
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$844
$1974
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1926
$5005
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1474
$3621
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$151
$165
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$236
$254
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$39.8
$55.6
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
3.8%
2.17%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$7562
$20786
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$5093
$8412
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$4.03
$4.99
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$68.3
$110
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$25.8
$38.7
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$2.03
$2.28
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.39
$2.3
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.19
$3.76
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.03
$3.67
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.3
$9.26
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.8
$25.1
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.7
$24.1
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$23.9
$45.6
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.26
$4.37
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.1
$2.8
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.25
$3.63
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.5
$5.15
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.85
$2.99
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.26
$2.34
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.79
$1.12
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.41
$3.73
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$8.37
$18.6
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.12
$2.77
🚬 Cigarette pack
$9.33
$12
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.13
$22.2
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$2.66
$5.48
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.8
$5.07
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.92
$3.96
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$42.1
$88
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$13.6
$24.2
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$57
$144
💇 Haircut, simple
$20
$56.5
👖 Brand Jeans
$97
$146
👟 Brand Sneakers
$113
$157
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$897
$2506
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$22470
$24322

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Cologne

Distance City Cost of living
9.2 km or 5.7 mi Hurth
$1745
10 km or 6.4 mi Leverkusen
$2007
10 km or 6.4 mi Frechen
$1746
13 km or 7.9 mi Bruhl
$1728
13 km or 7.9 mi Pulheim
$1743
14 km or 8.4 mi Wesseling
$1734
14 km or 8.5 mi Bergisch Gladbach
$1757
15 km or 9.3 mi Niederkassel
$1740
16 km or 10 mi Rosrath
$1711
18 km or 11 mi Monheim am Rhein
$1739
19 km or 12 mi Dormagen
$1722
19 km or 12 mi Erftstadt
$1694
19 km or 12 mi Langenfeld
$1724
20 km or 12 mi Troisdorf
$1731
20 km or 12 mi Leichlingen
$1701
20 km or 12 mi Kerpen
$1689
21 km or 13 mi Bornheim
$1759
21 km or 13 mi Lohmar
$1700
22 km or 14 mi Bergheim
$1686
23 km or 15 mi Siegburg
$1708
24 km or 15 mi Overath
$1663
25 km or 16 mi Sankt Augustin
$1738
25 km or 16 mi Bonn
$1908
26 km or 16 mi Hilden
$1673
26 km or 16 mi Solingen
$1663
27 km or 17 mi Elsdorf
$1661
28 km or 17 mi Wermelskirchen
$1629
28 km or 17 mi Haan
$1640
28 km or 18 mi Bedburg
$1671
29 km or 18 mi Hennef
$1670
31 km or 19 mi Grevenbroich
$1665
31 km or 19 mi Remscheid
$1609
31 km or 20 mi Erkrath
$1661
33 km or 20 mi Konigswinter
$1601
34 km or 21 mi Euskirchen
$1674
34 km or 21 mi Neuss
$1668
34 km or 21 mi Mettmann
$1620
35 km or 21 mi Zulpich
$1653
35 km or 21 mi Meckenheim
$1676
35 km or 22 mi Dusseldorf
$1944

Cities near Zurich

Distance City Cost of living
4.2 km or 2.6 mi Altstetten
$3494
6.4 km or 4 mi Dubendorf
$3353
11 km or 6.6 mi Dietikon
$3367
14 km or 8.6 mi Horgen
$3457
14 km or 8.6 mi Uster
$3345
16 km or 9.7 mi Bulach
$3281
19 km or 12 mi Wettingen
$3328
19 km or 12 mi Wadenswil
$3414
19 km or 12 mi Winterthur
$3305
20 km or 13 mi Wetzikon
$3310
20 km or 13 mi Baden
$3360
20 km or 13 mi Baar
$3556
23 km or 15 mi Zug
$4151
28 km or 17 mi Rapperswil-Jona
$3318
33 km or 21 mi Frauenfeld
$2731
36 km or 22 mi Schaffhausen
$2740
37 km or 23 mi Waldshut-Tiengen
$1711
37 km or 23 mi Aarau
$2546
38 km or 24 mi Emmen
$3367
40 km or 25 mi Wil
$2721
40 km or 25 mi Lucerne
$3380
43 km or 27 mi Kriens
$3331
48 km or 30 mi Singen
$1740
51 km or 32 mi Radolfzell
$1794
56 km or 35 mi Kreuzlingen
$3046
57 km or 36 mi Konstanz
$1872
60 km or 37 mi Rheinfelden
$1726
63 km or 39 mi St. Gallen
$2978
63 km or 39 mi Uberlingen
$1837
64 km or 40 mi Donaueschingen
$1550
70 km or 44 mi Riehen
$3677
71 km or 44 mi Tuttlingen
$1604
71 km or 44 mi Lorrach
$1721
74 km or 46 mi Weil am Rhein
$1731
74 km or 46 mi Basel
$3080
76 km or 47 mi Villingen-Schwenningen
$1393
77 km or 48 mi Saint-Louis
$1498
77 km or 48 mi Friedrichshafen
$1966
77 km or 48 mi Schaan
$2543
78 km or 48 mi Allschwil
$3171