Let's say I have a salary of 150,000$ in the US, in the San Francisco Bay area. I would like to have a better idea of my take-home pay if I move to Zurich or Geneva, compared to the US.
If you are an expat in Zurich or Geneva, would you like to comment on this comparison and to share the details on your mandatory expenses on your Swiss salary?
I don't know how much are living costs in US, but I suppose, by the same salary, it's better to stay there. Switzerland is very expensive. The taxes (by such income) will consume about 1/3 of your salary. A single appartment may cost as much as 2000 CHF/month. Food is very expensive, a regular meal outside will cost from 20CHF, fast food like McDonald or Kebab about 10CHF. You can get away cheaper cooking by yourself, but it still will be about thrice as much as in Germany, for example.
Gasoline costs about 1,5 CHF/liter. Simply having a car is expensive, in many cities like Zurich there are no free parking places, you can either rent one if it's available or park on private parkplaces, both options expensive.
But for that money, you have the priviledge to live in a very beautiful and secure country.
The life in Switzerland is expensive, especially the real estate.
In Geneva, where there is a housing shortage, a studio of about 30 m2 is about 1000 CHF/month.
In Geneva, the cheapest health insurance (with accident coverage) is 469.80 CHF/month (with insurance deductible 300 CHF) but most health companies are above 500 CHF. By increasing the insurance deductible to 2500 CHF, the insurance is "only" 341.50 CHF, but you have to pay the first 2500 CHF of health cares if you have to go to the doctor. Beyond the franchise deductible, you have to pay 10% of your health expenses as well. And this is without supplementary insurance for private clinics a.s.o. The dental cares, nor the glasses are covered by the standard health insurance, which is mandatory.
The cost of the health insurance is increasing about 5% year over year, and even over 10% if you had a "cheap" insurance company.
The good thing for you is that the cost of the health insurance is flat, independent from your income.
One hour with a general practitioner is about 200 CHF, and with a specialist about 350 - 400 CHF.
Lawyers are about 500 CHF/hour.
In Geneva, it is difficult to find parking places in streets. A covered parking place is about 200 CHF to above 400 CHF a month.
The taxes and cost of living are similarly high in both places. All in all, if you can have the same salary in Switzerland, the different would really end up being more about lifestyle than about money.
Switzerland has vastly better public transportation and car ownership is more expensive.
San Francisco is close to the surf, Switzerland is close to the snow.
In both places, housing is expensive in the sense that people spend a large share of their income on it; construction is likely to be sturdier in Switzerland (concrete not wood frame).
Switzerland makes you pay for landfill garbage disposal by the bag and it's expensive, in California it's rolled into property tax and it's cheap.
Child rearing is expensive in both places.
The US has a strong pro immigrant policy, for example if your child is born in California they'll automatically be American regardless of your nationality or your spouse's. In Switzerland they won't get Swiss citizenship and you and they'll pretty much be considered alien in that land forever.
California is a huge state, part of a country thousands of miles across. In Switzerland, wherever you are you're less than 150 miles from a border with a foreign country.
These, not take home pay, would be the real differences.
Personal experience
California :
Gross - Pay 13683.40
Federal - 2090.51
Fica - 848.37
Medicare - 198.41
State - 858.76
SDI - 136.83
Net Pay - 9550.52
Zurich , Switzerland
Gross Pay - 13683.40
Tax withholding - 1540.00 ( federal + cantonal)
Social deductions - 835.35 ( AHV/UI )
Net Pay - 11308.05
With the same salary, you will always be better off in Switzerland. At the end, there are two key factors 1.) taxes and other mandatory deductions and 2.) housing. At the end, who cares about the garbage collection tax, this doesn't move the needle.
Housing in Switzerland is much cheaper vs net incomes. Why? It is regulated. Taxes are far lower in Switzerland, specially in the right cantons.
We can discuss if chicken is more expensive in Switzerland, or petrol or cars. Same salary, you save far more in Switzerland.
