Plan your budget
How to budget for moving to Switzerland
Updated 21 October 2026 · RDB Immobilier Sàrl
A single figure cannot describe the cost of your move. Housing, household size, journeys and the gap before your first income all affect the result. Use this method to build a budget from your own information and keep estimates distinct from confirmed prices.
1. Separate your initial moving costs
Start with the amounts linked to moving between countries: travel, transporting belongings, possible storage and temporary accommodation. Add essential items for your new home and any support services you choose. Mark whether each amount comes from a quote, an offer or an assumption.
Record money that may need to be set aside separately, such as a rental guarantee where one is included in the proposed terms. Money tied up reduces available cash even when it is not a consumption expense. Confirm the amount and arrangements before treating them as settled.
2. List monthly household spending
Record the advertised rent and charges, then costs not included in them: energy, telecommunications, transport, groceries and your household’s particular needs. For a family, investigate childcare and school arrangements for the intended municipality and your circumstances.
Add insurance and compulsory or tax items to be priced with the competent organisations. Priminfo is the FOPH’s official premium calculator: use settings relevant to your household rather than another family’s figure. This guide does not calculate premiums or taxes or recommend a contract.
- One line per cost, with the period it covers.
- A source and date for each amount.
- A “to confirm” marker where a quote or condition is still missing.
3. Check payment dates as well as totals
A balanced monthly budget can still leave an initial cash gap if several payments fall before your first income. Put confirmed payments and receipts on a calendar. Do not assume that a gross salary is the amount that will be available in your account.
Keep costs still running in your departure country on that calendar: an old home, contracts to end or additional journeys. If housing dates overlap, show both costs explicitly rather than assuming they cancel each other out.
4. Compare two housing scenarios consistently
Compare two municipalities or homes using the same cost headings. Lower rent alone does not settle the comparison if transport, parking or temporary accommodation changes. Leave unknown amounts marked as unknown: a blank field is not a zero.
If you use another currency, record the exchange rate and date used and ask the relevant provider about fees. Update items when the information changes. A budget should support a decision without suggesting that uncertain amounts are precise.
Your worksheet before choosing a home
- Initial costs: removal, travel, storage and possible temporary housing.
- Money set aside: amounts and terms still to confirm.
- Monthly costs: housing, charges, everyday life and household needs.
- Competent organisations: insurance figures and other items to check.
- Timing: dates of payments and confirmed income.
- Two scenarios using the same headings and time periods.
Tools for checking your costs
Prepare a home search around your budget
For home searches, RDB Immobilier Sàrl works from the criteria and budget you define. The scope and fees are set out in a proposal and should be included in your own spending plan.
Describe your home search