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How Much Does It Cost To Live in Switzerland?Budgeting. One of the first things we wanted to know upon our assignment in Switzerland was how much it would cost to live here. How much would be our monthly expense? How much would be our daily expense? What is the average cost per meal? The first time we ate in a restaurant, we spent around 60 chf ($66 or P2,600 pesos). We just ordered one plate of roasted duck, one serving of soup, 2 colas, 2 iced teas, and 3 servings of rice. For the same cost, I thought, we could have bought eighteen Big Mac Burgers and each with corresponding drinks - in the Philippines of course. And then it dawned on me, this is Switzerland, one of the most expensive countries to live in.
For the expatriate and his trailing spouse, it would be very helpful to be able to estimate the cost of living in the country of his/her next assignment prior to arriving in that country. Having an idea how much your monthly expense would be in your new assignment can be helpful in assessing if the salary and benefits package you were offered would be enough for you alone or with your family to work and live comfortably in your new assignment. I tried to research about the costs of goods prior to leaving for Switzerland, but I wasn't able to create even a rough simulation. I found it hard to get specific costs of mere regular grocery items. I explored online sites of local Swiss groceries and supermarkets, but usually only items On Sale are featured on their websites. Below is a table I made to simulate my monthly groceries. The prices reflected are based on receipts of purchases I received in 2011, 2012 and 2013 which I've kept unintentionally and randomly pulled out for the purpose of creating the table.
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