Hi all,
We are an international family with two young daughters, and we are seriously debating whether to settle long-term in Basel or stay in Zurich. We would really value input from parents who have actually lived in both places with kids, and are familiar with the topic
We plan to stay in Switzerland in the long run and want our kids to be fully integrated into local schools.
Current situation
We currently live in Zurich, after living in Basel. We genuinely love the city. Our social life is here, we like the energy, the international vibe, the startup scene. Personally, Zurich feels more “us.”
At the same time:
- My wife works in pharma in Basel, although there is a realistic chance she could be relocated to Zug or Zurich in the future.
- I work mostly remotely, but my professional/social network is largely based in Zurich.
- We have the flexibility to choose either Basel or Zurich as our long-term home.
So this is not about moving for a job tomorrow. It is a strategic family decision.
Our main concern: education and gymnasium
We know a gymnasium is not for everyone and depends on the child. But as parents, we want to maximize the chances for our daughters if they have the ability and motivation. We will do everything we can to support them.
What worries us:
- In the canton of Zurich, access to a gymnasium seems relatively limited, at around 20%. In our current neighboorhood access rate seems to be even below 10%
- In Basel, the rate seems much higher, close to 40 percent.
- In Zurich, it often seems as if tutoring is almost required if you want to pass the gymnasium exam. We hear stories of people who skip many holidays for tutoring and have to invest a lot in that, without any guarantees of success
- Our current place in Zurich is not cheap, but schools are very bad, with 50% of teacher that resigned from the local school last summer due to poor school management and resource allocation
- The neighborhoods in Zurich with higher gymnasium access rates (Gold/Silver coast) seem extremely expensive and beyond what we can comfortably afford right now.
- In Basel, we feel we could afford to live in a strong school catchment area without stretching ourselves as much.
- Both of us in our couple have to work at 100% to support our family members abroad, and we have limited time to help our kids with homework and extra-curricular activities
We are concerned that staying in Zurich could unintentionally reduce their chances unless we invest heavily in tutoring and housing. That is something we would regret later.
Beyond school
We are also thinking about:
- Overall quality of life for kids
- Stress level and school culture
- Community and family friendliness
- Long-term opportunities
- Daily life balance if one parent commutes
Emotionally, Zurich wins for us. Rationally, Basel looks very attractive for families and education.
Our question to parents
If you have lived in both Basel and Zurich with kids or have deep insights about life for families and education there:
- Where did your children thrive more? Or what’s your take on this?
- Did you feel tutoring was almost mandatory in Zurich?
- Did you notice real differences in pedagogy or school pressure?
- In hindsight, would you make the same choice again?
- In Zurich, do you know more affordable neighborhood with academic excellence?
We would really appreciate thoughtful answers from families who have actually faced this decision.
Thanks a lot.
