Is a part time job enough for a living?

Hi All,

I would like to move and live in Zürich with my wife.

I have a chance to work part time (50-60%) as a barista in a coffeeshop.

I think the salary is between 25-30 CHF/hour, but I don't have concrete information on this.

This job would be great for me, because I can speak only English, and started to learn German. So I need time to improve my language knowledge, and actually I don't have a work permit. (But if I get the job I get a work permit).

So the question is:

Could this salary be enough to rent a studio apartment, and start to live in Zürich?

What is the minimum to start a living in Zürich?

I don't care if it's hard in the begining, because Hungary will always be harder...

(I checked other topics, but I wrote because, my case is a little bit special)

Thanks a lot!

P.

No. You want to live on 2000 CHF for 2 people in Zurich? Is this a Friday gag?

You really searched? There are tons of threads on cost of living, here are the first 24...

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Will your wife be working, or will this 50-60% be to support the both of you? If it's the latter, then good luck... you'll need it.

No it is not a friday gag!!! I'm just trying to find a new job, life in a new country...

And yes I found a lot of "cost of living" topics, but almost all write full time jobs. (and I do not really know the costs, and taxes for a part time job...)

By the way, in ideal case the salary could be 3000 CHF, ... how much is the minimum for two people? And yes, my wife also trying to find a job!

Do you know the hungarian living conditions? It is much worse, than to be a poor man in Zürich for a time...

This thread that was in drmom's list is pretty good.

I'd say you'd need at least 4000 CHF net/month to be able to live here with two people, and that is the bare minimum. Finding a cheap apartment/studio will be very difficult, and it is likely that you end up living outside the city. Which is not that bad, but I just think you should know.

Also, don't forget that you will initially have a lot of 'start-up' costs when you first move here. A large deposit for your apartment, permit fees, half-fare card for the train, possibly furniture etc. so you will need to have some savings before you get here.

Nevertheless, good luck to you - don't give up, one day you will find a good (fulltime) job so that you can start your new life!

It's not enough. Switzerland is a beautiful country but - especially in Zurich - irrationally expensive. If your income is below 4,000 CHF/month you're not going to get by, and don't even think about social mobility. If you're shopping around for countries to start a new life at a low cost, I would look elsewhere if you're basing your decision solely on economics. Environment, now, that's another thing. Switzerland has a wonderful environment.

Given that you come from Hungary, here is the reality: http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living...t&city2=Zurich

I wouldn’t hold out a lot of hope on the job front. This is from the www.ch.ch site:

Attention: Citizens from EU-8
The Federal Council decided on 18 April 2012 to invoke the safeguard clause provided for in the Agreement between Switzerland and the EU on the free movement of persons, applying it to the EU-8 Member States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary ).
From 1 May 2012, category B residence permits granted to citizens of these countries will be subject to quotas. This measure is to remain in force for a year and applies to persons who come to live in Switzerland to become self-employed and to persons who possess an employment contract in Switzerland that is valid for a year or more.

This means it’s Swiss first for a job, then people from the other EU countries and only after that would you be considered for a job. I think it’s very unlikely that you’d get a permit if you had the offer of a full time job, never mind a part time only one. Better look to somewhere like Germany where you don’t have the immigration restrictions.

OK, I do think that a part-time job could be enough for a living of two in Switzerland,

but at Zurich that could be a real challenge.

However, the problem is not that one, and it isn't EU-8 either,

it rather is imho that with a low monthly salary without a good amount of savings on one's bank account a person from any country if not Switzerland itself would not get a permit.

Why not consider Canada? I know where you can go to make $100,000 a year with no education or qualifications. . .

Where? And doing what?

Working in the natural gas shale. It's quite literally a goldmine for workers.

The agencies know that Zurich is expensive, and they want people that can pay the rent. So they usually only rent to people earning 3 times the rental. Now if you are going to earn CHF 3'000 you will only be able to rent a room costing less than CHF 1'000 per month.

Can you find two part time jobs?

We are trying. If my wife and I get a part time job, we can earn beetwen 5500-6000 CHF.

We have about 5000 CHF for the start... If both of us get the part time jobs, we will try... if not London is calling...

Thanks, but we want to live in Europe.

And we have a lot of qualifications...

Thanks.

Am I right, that we can get a short term permit? (L)

And after the B permit, can be easier...maybe

Reality check 5000-6000CHF will almost be enough for the deposit ONLY on your apartment in Zurich

Only if you can live part-time.

With such a low income the OP should consider renting a room, not a whole flat. Rooms in a shared flat can be found starting with something like CHF 400 (if you are very lucky).

...which translates into a studio apartment and many landlords don't want two people occupying a studio apartment.