My husband and I are considering a move to Switzerland from California. We have 2 young kids. For those of you who have lived in both countries, what would you say are the pros and cons that most stand out in your mind? Do you prefer one country/culture/government over the other? Any insight or advice you would like to share will be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Hi everyone,
Since when is Ticino in California?
Hi OP,
We are originally from the US and have a place on the East Coast USA and have lived in many countries over the years. Switzerland, in my view, is pretty tough to beat in terms of natural beauty.
Pros:
-mountains and lakes
-great hiking and skiing opportunities
-proximity to the rest of Europe for travel
-quality of the produce much better than what one finds in the East Coast USA (not sure about CA though)
-forgot to mention the cheese and chocolate
- in terms of raising children, I love how much independence Swiss parents appear to give their children (very little "helicopter" parenting which seems to proliferate in the US)
- I am a big fan of the healthcare system in Switzerland which is much better than what one finds in the US
Cons:
- very expensive place to live (real estate, food, clothing etc...)
- not easy for a US citizen to open a bank account because of FACTA (I think it is still possible with PostFinance)
- Depending on where you choose to reside, language could be a problem.
The Swiss have a reputation for being a bit cold and aloof but I haven't found that to be an issue - maybe because I have a very friendly yellow lab (we live in Zurich).
We are very happy living in Switzerland and I can definitely understand why those who can afford it, opt to retire here. Hope this helps!
Here's a recent thread along the same lines, comparing life in the Bay Area to Switzerland:
Thank you. We also live in the San Francisco Bay Area & would be moving to Ticino. All the positives mentioned are very appealing to us and the high cost of living is something we’re already used to living in the bay. What would you say is the necessary income in Switzerland for a one income family of four to live a comfortable life?
Living in Switzerland-pros-you probably won't get killed by some crazy with an AK47 assault weapon!
Yes, gun violence in America is a huge concern. For those not aware, they do “active shooter drills” in schools starting from kindergarten. I can’t imagine how damaging this must be to the psyches of these young children.
Switzerland cons-if you earn less than 4000 bucks a month then you are on a poverty level-especially if you live in Zürich or one of the bigger cities
Both the cost of living and salary tend to be high, so it really depends on what work you manage to find.
On the bank account issue, it can be annoying. However, if you go in with a little preparation, it isn't nearly as bad as people seem to suggest. Overall, I cannot imagine somebody leaving or avoiding Switzerland because of it, and therefore it seems a little out of place. (For reference, the large banks will all take US citizens, so while your choices are limited a bit, it isn't at all hard to get by.)
CHF 150k in Ticino, more in Zurich or Geneva.
Tom
Since the 1850s or so, many people in CA are from Ticino, there is even a monument in Lugano from them, and documentaries show californians still speaking Ticinese!
Many of the Californian winemakers (Gallo, Italian Swiss Colony, etc.) are originally from Ticino!
Tom
First you have to define comfortable life.
And then you have to look at how your ideas of a comfortable life compare to Swiss norms.
The most important question: Ae you happy to live 'the Swiss Way'?
To replicate the life I had in Chicagoland on a 'merely comfortable' income, here in Ausserschwyz I would have to be among the 0.01% gazillionaire class. And even then I might not be able to replicate what I had: given the paucity of the housing market it takes a lot more than mere money, it takes connection and community standing - something very few furinners have.
But housing is not the largest issue for us; no, the largest impact on our QoL has been that the services we relied on back home are simply not available here, at any price. So we have not been able to compensate for material QoL differences with the perk that often draws people to move to Switzerland: travel and leisure opportunities.
But a comparison of the US midwest to Ausserschwyz does not equal the Bay Area to Tessin. Nor likely do my needs and wants compare to yours. So as with every single aspect of life here, YMMV.
For insights on life in the paradise that is Tessin, talk to Tom.
Perhaps if you elaborated on what you mean by a comfortable life, tell us a bit about your musts and your 'nice to haves', then we could then give you better insights.
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The one thing I will emphasise - if you are a US Person according to the IRS, before you go too far into the process you really need qualified tax and financial planning advice.
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Good luck with your move.
Born and raised American, moved here 9 years ago and haven't looked back.
Pros:
- Quality of life (no need for a car, better working hours, more than double the amount of vacation time, less of the whole "keeping up with the joneses" attitude, more of a focus on family and personal enjoyment.
- Greater personal freedom (you can swim in clean public waters, grill in the park, drink a beer by the lake/on the train etc.)
- Better healthcare, no fear of being kicked off of your insurance and being able to afford medicine/healthcare.
- Direct democracy (truly the best kind)
- Access to nature and all of the sports/activities that come with it.
- Central location within Europe with easy access to all of its wonders...cheap flights with EasyJet, wonderful railway system.
- Fresh, healthy unprocessed food available at the local grocery or farm stand - the eggs, milk, vegetables just taste better.
- Safety - I hardly ever worry about crime like I did back home.
- Social protection - if you lose your job, you will make 80% of your income through RAV for 2 years, plus they will help you find work.
- You see your taxes at work in this country! The streets are immaculate, etc..
- Too many others to mention
Cons:
- Food...the food is wonderful here, but many have tried to make Mexican food here and failed. Nothing tastes better than food from home.
- American friendliness...sometimes I really miss just walking into a local dive bar and having a friendly chat. The people are more reserved here...but you will find your people, and it gets much better that way.
Best of luck! Happy to answer any questions you may have.
How old are the kids? Do you plan on sending them to a local school or an international school?
For me, the two main issues would be....
1) Can we afford it?
2) What impact will the move have on my children?
Don't forget:
0) Can we get a permit? It remains very difficult for non-EU nationals to get work/residence permits. The annual quotas are oversubscribed by April, usually.
3) and other family.
Also quite a worry for some.
There are large not-always-so-obvious fundamental differences between Switzerland and the US. Without knowing your priorities, or even interests, it's hard to know which aspects to highlight. And although I haven't lived in the Bay Area, family members have and I've been there more than a few times.
Personally, I would choose to raise a family a weathered motor home in a Tessin campground rather than move them to the US.
The bay area in San Francisco is way more expensive then any area here in switzerland.
https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/san-francisco
Even geneve is way behind
Cons:
- Which you will not be allowed to participate in.
Despite the US having a boat load of social problems, one thing I do miss about the US is its hyper ambitious culture. The US is so much more dynamic than Europe and if you have the drive and ambition to be a somebody in this world the US offers the resources to do it. Ask yourself this, where is Europe's Google, Microsoft, Netflix, Amazon, Uber? We don't create or innovate in Europe because (i) there is a fear of taking risks and (ii) we view it as vulgar to want to get rich. I also admire the drive to get up and move that exists in the US. If you live in Montana and you don't have a job you think nothing of hopping on a plane and going to Texas to find one.