🇩🇪 Germany vs 🇨🇭 Switzerland
Side by side on the data that actually changes your life: prices, taxes, climate, air, safety. Every number has a source and a date.
Climate (capital)
Open-Meteo historical weather
Jan 2° · Jul 20° · Berlin
Jan 1° · Jul 18° · Bern
Air quality (capital)
WAQI, capital station
AQI 34 · Good
AQI 35 · Good
Prices vs EU average
Eurostat price level index, EU27 = 100
+8% (2025)
—
Big Mac price
The Economist Big Mac index
$7.05
$9.08
Taxes on salary
OECD tax wedge, single average worker
~49% of labour cost (2025)
~23% of labour cost (2025)
Special tax regimes
Official tax authorities, verified 2026-06
No inbound regime (worldwide taxation)
Lump-sum taxation (forfait)
Avg advertised salary
Adzuna job listings, local currency
€44,186 / yr (2026-06)
CHF 72,080 / yr (2026-06)
Inflation
World Bank
2.2% / yr (2025)
0.1% / yr (2025)
Internet (median fixed)
Ookla Speedtest Global Index
~95 Mbps
—
English proficiency
EF English Proficiency Index
high
—
Messenger apps
OONI network measurements, 6-month window
All measured apps work
All measured apps work
Safety advisory
U.S. State Department travel advisory
Level 2 · Exercise Increased Caution
—
Foreign-born residents
World Bank migrant stock
19.8% of population (2024)
31.1% of population (2024)
Life expectancy
WHO
81 yrs
83 yrs
Currency
ISO 4217
EUR
CHF
Timezone (capital)
Open-Meteo
UTC+2
UTC+2
Climate, inflation and life expectancy verified 2026-07-07. Prices, taxes and air quality verified 2026-07-07. Sources shown per row.
Special tax regimes, verified
Regimes change often and many sites still advertise closed ones. We link the official source for each.
🇩🇪 Germany
Residents are taxed on worldwide income
Verified 2026-06 · Finance Ministry
🇨🇭 Switzerland
Tax negotiated on living expenses, not income
Verified 2026-06 · Federal Tax Administration
Numbers are half the story
Your visa route, paperwork and deadlines depend on where you hold a passport. Get a free checklist personalized to your exact move.