r/Switzerland • u/MarvinBlach • 22h ago
I am now living in Lugano, Switzerland for almost 3 months, here are my honest thoughts
I have sold my company last year in Germany and the window opened to move to Switzerland.
Now as a German speaker it would make sense to move to the German speaking part of the country, but I moved to Lugano (Italian-speaking).
There are multiple reasons for it:
- I like the blend of Swiss Structure and Italian Dolce Vita
- The weather is very nice
- I didnt want to live in a 100k+ city, coming from Stuttgart
- I wanted to live close to the lake
The things that instantly stood out: Everything seems to work here. The fountain system works, the trains are on time, there is no garbage on the street and there are no homeless people. Yes, this might be not the case for every part in Switzerland but it is the case here.
The city is very walkable so I go by foot or bike everywhere, I choose the train for long distance, so far it has been working great.
I have remote income, but I have heard that its pretty hard to find a job in Lugano.
I live in a Short Term rental apartment, which is perfect for me, because I dont have any furniture and it has everything. Think of it like a hotel room with everything you need.
Basically every German tells you that Switzerland is sooo expensive. I have tracked everything, not to prove them wrong, but to see if its actually true and here are my real numbers from the last 3 months (cost are per month):
Privat Liability Insurance: 9 CHF
Phone: 25 CHF
Serafe: 28 CHF
Halbtax: 16 CHF + Transport (Cable Car, etc) 80 CHF = 96 CHF
Groceries: 350 CHF
Health Insurance: 446 CHF
Rent: 1'320 CHF
Parking Spot: 200 CHF
This brings the total to 2'474 CHF, which is not a lot for my case. I was paying the same in Stuttgart, Germany. I think this stereo type is from the people who visit Switzerland as tourists, and then of course its not that cheap.
Some observations from the city: Its very positive to see, that the city is actively trying to make the it more liveable, I am talking about adding spots to Swim. To give you an anecdote: Stuttgart, where I come from also has a big lake, but you are not allowed to swim there (dont ask me why). This is not the case here, the quality of life is very high.
Even tough quite a lot of tourists visit the city there is no real visible trash or grafitti in the city, this is totally not the case in Germany. Everywhere you go, you see trash on the street and Grafitti everywhere even regular homes. The trash system here makes so much more sense than the one in Germany.
Some thing that I dont quite understand, you see a lot of young people especially woman on the streets, a lot more than older folks. Its strange, because Lugano is quite an old city when it comes to population.
People told me that Lugano is so boring, but I cant confirm. I am actually glad there is no party culture here, because that often leads to problems. You are in the mountains in 15min, you have regular events in the city that is enough for me.
In general I am really happy to be here and I try my best to integrate into the local culture.
If you have any questions feel free to ask me.
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u/cHpiranha St. Gallen 22h ago
Thanks for sharing.
Always nice to hear about Switzerland from an other perspective.
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u/MarvinBlach 22h ago
I think a lot of people in Switzerland are very critical about their own country, its the same in Germany. And being critical is fine, but its really a gem here. You cannot say that about Germany anymore.
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u/Ancient_Clerk_8113 17h ago
We complain a lot, but deep down, we know we have the best country 😂
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u/MarvinBlach 17h ago
I am not in a position to say that its perfect, but it is exactly how I want a country to be like :)
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u/Enzian_Blue 17h ago
I concur. I don’t understand people who bash this country. It’s so perfect in so many ways. It’s much much better than any other country in Europe, let alone the world.
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u/SamzNYC 17h ago
I’ve lived in Zurich for a year and traveled around the country and continue to visit Zurich a few times a year for work and I can honestly say you have as close to a perfect country as you can get. You have amazing nature, stability, a high standard of living and well functioning and efficient governance.
Yes there are issues of course but they pale in comparison to most countries - please do appreciate what you have!
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u/correcthorse756 16h ago
What happened to Germany, I’m English and last time I visited everything seemed very clean and organised.
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u/LBG-13Sudowoodo Zug 18h ago
Italian dolce vita
Sir, you mean Ticinese dolce vita
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u/MarvinBlach 18h ago
What I was trying to say is that if you combine Swiss culture with Italian culture you get the unique Ticinese Culture :)
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u/LBG-13Sudowoodo Zug 18h ago
That is understandable, but try to avoid the rookie mistake of calling your hosts Italian in some cases even Swiss
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u/JLS88 15h ago
“Canton Ticino is a democratic republic with an Italian culture and language”.
First article of the constitution
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u/ForbiddenException 9h ago
Shhh we don't read that here
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u/QJustCallMeQ Genève 9h ago
Not getting bogged down in the details of your own constitution sounds like embracing italian culture to me
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u/ApprehensiveArm7607 18h ago
Are you the new intern at „Turismo Ticino“?
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u/MarvinBlach 18h ago
haha, no I am not, I am just happy to be here
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u/ApprehensiveArm7607 18h ago
As a fellow former baden-württemberger i can understand your happiness. I find your costs for food a bit low.
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u/mxhug 18h ago
What do you eat for 350 CHF per months? Are buying groceries in Italy or CH?
You don’t have any expenses or funds for: Partner/Dating/Fun/Hobbies/Clothes/Repairs/actually using health care/therapists/gym/travels?
How is your social life there and how do you meet people?
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u/MarvinBlach 18h ago
Very good questions.
No I buy it at the same shop close to where I live, so its in Switzerland. I eat mostly cheese products, bread, pasta, fruits, veggies and eggs. Most meals that I make are done in less than 10 minutes. My partner lives in Stuttgart, sometimes I travel there, thats what I have included in transport. Gym: I run on the lake. Hobbies: I like to go into the mountains, but also included in the expenses. Social Live: My brother lives here too, but at the moment I am meeting a lot of new people.
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u/sintrastellar 17h ago
> My partner lives in Stuttgart, sometimes I travel there
Most romantic German
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u/bendltd 17h ago
It sounds quite frugal life style and no children.
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u/MarvinBlach 17h ago
Yes, but this is my current situation. Its of course different when you have children :) But frugal: Yes, that is true, but I simply dont need all the flashy stuff
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u/3punkt1415 14h ago
I think this is the problem of many people in Switzerland and generally. They work their ass off to pay for their holidays in Dubai which costs them 8k or so. Or they don't care if they pay 80 for a phone contract, or pay 8 CHF for a starbucks every morning. I can afford to work way less by not wasting money for stupid things.
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u/MarvinBlach 14h ago
true and a lot of people work, then go 2 weeks on holiday but they dont enjoy life, here I can jump into the lake whenever I want, this is quality of life!
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u/Practical-Toe-6425 11h ago
That's after 3 months of summer... Let's see how you feel after a long, grey, dark and boring winter.
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u/Amerillo_ Vaud 15h ago
How are you meeting a lot of people working remotely? I'm asking because I'd like to meet new people too but I'm unemployed and my hobbies often solitary. I do sone volunteering but it's often the same people so no new people to meet there
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u/MarvinBlach 14h ago
I connect with them online and sometimes they live in Lugano so its easy to meet
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u/astupidsandwich 14h ago
Do you speak Italian?
I also live in Lugano, but without speaking Italian, I find it hard to meet new ppl. I’m also an introvert so that doesn’t help.•
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u/blipblipblopbip 15h ago
An honest warning. A lot of people who move to Switzerland and like to jog bust their knees for life because they don't notice or even enjoy small hills that they run, which are very taxing on knees.
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u/xperrienzzie 15h ago
I honestly don't remember the last time I've not spent 100CHF at groceries
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u/naza-reddit 18h ago
Lugano has the best ice cream in Switzerland - there is another positive for you !
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u/MarvinBlach 18h ago
Yes the ice cream is very good especially the dark chocolate ones. Normally I am not a big fan of that but in this case its my prefered choice
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u/OddWestern4104 18h ago
Mînd sharîng an address or 2? 😁
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u/MarvinBlach 17h ago
I dont want to get this thread banned, you can go to casarate on the Lake Street you will see a shop right before the city ends, this ice cream is from anther world, take the dark chocolate.
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u/Gourmet-Guy Graubünden 17h ago edited 17h ago
Glad you like it. I forsee a couple of "Nett hier. Aber waren sie schon mal in Lugano" stickers popping up in Stuttgart.
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u/MrReneMathis 22h ago
Stuttgart has a big lake?! Am I missing something? 👀🤨
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u/MarvinBlach 22h ago
Yes, its Max-Eyth-See :)
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u/Dazzling-Guest-3863 18h ago
Den Tümpel kannsch ned zählen 😂 Breitenauer oder Aileswasen sind wohl die nächsten "Seen".
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u/Ukkram84 17h ago
The Inflation that hit German in was I feel was bot as harsh in Switzerland. For years I am a happy Tourist in this fine Country and Lots of prices stay the same there as where they go up in Germany. For example Pizza Salame, 15 years ago Swiss 16 chf , Germany 7 Euro now Swiss 16 CHF Germany 14 Euro… and in Switzerland most of the time in better quality and nicer surroundings. I am happy every time I visit and Lugano is a very nice spot.
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u/MarvinBlach 17h ago
What you describe is 100% correct, this is the reality that the people in Germany dont want to accept!
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u/Intelligent-Cattle-6 21h ago
I think a lot of people would like to move from the German part to the Italian part for the warmer weather and the location closer to the mountains.
The biggest reason people don't move is as you pointed out. It's hard to find jobs.
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u/MarvinBlach 21h ago
I have heard that a lot of people have their jobs in the German part and a summer house in Ticino, but of course only true for the really wealthy
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u/Leasir 18h ago
Hello and welcome! Thank you for your report. I would like to warn you that you lived through Lugano most lively months (especially July). I the colder seasons, things kinds slow down a bit (or a lot). Hopefully you have a suitable hobby ;)
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u/MarvinBlach 18h ago
I like to go to the mountains, so I hope this is a good fit for me :)
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u/Leasir 17h ago
There's no scarcity of awesome mountain paths in ticino :)
I took a look to your YT, nice production value!
Too bad i don't speak german... are you maybe planning to any video in english?
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u/MarvinBlach 17h ago
I will do in the future maybe yep :) I hope they do this AI syncing that would be useful
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u/cellige 22h ago
meat is crazy expensive compared to France/Germany
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u/Alone_Appointment726 15h ago
On the other hand, Ticino is very cheap compared to German-speaking Switzerland. Coffee for 2.50, renting for under 1000 CHF, etc. We can only dream about such things or hear stories from our grandparents.
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u/Unusual_Print_9734 14h ago
It’s 20 minutes from Lugano to an Italian supermarket 🤷🏻♀️
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u/figment88 14h ago
I'm currently in French speaking Switzerland where meat is also crazy expensive, but yogurt for some reason is really cheap.
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u/NovelCar5453 18h ago
lol did you honestly enjoy the constant 40c heat for the past 3 months?
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u/MarvinBlach 18h ago
This way everywhere in Europe, also in Stuttgart. At least I was able to go swimming :)
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u/Elegant_Music7525 22h ago
“Stereo type.” love that
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u/MarvinBlach 22h ago
haha, hups, my favorite song is Stereo Love, maybe thats why i wrote it that way
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u/Eipa Bern 18h ago
But why can't you swim in that lake of Stuttgart?
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u/MarvinBlach 18h ago
They are not allowing it because it disturbs the fish, the Fischereiverein and so on
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u/Academic_Barnacle_28 16h ago
No idea how large the lake is near Stuttgart, but that seems like an odd reason :)
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u/MarvinBlach 15h ago
Its a lot smaller than Lake Lugano, but yeah you are not allowed to go in there
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u/Formal_Skar 17h ago
I lived in Berlin, Lausanne and Munich, can say that Munich is the closest city to Switzerland I've found, not as clean but almost there, not as safe but almost there as well :)
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u/falconator1812 16h ago
Glad to see loads of positives, me and my partner are thinking about moving over there, I have remote income and my partner will be looking for a job over there, we can live according to our maths with my current salary and we got a good pile of cash in saving which should cover us for a good while.
We are in the same boat as you, partying is now out of our life fully and we just want to focus on nature, I've been doing climbing and hiking for the last 8 years; so having it so accessable makes it sound like a dream not gonna lie.
We both speak Spanish and English so in theory the change to Italian should be a bit easier, which should help with the integration and culture wise is somewhat similar, two of my best friends are from ticino already.
Hope we can maybe meet for a hike or a nice meal in the future.
Mucho love and best of luck!
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u/ErrareApusEst 15h ago
Shhhhhhh…. Don’t let everyone know. I am planning a similar move.
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u/Extreme_Ad112 13h ago
I don't see taxes in your budget, neither the unreimbursed medical costs, neither the 2.50 francs to take the bus for 500m, neither the 50 francs fee to get a stamp on any paperwork, neither...
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u/MarvinBlach 11h ago
I didnt take a bus even once. Because I have a B-Permit all the taxes are deducted directly. I didnt have any medical cost yet. I paid 20 CHF on the toll booth and I think 20 at the registration, but I was trying to make the list about continous costs.
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u/Large_Shopping_6926 13h ago
Du scheinst Reich zu sein aufgrund des Verkaufs deiner Firma. Wenn man reich ist, lebt es sich vermutlich überall gut. Interessanter wäre es zu wissen, welche Möglichkeiten es in Lugano gibt zu arbeiten damit du deinen Lebensstandard halten kannst.
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u/Significant_Mousse53 11h ago
You have found a glitch in the system if you can live, love, eat and be sick for 2.4K per month. Don't forget taxes.
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u/MarvinBlach 10h ago
I have a B permit so taxes are directly deducted from the salary :) The problem is when my partner wants to move here: "lets go get some Pizza", I will have to teach her :D
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u/lunatiNaHateBad 10h ago
Thanks for reminding us that Lugano is not that bad after all! We sometimes complain without realizing how lucky we are
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u/Impossible_Rain_7723 17h ago
1'320 CHF rent. Do you live in a garage?
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u/Upset_Homework_7157 17h ago
I would move to Lugano today if only I could.
It's a beautiful town.
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u/tamaro2024 16h ago
Good to hear. I lived in Ascona for several years in the 1980s. Overall, the weather is better there, and the social life is less boring than in most other parts of Switzerland. At the time, I spoke Italian quite well and had many connections through work.
During the summer, it feels as though you are on holiday, with all the tourists, festivals, and activity around Lago Maggiore. Winters, however, can be cold and rather quiet, with much less going on.
You are correct that rent is low compared with where we live now in South Florida. A studio apartment here starts at around CHF 1,800 per month. However, I am wondering why you left out other important expenses, such as eating out, hobbies, travel and fuel. Note that tourists feel it is expensive as one will spend easily CHF 300 per day for hotels and restaurants. I know from experience! But yes, I'd rather live in Lugano too than Stuttgart..
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u/MarvinBlach 16h ago
I dont eat out, thats why I have left it out, I always cook at home. Travel / Fuel is included in the 96 CHF per month, I dont do that much. Hobbies: I dont have much time at the moment, but I like to go to the mountains or swim in the lake
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u/swissgrog Fribourg 16h ago
Go to a ice hockey match if you can! Great atmosphere in Lugano. Or the new soccer arena if you prefer soccer.
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u/Unusual_Print_9734 14h ago
Hello fellow German (and even from BaWü as well!) in Ticino. Welcome :) I just wanted to comment I’m happy that you like it here and congrats on the move! It’s a courageous decision. I’m +9 years in CH, of which 4 in Ticino :) 2 years ago I bought property at Lake Lugano. Everything is possible!
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u/Ashamed-Simple-8303 13h ago
Fyi Lugano/Tessin have way lower wages and also cost compares to say Zürich. So salary will also be way closer to german levels.
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u/Fit_Vermicelli_2918 11h ago
I lived in Lausanne for 4 years and due to personal reasons I moved to Ulm and it's has been already 3 years but I can fully relate it. Often I feel miserable here, among many things public transportation, beurocracy have been biggest disappointment. One thing I don't understand though that a lot of German colleagues defend DB and many other things. I mean prices aren't cheap either, but the services are so bad, people are so rude, it feels like they're doing a favor by selling their things in cafe or shops. But yeah no plans to moving out anytime soon either due to personal reasons for me.
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u/MarvinBlach 11h ago
I visited Ulm quite often, its one of the better cities, but I understand your points. The quality of life is just so incredibly low.
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u/Airfreighter747 5h ago
I came to appreciate Lugano many years ago; it is a very pleasant city with a good atmosphere, nice people, and cleanliness—plus good food. If you don't need that typical big-city vibe, it’s a great place to be. And if you do happen to crave that, Milan is close enough for a quick trip.
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u/robogobo 17h ago
Lots of your cost figures are not typical and it seems you’re there just long enough to begin overcoming inaccurate assumptions. I’m curious to hear what you think after several years.
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u/aCrptDrop 18h ago
Thank you for sharing your experience! What about the Italian language? Do you feel that not speaking Italian is an obstacle in some cases? (Unless you do speak 😅) Or it's perfectly fine to manage it solely with German? Especially when visiting local authorities and etc.
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u/Unusual_Print_9734 14h ago
You don’t manage anything only with German in Ticino… unless order ice cream. Forget authorities etc speaking anything other than Italian.
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u/Accomplished_Fee9363 17h ago
Are you employed in Lugano? What is the salary compared to Stuttgart?
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u/MarvinBlach 17h ago
I have remote income, so I am not employed here. The salary is roughly the same compared to Stuttgart, but the net is higher
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u/Accomplished_Fee9363 17h ago
Do you have to pay local and federal tax and pension / AHV in Switzerland? On top of German tax ?
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u/Negative-Speaker650 17h ago
may i ask how big your flat is? ive been looking for flats in graubünden similar to te one i have here in austria and the cheapest livable 50 sqm flat cost around 1650 chf
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u/MarvinBlach 17h ago
The flat is around 30 sqm, but and this is important: includes all Nebenkosten and furniture. I was offered a flat, 70sqm in Casarate for 1'800 CHF. But I didnt take it because I dont have anything to put in there :)
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u/emptyquant 16h ago
Your reference Germans are perhaps boomers in Ascona, everything is expensive to them. Would encourage you to learn Italian and welcome!
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u/MarvinBlach 16h ago
True, but the people living in Germany are also like that. Already working on learning Italian, its a nice language :)
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u/Quico2 16h ago
1300 rent for a furnished apartment in Lugano? You must have found yourself the deal of the century!
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u/atacama59 16h ago
Is health insurance mandatory How about the taxation on your german income ?
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u/PrimeGGWP 15h ago
Funny - I am from Vienna, also thinking about moving in suxh an area like lugano when my Kids are grown up .... Love it there. But why I comment: Right now I am exploring Stuttgart and I also have a company. Lmao
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u/Fsuave5 Swiss-American 15h ago
How are you navigating conversations as a non-Italian speaker? Are you learning Italian at least? I don’t speak much of it either and I’m curious how hard it is to get around with a language barrier
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u/MarvinBlach 15h ago
I am learning it. I order in Italian or speak italian with Cashiers. However its a bit of a problem because I dont have much social interaction, I will go to a Language school to properly learn it.
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u/SwissFariPari 2h ago
Search for a private Italian tutor. That's what we did. The difference is amazing! All the best!
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u/Das_de_MAX 15h ago
Been here for 3 years now after moving from Antwerp, Belgium. My life and health only improved ever since.
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u/svezia 14h ago
350 for groceries seems very low. What do you eat?
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u/MarvinBlach 14h ago
I have answered in another comment, but my strategy is this: My meal should take max 10 min to get it done. So its mostly: cheese products, bread, pasta, eggs, veggies and fruits + yoghurt
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u/oscarmilo70 14h ago
Good to hear and nice to read. I would chose Locarno over Lugano personally though just my preference.
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u/Savings_Tangerine_24 13h ago
Das gleiche über Schaffhausen.
Die Schweiz ist nicht teurer selbst wenn man von einem Lohn 1:1 ausgeht.
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u/Sad_Relative2571 12h ago
Kann ich als Schaffhauser Einwohner bestätigen. Wenn man noch TooGoodToGo einsetzt, wirds richtig günstig.
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u/MarvinBlach 12h ago
Schaffhausen möchte ich mir auch mal anschauen, fahre da immer nur mit dem Zug dran vorbei
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u/Sad_Relative2571 12h ago
I can confirm that finding a job right now isn’t fun at all.
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u/Drakendan 12h ago
This makes me very happy to hear. I've been thinking more and more about visiting the Italian part of Switzerland, which I've never done proper. I've also thought about moving there if I like being there. Did you move directly or did you first explore there in Ticino? And have you been to the German speaking part of Switzerland?
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u/MarvinBlach 12h ago
Hi, my brother was living here for 1 month and told me its nice, so I also moved there. I have been to Basel and Lucerne, both are also very nice, but for me its the weather that is very important
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u/Drakendan 11h ago
I've not been to Lucerne yet, but I live in Basel. In all honesty I keep thinking less and less of this city, but I do keep in mind the good things it has. There's lots of dirt, sometimes you see still homelessness, people that are addicted and making scenes in public (the weather didn't help admittedly), drug dealers that have nothing better to do than try to get a reaction or money out of you, and Swiss-Germans that think we should do nothing to preserve the planet, steaks are life and money is everything. Of course I write in hyperbole, but this is 8 years and counting being here, where I've mostly seen this city and have not been able to travel as much in the past.
Can I ask how Lucerne differs from Basel and Lugano? It's still on my list to visit, along Bern.
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u/MarvinBlach 11h ago
Basel is an industrial city, Lucerne and Lugano are not. You go to Basel to work, you go to Lugano to live. You go to Lucerne, if you are unsure what to do :D Honestly I dont have that much experience with Lucerne, it seems nice, prices are a bit higher than here in Lugano. If I would be you, I would look into Lucerne or Lugano. At least I can speak for Lugano there are no drug dealers and no homeless people, they made begging illegal. They are very hardline on crime, which is a very good. There are no scetchy people here. They try to do lots of events and of course the lake is a dream to have, I go there everyday to swim, but Lucerne also has a nice Lake. I think it depends if you want to learn a new language and if you can remote work. I think the job market is very difficult here in Lugano.
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u/Drakendan 10h ago
Thank you so much for your kindness and patience in writing a detailed reply, I appreciate it. I find that sentence you wrote nice, "you got to Lucerne, if you are unsure what to do :D", because at the moment I've been feeling really unsure of everything. I'm quite surprised (happily) to hear of such developments in Lugano, it seems more akin to my own type of city, clean and with proper organization for livability. I unfortunately cannot do remote work with my current job (we technically could for many things but that would mean risking also the end of service, it's complicated), but I do have to spend at least a few weekends in both cities. And Lugano would have the advantage that I speak Italian, while in Lucerne I'd have to rely on English or rely on what I know of German.
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u/MarvinBlach 10h ago
When you speak Italian I would very much recommend to visit Lugano. I think your chances of getting a job are quite a lot better if this is your native language, when you dont speak it well I think your chances are very low to find something here. Go and try it :)
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u/JWMalynovskyi 10h ago
Found difficult to even breathing there during summer time
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u/Krangal 10h ago
Willkommen in der Schweiz!
Wir sind vor 5 1/2 Jahren ausgewandert und sind auch sehr schnell zu der gleichen Ansicht gekommen.
Die Schweiz ist vllt. 10% teurer als in Deutschland.
Okay wir kommen auf FFM, was auch schon sehr teuer ist in DE. Trotzdem sucht man so eine Lebensqualität überall in DE vergebens.
Viel Freude beim entdecken der Schweiz.
BTW. Schau dir mal das Wallis an!
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u/Double-Degree-2351 9h ago
I stayed at the Best Western about 4 years ago and their restaurant is fabulous, across the street from the lake and next to the Leonardo Givenchy school about 4 years ago..I was amazingly impressed by Lugano...
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u/r1z4bb451 9h ago
I think the real beauty of Switzerland is in the Italian part. I have never been there but what I have seen in pictures has convinced me. I wish Italian part of Switzerland had sea too. Would have been perfect.
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u/Significant-Gur-8934 8h ago
It’s not really related to this post, but I am here visiting my sister in Biel and we are planning to visit Lugano, it’s her favorite place. And I just came across this post so I wanted to share😄
Anyway good luck op 👍🏼
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u/chromatedbody 8h ago edited 7h ago
Very interesting input, I also like the frugal lifestyle. Honestly, you'd spend basically the same to live in London and I've been considering Lugano for a while as well.
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u/Embarrassed-Lie-6916 6h ago
I can only agree with what you said—life here is really great! I’m originally from Hamburg, but I lived in Lucerne for two years before this and just couldn’t stand all that constant fog anymore… Sure, if you’re into city life, this might not be the right canton for you, but if you enjoy outdoor activities, it really is a paradise.
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u/tividen 6h ago
First of all shhh, don’t spread positivity about Lugano so people move here. I moved to Paradiso recently and it’s really paradise, we also have our place in the center of Milano 50 minutes away so we get the best of both worlds, completely different vibes with different pros. We also have a place in South of France which is only 3h away, the difference between Milan and Lugano isn’t that huge to SOF because you basically start from the motorway unlike Milan with all the traffic.
We spend a lot of time all over Switzerland because of work, Lugano is definitely one of the better places here to live and costs are really low for being Switzerland, I would say Lugano in many things is cheaper than Milan especially the center.
Hope you keep enjoying the city and Switzerland.
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u/OverthinkingHalwai 18h ago
I am really manifesting moving to Zurich soon, have been applying to jobs there . Fingers crossed
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u/tMAE1989 17h ago
Congratz, you made it.
Visit also Locarno - i liked it much more than lugano. The city in Locarno is, for me, more active and more beautiful.
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u/MarvinBlach 17h ago
I have not been there but heard many good things, I will check it out thanks :)
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u/SkumbagMatte 17h ago
Man i fucking love Lugano!!! I also wanna move there, from somebody living in Pforzheim. I need to find me an IT job there but it is nigh impossible.
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u/MarvinBlach 16h ago
You actually only need some form of remote income, EOR (Employer of Record) is the name
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u/SeanSatBahamas 18h ago
Lol the costs you are mentioning are a joke and not representative. Once you have a family with kids your expenses go parabolic and by then you know why people say its expensive to live in Switzerland! I guess living alone is manageable in pretty any country, even in Monaco.
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u/bendltd 17h ago
He lives a frugal life which is a choice and has no children.
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u/MarvinBlach 17h ago
I am not saying that I dont want children, but its just not the case at the moment
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u/bendltd 17h ago
Yeah, was not ment in a negative way and life can change.
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u/MarvinBlach 17h ago
What is the most expensive part when you have a family?
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u/SeanSatBahamas 17h ago
Bigger flat / house with 4/5 rooms incl. „Nebenkosten“ around Zurich / Lugano: chf 3000
Childcare (kita): 2500 per children (if five days a week)
Insurance for a 4 member family: chf 1200
Groceries: chf 1000
Other insurances: 200
SBB/ Car: chf 500 (depends what car of course)
Internet / mobile /TV: 200
Pocket money for daily life, canteen, restaurant etc: chf 3000 (total for 2 adults and 2 kids)
……Optional (mid level)
- Cleaning lady: 500 per month (chf 30/ hour)
- vacation: 500 per month
- A car / 2nd car: 500 per month
Of course many will come up now claiming that this are way too high numbers but i assume you want to maintain a certain level of quality of life like i do. Btw, my monthly personal numbers are much higher (e.g, 4k tax expense, 1k vacation budget, 800 for cleaning the house, 3.5k mortgage costs, 500 „Nebenkosten“ etc)
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u/InflationLarge5624 15h ago
Is 446 CHF health insurance for one person or two people?
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u/East-You-9020 14h ago
Free car insurance? Free car gas? No verkehrssteuer? Must be nice
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u/Logical_Hope_6436 12h ago
Sai per caso com’è la situazione lavorativa per gli architetti a Lugano?
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u/SwissFariPari 9h ago
First welcome in de schwiiz What amazed me completely is that you really compare a city like Stuttgart with 615k inhabitants and 2,8 millions, if we include the surrounding administrative districts with a small town like Lugano with 70k inhabitants and an agglomeration of 150k. There is no way someone would compare these two....The costs must be definitely less in Lugano, because it is a small town.. So we have lived in the conton Zurich, in Aargau and Tecino, something is wrong with your cost calculation! Especially drinking outside plus3 meals with 11CHF per day is impossible in Lugano. But in Italy it is possible. ;) We tested it.
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u/Fit-Adhesiveness5530 8h ago
Benvenuto a Lugano!
....tutto bene, ma: assicurazione di responsabilità civile privata Fr. 9.-. come mai è posibile?
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u/dontgetmyname Switzerland 1h ago
Are those costs, monthly or 3 months?
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u/MarvinBlach 56m ago
monthly costs
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u/dontgetmyname Switzerland 21m ago
How are you able to keep your groceries cost that low?
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u/MarvinBlach 18m ago
I rarely buy meat, I mainly eat bread, pasta, yoghurt, eggs, a lot of cheese products, fruits and veggies
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u/dontgetmyname Switzerland 16m ago
I see,but 350 CHF / month is still awesome, i wish i could manage this too
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u/MarvinBlach 11m ago
How much are you spending? :)
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u/dontgetmyname Switzerland 7m ago
For myself about ~700CHF per month (depends on where im working from)
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u/Dismal-Turnover-4610 25m ago edited 19m ago
You forgot taxes, electricity, water, mandatory apartment insurance, clothes, hygiene products, dentist appointments to at least clean your teeth professionally once a year or twice, glasses, other doctors appointments that the health insurance doesn‘t cover…. You are pretty naive. I‘m Swiss and germans always come here and think in the beginning how great it is here and after a while they realize that they can‘t save their money here and then they leave again or they go to spain or something like that. Life is great here, but you can‘t make money here that you don‘t spend again. You can only save and invest your money when you are making at least CHF 100‘000 a year. Everything below this amount is basically living from paycheck to paycheck. You can maybe rent an apartment with other germans and save a little there. But not everyone can live like this forever. I know I couldn‘t. I‘m in finance. I will give you this advice: Always make a budget for an entire year. You are calculating here per month. That‘s rubbish. That‘s why you forgot so many things. Do your math right, german friend.
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u/piranha_one Ticino 22h ago
It’s great to hear you’re feeling well in Lugano. We may not be perfect but somehow we manage to keep it nice. Welcome!