CITY / CITYVerified city comparison
PraguevsZurich.
Prague and Zurich are even on the headline facts, with 3 stronger results each out of 8. Cost of living (single, excl. rent): Prague $785/mo, Zurich $2,028/mo. Freelancer tax burden: Prague 13%, Zurich 27.8%. Climate comfort: Prague 5/12 mo, Zurich 5/12 mo.
VerifiedUpdated
14 compared criteria · 28 sources · country-level facts are clearly inherited
cz / ch · SettleMetric
01
The key differences
The key numbers head-to-head — the stronger side is marked. The overall score stays decoration; what matters is which facts fit you.
Headline result
Even — 3 of 8 each
Prague
3
Zurich
3
01Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Praguestronger
$785/mo
ČSÚ — Household Consumption Expenditures 2024 (per-capita CZ-COICOP), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- ČSÚ 2024 all-households per-capita consumption 212,569 CZK/yr minus actual rentals (04.1) 19,621 CZK → 192,948 CZK/yr = 16,079 CZK/mo excluding rent; uplifted by CPI to mid-2026 (2025 avg +2.5%, +~1.1% into 2026 → ×1.037) → ≈16,674 CZK/mo; converted at 21.244 CZK/USD (ECB 2026-07-02, EUR/CZK 24.216 ÷ EUR/USD 1.1399) → ≈$785. All-households per-capita basis (single-person basket not separately published in this release); city living runs somewhat higher.
Zurich
$2,028/mo
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Basket built from the 2023 Swiss household budget survey, per household per month in CHF: food and non-alcoholic drinks 637.76 + restaurants and cafés 427.20 (COICOP 531, excluding the 131.28 spent on accommodation) + service charges and energy of the main residence 271.46 (5712 + 5713, so the utilities without the 1,081.64 of net rent) + household goods and running the home 201.16 + clothing and footwear 160.60 + transport 743.53 + communications 161.81 + recreation, entertainment and culture 488.23 + other goods and services 319.26 = 3,411.01. Divided by the survey's own mean household size of 2.07 persons = CHF 1,647.83 per person per month, converted at 1 CHF = 1.2306 USD (ECB rates of 2026-08-13) = $2,028. Excluded: rent, alcohol and tobacco, out-of-pocket health spending, insurance premiums, taxes and social contributions.
- Notes
- Two things to hold against this figure. It is a PER-CAPITA share of average household spending, not a measured single-person budget, and a person living alone carries utilities, communications and household costs that a two-person household splits — so a real single in Zurich or Geneva will spend more than this. And it is 2023 data, the latest the survey publishes, with no inflation uplift applied. Health insurance is deliberately outside the basket even though it is compulsory, because it is carried separately by healthcare-private-cost and by the tax burden; add roughly $650/month for it if you want the all-in figure.
02Freelancer tax burden
Praguestronger
13%
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Finanční správa, ČSSZ, VZP)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme cz-osvc-pausal-60 at €60,000 revenue = 1,452,960 CZK (ECB EUR/CZK 24.216): 60% expense lump-sum → profit 581,184; social 29.2%×55% = 93,338.15; health 13.5%×50% = 39,663.27 (min floor); PIT (581,184 − 205,600 allowance) × 15% = 56,337.60; total levies 189,339.02 → 13.03%. The paušální-daň Band 2 (200,940 CZK fixed) gives 13.83%, so the 60% lump-sum wins at this income. Expenses are the statutory 60% flat rate, not actual costs.
Zurich
27.8%
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Scheme ch-einzelfirma-zurich at €60,000 revenue with 10% expenses, converted at the 2026-08-13 ECB rate (1 EUR = 0.9373 CHF) to CHF 56,238 revenue and CHF 50,614 profit. Levies: family-allowance contribution CHF 519 + AHV/IV/EO CHF 3,927 (7.840%, the degressive band that applies below CHF 60,500) + direct federal tax CHF 300 + compulsory KVG health insurance CHF 7,678 + Zurich cantonal and communal tax CHF 3,184 = CHF 15,608 of CHF 56,238 = 27.75%.
- Notes
- TWO NUMBERS HIDE INSIDE THIS ONE. Swiss income tax at this level is very light — federal tax is CHF 300 on a CHF 50,600 profit — and social contributions are only 7.8% here, because the AHV scale is degressive below CHF 60,500 and the self-employed pay no unemployment or occupational-pension contribution. Nearly half the burden is the compulsory health premium, a flat CHF 7,678 that does not scale with income at all. That makes the Swiss figure unusually sensitive to the profile: at CHF 150,000 of revenue the same scheme comes out at 27.5%, LOWER than at CHF 80,000 (30.6%). It is also a Zurich number: the cantonal and communal share is set by the commune, and other Swiss communes would move this by several points.
03Homicide rate
Prague
0.77/100k
UNODC / World Bank — intentional homicides per 100,000 (Czechia, 2023)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- UNODC series via World Bank: 0.768 per 100,000 in 2023 (down from 0.815 in 2022). Rounded to 0.77. 2024 not yet published at the national series level on checked sources.
Zurichstronger
0.5/100k
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Notes
- 0.50 per 100,000 in 2024, at the very bottom of the European range and stable: the series has moved between 0.48 and 0.71 every year since 2008 with no trend.
04Climate comfort
Prague
5/12 mo
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: May (18.9), Jun (22.2), Jul (24.5), Aug (24.4), Sep (19.1) = 5 (April misses at 14.5°C).
Zurich
5/12 mo
NOAA/WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020 — station ZUERICH / FLUNTERN (WMO 06660, 556 m)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Months whose 1991–2020 normals have a mean daily maximum between 15 °C and 28 °C and under 150 mm of precipitation: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep. Computed from the climate-normals stored alongside.
05Internet speed
Prague
30 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Czechia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Median of 343 daily country medians, 957,549 download tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; 2025/2026 files not yet published).
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures (Czech fixed broadband commonly markets 100–1000 Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion.
Zurichstronger
89 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Switzerland
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Notes
- Median of the 2023 daily country medians over 343 days and 406,505 tests; monthly medians ran 77.8–102.1 Mbps. 2023 is still the latest full year M-Lab's public stats API carries for Switzerland — the 2024 file stops on 26 March. M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads far below Ookla-style figures, so compare it only with other countries in this criterion.
06English proficiency
Prague
High
EF EPI 2025 (rank 23/123, score 582 — High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Czechia rank 23/123, score 582, EF 'High'/B2 band. English is broadly workable in Prague/Brno and the service and tech sectors, thinner in smaller towns and public offices. Czech is the sole official language.
Zurich
High
EF EPI 2025 — Switzerland (rank 30/123, score 564, High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Notes
- Our band, matching EF's own: 564 points, 30th of 123 countries and up 14 points on the previous edition. Do not read Switzerland as a Nordic-style English country — administration, healthcare and housing run in the local official language, which is German in Zurich and French in Geneva, and the two cities differ sharply in EF's own city scores (Zurich 621, Geneva 555). English gets a professional a long way inside international employers and almost nowhere inside a cantonal office.
07Private healthcare cost
Praguestronger
$1,186/yr
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive (outpatient + inpatient/hospital, benefit limit 1.8–10 million CZK/event, ~EUR 400,000) commercial medical insurance for foreigners — PVZP Comprehensive EXCLUSIVE and comparable UNIQA/Slavia/Maxima/Ergo products — runs ≈1,700–2,500 CZK/month for a healthy 35-year-old. Midpoint ≈2,100 CZK/mo ≈ 25,200 CZK/yr ≈ $1,186 at 21.244 CZK/USD (range ≈ $960–$1,412). Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint.
- Notes
- Residents with a residence permit and local work/business are covered by mandatory public health insurance (VZP etc.) at 13.5% of the assessment base — comprehensive commercial cover is mainly for those not yet in the public system (long-stay visa holders must carry it). This figure is the comprehensive with-inpatient tier, chosen to be comparable with other countries' comprehensive plans; a cheaper 'basic' (urgent-care-only) foreigner plan starts around 900 CZK/mo.
Zurich
$8,437/yr
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 1,032 approved 2026 premiums across 34 insurers for an adult (age class 26+) on the standard model with free choice of doctor, the lowest CHF 300 franchise and accident cover included: CHF 571.35/month = CHF 6,856/year = $8,437 at 1 CHF = 1.2306 USD (ECB rates of 2026-08-13). Not a sample of three quotes — Switzerland approves and publishes every premium, so this is the whole population of them.
- Notes
- Switzerland is the one country in this dataset where the 'private insurance' figure is not optional: KVG/LAMal basic cover is a legal duty for every resident, so this number is a bill, not a choice, and it is already counted inside the freelancer tax burden. It buys more than the criterion asks for — there is no benefit ceiling at all, where the criterion assumes ~$100k. It is also the maximum-price configuration: the official enrolment-weighted average premium actually paid by adults in 2026 is CHF 465.30/month ($6,873/year) because most people take a restricted-choice model and a higher franchise, and the cheapest standard-model quote in the country is CHF 70/month lower than the median. City medians on the same basis: Zurich CHF 639.80/month, Bern CHF 681.50, Geneva CHF 752.20 — Geneva costs 18% more than Zurich for the same legal cover.
08Air quality (PM2.5)
Prague
12 µg/m³
SZÚ / ČHMÚ — outdoor air quality assessment, Prague 2023
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- SZÚ/ČHMÚ report: 2023 annual PM2.5 means at Prague's seven monitoring stations ranged 9.5–14.5 µg/m³ (urban-background midpoint ≈ 12 µg/m³). 2023 was an unusually clean year; the limit (20 µg/m³) was not exceeded.
- Notes
- About 2.4× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³) but well under the EU limit (20–25). A 2024 traffic station (Praha 2-Legerova) reached 15.5 µg/m³; winter heating and traffic are the main sources.
Zurichstronger
8.3 µg/m³
Umwelt- und Gesundheitsschutz Zürich — daily air-quality measurements since 1983 (open data, CC0)
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Unweighted mean of the 2025 annual means of the city’s four PM2.5 stations, computed from the published validated daily values: Heubeeribüel 7.00, Rosengartenstrasse 8.60, Schimmelstrasse 8.91, Stampfenbachstrasse 8.57 µg/m³. Coverage is 99–100% of days at every station.
- Notes
- A genuinely clean year on a complete record — every station sits below the EU limit of 25 µg/m³ and above the WHO guideline of 5. The spread is the traffic signal: the two roadside stations (Rosengartenstrasse, Schimmelstrasse) read about 1.6 µg/m³ higher than the parkland station on the Zürichberg, so the number you breathe depends on which street you live on.
02
Which city fits your plan?
Each lens weighs only the facts that matter to that plan, and names the side it favours.
Remote IT / freelancer
Contract or freelance in tech, billing clients abroad.
Prague fits better — 2 of 5
01Freelancer tax burden
Praguestronger
13%
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Finanční správa, ČSSZ, VZP)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme cz-osvc-pausal-60 at €60,000 revenue = 1,452,960 CZK (ECB EUR/CZK 24.216): 60% expense lump-sum → profit 581,184; social 29.2%×55% = 93,338.15; health 13.5%×50% = 39,663.27 (min floor); PIT (581,184 − 205,600 allowance) × 15% = 56,337.60; total levies 189,339.02 → 13.03%. The paušální-daň Band 2 (200,940 CZK fixed) gives 13.83%, so the 60% lump-sum wins at this income. Expenses are the statutory 60% flat rate, not actual costs.
Zurich
27.8%
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Scheme ch-einzelfirma-zurich at €60,000 revenue with 10% expenses, converted at the 2026-08-13 ECB rate (1 EUR = 0.9373 CHF) to CHF 56,238 revenue and CHF 50,614 profit. Levies: family-allowance contribution CHF 519 + AHV/IV/EO CHF 3,927 (7.840%, the degressive band that applies below CHF 60,500) + direct federal tax CHF 300 + compulsory KVG health insurance CHF 7,678 + Zurich cantonal and communal tax CHF 3,184 = CHF 15,608 of CHF 56,238 = 27.75%.
- Notes
- TWO NUMBERS HIDE INSIDE THIS ONE. Swiss income tax at this level is very light — federal tax is CHF 300 on a CHF 50,600 profit — and social contributions are only 7.8% here, because the AHV scale is degressive below CHF 60,500 and the self-employed pay no unemployment or occupational-pension contribution. Nearly half the burden is the compulsory health premium, a flat CHF 7,678 that does not scale with income at all. That makes the Swiss figure unusually sensitive to the profile: at CHF 150,000 of revenue the same scheme comes out at 27.5%, LOWER than at CHF 80,000 (30.6%). It is also a Zurich number: the cantonal and communal share is set by the commune, and other Swiss communes would move this by several points.
02Internet speed
Prague
30 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Czechia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Median of 343 daily country medians, 957,549 download tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; 2025/2026 files not yet published).
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures (Czech fixed broadband commonly markets 100–1000 Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion.
Zurichstronger
89 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Switzerland
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Notes
- Median of the 2023 daily country medians over 343 days and 406,505 tests; monthly medians ran 77.8–102.1 Mbps. 2023 is still the latest full year M-Lab's public stats API carries for Switzerland — the 2024 file stops on 26 March. M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads far below Ookla-style figures, so compare it only with other countries in this criterion.
03English proficiency
Prague
High
EF EPI 2025 (rank 23/123, score 582 — High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Czechia rank 23/123, score 582, EF 'High'/B2 band. English is broadly workable in Prague/Brno and the service and tech sectors, thinner in smaller towns and public offices. Czech is the sole official language.
Zurich
High
EF EPI 2025 — Switzerland (rank 30/123, score 564, High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Notes
- Our band, matching EF's own: 564 points, 30th of 123 countries and up 14 points on the previous edition. Do not read Switzerland as a Nordic-style English country — administration, healthcare and housing run in the local official language, which is German in Zurich and French in Geneva, and the two cities differ sharply in EF's own city scores (Zurich 621, Geneva 555). English gets a professional a long way inside international employers and almost nowhere inside a cantonal office.
04Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Praguestronger
$785/mo
ČSÚ — Household Consumption Expenditures 2024 (per-capita CZ-COICOP), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- ČSÚ 2024 all-households per-capita consumption 212,569 CZK/yr minus actual rentals (04.1) 19,621 CZK → 192,948 CZK/yr = 16,079 CZK/mo excluding rent; uplifted by CPI to mid-2026 (2025 avg +2.5%, +~1.1% into 2026 → ×1.037) → ≈16,674 CZK/mo; converted at 21.244 CZK/USD (ECB 2026-07-02, EUR/CZK 24.216 ÷ EUR/USD 1.1399) → ≈$785. All-households per-capita basis (single-person basket not separately published in this release); city living runs somewhat higher.
Zurich
$2,028/mo
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Basket built from the 2023 Swiss household budget survey, per household per month in CHF: food and non-alcoholic drinks 637.76 + restaurants and cafés 427.20 (COICOP 531, excluding the 131.28 spent on accommodation) + service charges and energy of the main residence 271.46 (5712 + 5713, so the utilities without the 1,081.64 of net rent) + household goods and running the home 201.16 + clothing and footwear 160.60 + transport 743.53 + communications 161.81 + recreation, entertainment and culture 488.23 + other goods and services 319.26 = 3,411.01. Divided by the survey's own mean household size of 2.07 persons = CHF 1,647.83 per person per month, converted at 1 CHF = 1.2306 USD (ECB rates of 2026-08-13) = $2,028. Excluded: rent, alcohol and tobacco, out-of-pocket health spending, insurance premiums, taxes and social contributions.
- Notes
- Two things to hold against this figure. It is a PER-CAPITA share of average household spending, not a measured single-person budget, and a person living alone carries utilities, communications and household costs that a two-person household splits — so a real single in Zurich or Geneva will spend more than this. And it is 2023 data, the latest the survey publishes, with no inflation uplift applied. Health insurance is deliberately outside the basket even though it is compulsory, because it is carried separately by healthcare-private-cost and by the tax burden; add roughly $650/month for it if you want the all-in figure.
05Domestic delivery quality
Prague
Excellent
Packeta/Zásilkovna official news + Czech Post / carrier service pages (composite)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Packeta/Zásilkovna: ~6,200 Z-BOX lockers + ~4,000 staffed pickup points (≈10,000 points in Czechia), 184 million parcels delivered in 2025; Czech Post (Česká pošta) nationwide with Balíkovna pickup; PPL, DPD, GLS, DHL nationwide with next-day standard. Dense locker + PUDO network; next-day delivery is the norm.
Zurich
Excellent
Die Schweizerische Post — Finanzbericht 2024 (Zugangspunkte) und My Post 24
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Sep 9, 2026
- Method
- Inputs: A-Post priority mail must arrive on the working day after posting, everywhere in the country; Swiss Post reports over 5,000 access points in its 2024 financial report, of which about 2,000 are staffed, plus 770 Postomaten, 563 drop-off and collection points in retailers such as Migros, and 14,077 letter boxes; tracking is standard on parcels.
- Notes
- The one part of the definition Switzerland does not meet on its own terms is the parcel-locker network: 303 My Post 24 terminals for nine million people is thin next to the locker-first markets in this dataset, where the count runs into five figures. What Switzerland has instead is an unusually dense network of STAFFED counters and retail collection points, which does the same job with different opening hours. Rated excellent on speed, coverage and tracking, with that caveat visible rather than averaged away.
Family
Relocating with a partner and school-age children.
Zurich fits better — 2 of 5
01International schools
Prague
9
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Count of Prague-metro schools each individually confirmed against a qualifying accreditor: (1) International School of Prague — CIS + NEASC, IB continuum (ibo.org/en/school/000889); (2) The English College in Prague — IB DP (ibo.org/en/school/000821); (3) Prague British International School / Nord Anglia — IB DP (ibo.org/en/school/001042); (4) Park Lane International School — IB PYP/MYP/DP (ibo.org/en/school/052209); (5) Nový PORG — IB DP + Cambridge (ibo.org/en/school/004534); (6) Riverside School — CIS + IB + COBIS + BSO (school accreditation page); (7) Lycée français de Prague — AEFE-homologated, all levels (aefe.gouv.fr); (8) Deutsche Schule Prag — German ZfA-recognized Auslandsschule, 'Excellent German School Abroad' seal; (9) Meridian International School — British Schools Overseas (ISI BSO report), Cambridge International pathway. Aggregator sites were used only to find candidates, not as the recorded source.
- Notes
- Verified FLOOR of 9 (±2). The IB find-an-ib-school finder and some accreditor registries returned 403 to automated fetches, so each school was confirmed via its own IB school-detail page, accreditor report, or accreditor's official listing rather than a single directory pull. Additional Prague schools may hold qualifying accreditation but were not each individually verified this cycle (e.g. Christian International School of Prague is ACSI/MSA-accredited — a US regional/faith accreditor, not on the IB/Cambridge/AEFE/German/CIS/COBIS list — so it is excluded from this strict count).
Zurich
no verified data
02Homicide rate
Prague
0.77/100k
UNODC / World Bank — intentional homicides per 100,000 (Czechia, 2023)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- UNODC series via World Bank: 0.768 per 100,000 in 2023 (down from 0.815 in 2022). Rounded to 0.77. 2024 not yet published at the national series level on checked sources.
Zurichstronger
0.5/100k
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Notes
- 0.50 per 100,000 in 2024, at the very bottom of the European range and stable: the series has moved between 0.48 and 0.71 every year since 2008 with no trend.
03Private healthcare cost
Praguestronger
$1,186/yr
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive (outpatient + inpatient/hospital, benefit limit 1.8–10 million CZK/event, ~EUR 400,000) commercial medical insurance for foreigners — PVZP Comprehensive EXCLUSIVE and comparable UNIQA/Slavia/Maxima/Ergo products — runs ≈1,700–2,500 CZK/month for a healthy 35-year-old. Midpoint ≈2,100 CZK/mo ≈ 25,200 CZK/yr ≈ $1,186 at 21.244 CZK/USD (range ≈ $960–$1,412). Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint.
- Notes
- Residents with a residence permit and local work/business are covered by mandatory public health insurance (VZP etc.) at 13.5% of the assessment base — comprehensive commercial cover is mainly for those not yet in the public system (long-stay visa holders must carry it). This figure is the comprehensive with-inpatient tier, chosen to be comparable with other countries' comprehensive plans; a cheaper 'basic' (urgent-care-only) foreigner plan starts around 900 CZK/mo.
Zurich
$8,437/yr
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 1,032 approved 2026 premiums across 34 insurers for an adult (age class 26+) on the standard model with free choice of doctor, the lowest CHF 300 franchise and accident cover included: CHF 571.35/month = CHF 6,856/year = $8,437 at 1 CHF = 1.2306 USD (ECB rates of 2026-08-13). Not a sample of three quotes — Switzerland approves and publishes every premium, so this is the whole population of them.
- Notes
- Switzerland is the one country in this dataset where the 'private insurance' figure is not optional: KVG/LAMal basic cover is a legal duty for every resident, so this number is a bill, not a choice, and it is already counted inside the freelancer tax burden. It buys more than the criterion asks for — there is no benefit ceiling at all, where the criterion assumes ~$100k. It is also the maximum-price configuration: the official enrolment-weighted average premium actually paid by adults in 2026 is CHF 465.30/month ($6,873/year) because most people take a restricted-choice model and a higher franchise, and the cheapest standard-model quote in the country is CHF 70/month lower than the median. City medians on the same basis: Zurich CHF 639.80/month, Bern CHF 681.50, Geneva CHF 752.20 — Geneva costs 18% more than Zurich for the same legal cover.
04Air quality (PM2.5)
Prague
12 µg/m³
SZÚ / ČHMÚ — outdoor air quality assessment, Prague 2023
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- SZÚ/ČHMÚ report: 2023 annual PM2.5 means at Prague's seven monitoring stations ranged 9.5–14.5 µg/m³ (urban-background midpoint ≈ 12 µg/m³). 2023 was an unusually clean year; the limit (20 µg/m³) was not exceeded.
- Notes
- About 2.4× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³) but well under the EU limit (20–25). A 2024 traffic station (Praha 2-Legerova) reached 15.5 µg/m³; winter heating and traffic are the main sources.
Zurichstronger
8.3 µg/m³
Umwelt- und Gesundheitsschutz Zürich — daily air-quality measurements since 1983 (open data, CC0)
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Unweighted mean of the 2025 annual means of the city’s four PM2.5 stations, computed from the published validated daily values: Heubeeribüel 7.00, Rosengartenstrasse 8.60, Schimmelstrasse 8.91, Stampfenbachstrasse 8.57 µg/m³. Coverage is 99–100% of days at every station.
- Notes
- A genuinely clean year on a complete record — every station sits below the EU limit of 25 µg/m³ and above the WHO guideline of 5. The spread is the traffic signal: the two roadside stations (Rosengartenstrasse, Schimmelstrasse) read about 1.6 µg/m³ higher than the parkland station on the Zürichberg, so the number you breathe depends on which street you live on.
05English proficiency
Prague
High
EF EPI 2025 (rank 23/123, score 582 — High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Czechia rank 23/123, score 582, EF 'High'/B2 band. English is broadly workable in Prague/Brno and the service and tech sectors, thinner in smaller towns and public offices. Czech is the sole official language.
Zurich
High
EF EPI 2025 — Switzerland (rank 30/123, score 564, High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Notes
- Our band, matching EF's own: 564 points, 30th of 123 countries and up 14 points on the previous edition. Do not read Switzerland as a Nordic-style English country — administration, healthcare and housing run in the local official language, which is German in Zurich and French in Geneva, and the two cities differ sharply in EF's own city scores (Zurich 621, Geneva 555). English gets a professional a long way inside international employers and almost nowhere inside a cantonal office.
Money & crypto
Optimising tax, banking and crypto rules.
Prague fits better — 1 of 3
01Crypto regulation
Prague
Legal friendly
Official source
- Data as of
- Feb 15, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Holding and trading are legal. From 15 Feb 2025 individuals enjoy two explicit exemptions: a value test (crypto income up to 100,000 CZK/year is tax-free) and a time test (crypto held over 3 years before sale is exempt, up to 40 million CZK/year). Otherwise gains are taxed as other income (§10) at 15%/23%. EU MiCA applies. The explicit exemptions and the 3-year 0% rule make this 'legal-friendly' (clear favourable rules), a notch above standard 'legal-regulated'.
Zurich
Legal friendly
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Notes
- Holding and trading are legal and the tax treatment is published rather than improvised: the Federal Tax Administration's working paper sets out that gains realised by a private individual managing private assets are TAX-FREE capital gains (Art. 16 Abs. 3 DBG), while the holding itself is subject to the annual wealth tax at its 31 December market value, and losses are correspondingly non-deductible. The exemption is not unconditional — where the scale, financing and frequency of trading go beyond private wealth management the activity is reclassified as self-employment and the gains become taxable income, which is the line to watch if you trade actively. Mining and staking rewards are income, not exempt gains.
02Financial control level
Prague
Low
Ministry of Finance — Act No. 254/2004 Coll. on restriction of cash payments (limit 270,000 CZK/day)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Composite: CZK is fully convertible with no capital/exchange controls (EU/OECD member; free movement of capital under EU law); cash-payment limit 270,000 CZK/day per payer-recipient pair (Act 254/2004), no limit on card/transfer payments; no FBAR-style foreign-account disclosure beyond EU CRS exchange via banks; free non-resident banking. Low state control over personal money flows.
Zurich
Low
Bundesgesetz über die Bekämpfung der Geldwäscherei und der Terrorismusfinanzierung (GwG, SR 955.0)
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Inputs weighed: no exchange or capital controls on the movement of personal funds in or out of the country; no general legal ceiling on cash payments, only anti-money-laundering due-diligence duties on dealers and financial intermediaries under the GwG; residents declare worldwide income and worldwide net wealth in the annual cantonal return, and Switzerland exchanges account information automatically under the OECD standard.
- Notes
- Low control over the movement of money, but not low visibility. Two things surprise newcomers: the annual return asks for your WORLDWIDE assets, because the cantons levy a wealth tax on net assets, so there is a reporting duty here that most countries do not have; and opening an account is easy for a resident but often refused or heavily priced for non-residents, so 'Swiss bank account' is not something you arrange before you move.
03Freelancer tax burden
Praguestronger
13%
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Finanční správa, ČSSZ, VZP)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme cz-osvc-pausal-60 at €60,000 revenue = 1,452,960 CZK (ECB EUR/CZK 24.216): 60% expense lump-sum → profit 581,184; social 29.2%×55% = 93,338.15; health 13.5%×50% = 39,663.27 (min floor); PIT (581,184 − 205,600 allowance) × 15% = 56,337.60; total levies 189,339.02 → 13.03%. The paušální-daň Band 2 (200,940 CZK fixed) gives 13.83%, so the 60% lump-sum wins at this income. Expenses are the statutory 60% flat rate, not actual costs.
Zurich
27.8%
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Scheme ch-einzelfirma-zurich at €60,000 revenue with 10% expenses, converted at the 2026-08-13 ECB rate (1 EUR = 0.9373 CHF) to CHF 56,238 revenue and CHF 50,614 profit. Levies: family-allowance contribution CHF 519 + AHV/IV/EO CHF 3,927 (7.840%, the degressive band that applies below CHF 60,500) + direct federal tax CHF 300 + compulsory KVG health insurance CHF 7,678 + Zurich cantonal and communal tax CHF 3,184 = CHF 15,608 of CHF 56,238 = 27.75%.
- Notes
- TWO NUMBERS HIDE INSIDE THIS ONE. Swiss income tax at this level is very light — federal tax is CHF 300 on a CHF 50,600 profit — and social contributions are only 7.8% here, because the AHV scale is degressive below CHF 60,500 and the self-employed pay no unemployment or occupational-pension contribution. Nearly half the burden is the compulsory health premium, a flat CHF 7,678 that does not scale with income at all. That makes the Swiss figure unusually sensitive to the profile: at CHF 150,000 of revenue the same scheme comes out at 27.5%, LOWER than at CHF 80,000 (30.6%). It is also a Zurich number: the cantonal and communal share is set by the commune, and other Swiss communes would move this by several points.
Calm lifestyle
Prioritising safety, air, and an easy daily life.
Zurich fits better — 2 of 4
01Homicide rate
Prague
0.77/100k
UNODC / World Bank — intentional homicides per 100,000 (Czechia, 2023)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- UNODC series via World Bank: 0.768 per 100,000 in 2023 (down from 0.815 in 2022). Rounded to 0.77. 2024 not yet published at the national series level on checked sources.
Zurichstronger
0.5/100k
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Notes
- 0.50 per 100,000 in 2024, at the very bottom of the European range and stable: the series has moved between 0.48 and 0.71 every year since 2008 with no trend.
02Air quality (PM2.5)
Prague
12 µg/m³
SZÚ / ČHMÚ — outdoor air quality assessment, Prague 2023
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- SZÚ/ČHMÚ report: 2023 annual PM2.5 means at Prague's seven monitoring stations ranged 9.5–14.5 µg/m³ (urban-background midpoint ≈ 12 µg/m³). 2023 was an unusually clean year; the limit (20 µg/m³) was not exceeded.
- Notes
- About 2.4× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³) but well under the EU limit (20–25). A 2024 traffic station (Praha 2-Legerova) reached 15.5 µg/m³; winter heating and traffic are the main sources.
Zurichstronger
8.3 µg/m³
Umwelt- und Gesundheitsschutz Zürich — daily air-quality measurements since 1983 (open data, CC0)
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Unweighted mean of the 2025 annual means of the city’s four PM2.5 stations, computed from the published validated daily values: Heubeeribüel 7.00, Rosengartenstrasse 8.60, Schimmelstrasse 8.91, Stampfenbachstrasse 8.57 µg/m³. Coverage is 99–100% of days at every station.
- Notes
- A genuinely clean year on a complete record — every station sits below the EU limit of 25 µg/m³ and above the WHO guideline of 5. The spread is the traffic signal: the two roadside stations (Rosengartenstrasse, Schimmelstrasse) read about 1.6 µg/m³ higher than the parkland station on the Zürichberg, so the number you breathe depends on which street you live on.
03Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Praguestronger
$785/mo
ČSÚ — Household Consumption Expenditures 2024 (per-capita CZ-COICOP), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- ČSÚ 2024 all-households per-capita consumption 212,569 CZK/yr minus actual rentals (04.1) 19,621 CZK → 192,948 CZK/yr = 16,079 CZK/mo excluding rent; uplifted by CPI to mid-2026 (2025 avg +2.5%, +~1.1% into 2026 → ×1.037) → ≈16,674 CZK/mo; converted at 21.244 CZK/USD (ECB 2026-07-02, EUR/CZK 24.216 ÷ EUR/USD 1.1399) → ≈$785. All-households per-capita basis (single-person basket not separately published in this release); city living runs somewhat higher.
Zurich
$2,028/mo
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Basket built from the 2023 Swiss household budget survey, per household per month in CHF: food and non-alcoholic drinks 637.76 + restaurants and cafés 427.20 (COICOP 531, excluding the 131.28 spent on accommodation) + service charges and energy of the main residence 271.46 (5712 + 5713, so the utilities without the 1,081.64 of net rent) + household goods and running the home 201.16 + clothing and footwear 160.60 + transport 743.53 + communications 161.81 + recreation, entertainment and culture 488.23 + other goods and services 319.26 = 3,411.01. Divided by the survey's own mean household size of 2.07 persons = CHF 1,647.83 per person per month, converted at 1 CHF = 1.2306 USD (ECB rates of 2026-08-13) = $2,028. Excluded: rent, alcohol and tobacco, out-of-pocket health spending, insurance premiums, taxes and social contributions.
- Notes
- Two things to hold against this figure. It is a PER-CAPITA share of average household spending, not a measured single-person budget, and a person living alone carries utilities, communications and household costs that a two-person household splits — so a real single in Zurich or Geneva will spend more than this. And it is 2023 data, the latest the survey publishes, with no inflation uplift applied. Health insurance is deliberately outside the basket even though it is compulsory, because it is carried separately by healthcare-private-cost and by the tax burden; add roughly $650/month for it if you want the all-in figure.
04Climate comfort
Prague
5/12 mo
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: May (18.9), Jun (22.2), Jul (24.5), Aug (24.4), Sep (19.1) = 5 (April misses at 14.5°C).
Zurich
5/12 mo
NOAA/WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020 — station ZUERICH / FLUNTERN (WMO 06660, 556 m)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Months whose 1991–2020 normals have a mean daily maximum between 15 °C and 28 °C and under 150 mm of precipitation: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep. Computed from the climate-normals stored alongside.
03
The full comparison
Open any fact to see what it measures, how fresh it is and the complete source trail for both cities.
01
Taxes
CriterionPragueZurich
01+−Freelancer tax burden% effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profilePraguestronger13Zurich27.8
What this measures
Effective total burden (income tax + mandatory social and health contributions) for a solo IT freelancer with €60,000/year revenue and 10% deductible expenses, using the most favourable eligible scheme in the country's tax-schemes data. Computed by the SettleMetric tax engine; recorded as a curated value with the winning scheme id in method.
Lower is better· % effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profile· re-verified every 365 days
Prague
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Finanční správa, ČSSZ, VZP)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme cz-osvc-pausal-60 at €60,000 revenue = 1,452,960 CZK (ECB EUR/CZK 24.216): 60% expense lump-sum → profit 581,184; social 29.2%×55% = 93,338.15; health 13.5%×50% = 39,663.27 (min floor); PIT (581,184 − 205,600 allowance) × 15% = 56,337.60; total levies 189,339.02 → 13.03%. The paušální-daň Band 2 (200,940 CZK fixed) gives 13.83%, so the 60% lump-sum wins at this income. Expenses are the statutory 60% flat rate, not actual costs.
Zurich
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Scheme ch-einzelfirma-zurich at €60,000 revenue with 10% expenses, converted at the 2026-08-13 ECB rate (1 EUR = 0.9373 CHF) to CHF 56,238 revenue and CHF 50,614 profit. Levies: family-allowance contribution CHF 519 + AHV/IV/EO CHF 3,927 (7.840%, the degressive band that applies below CHF 60,500) + direct federal tax CHF 300 + compulsory KVG health insurance CHF 7,678 + Zurich cantonal and communal tax CHF 3,184 = CHF 15,608 of CHF 56,238 = 27.75%.
- Notes
- TWO NUMBERS HIDE INSIDE THIS ONE. Swiss income tax at this level is very light — federal tax is CHF 300 on a CHF 50,600 profit — and social contributions are only 7.8% here, because the AHV scale is degressive below CHF 60,500 and the self-employed pay no unemployment or occupational-pension contribution. Nearly half the burden is the compulsory health premium, a flat CHF 7,678 that does not scale with income at all. That makes the Swiss figure unusually sensitive to the profile: at CHF 150,000 of revenue the same scheme comes out at 27.5%, LOWER than at CHF 80,000 (30.6%). It is also a Zurich number: the cantonal and communal share is set by the commune, and other Swiss communes would move this by several points.
02
Legalization
CriterionPragueZurich
01+−Remote-work legalization easePraguestrongerLong stay pathZurichShort stay only
What this measures
Best available legalization route for a location-independent earner with a median (non-EU, non-US) passport, classified from this country's legalization-paths data: dedicated digital-nomad visa; general freelance/self-employment permit; realistic long-stay path (e.g. renewable temporary residence); only short visa-free/tourist stays; effectively none.
Rated by category· re-verified every 180 days
Prague
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Czechia has no dedicated digital-nomad visa (the earlier special programme for selected nationalities was a labour scheme, not a nomad visa). The realistic long-stay route for a location-independent earner is the long-term residence/long-stay visa for the purpose of business, held on a Czech trade licence (živnostenské oprávnění); renewable and a path toward permanent residence. Classified 'long-stay-path' (renewable temporary residence), not a dedicated nomad visa.
Zurich
SEM — Weisungen und Erläuterungen AIG, Kapitel 4: Aufenthalt mit Erwerbstätigkeit (Stand 30.06.2026)
Official source
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Classified from this country's legalization paths for the criterion's persona — a location-independent earner holding a median non-EU, non-US passport. Switzerland has no digital-nomad visa and no remote-work permit. The one self-employment route open to third-country nationals, Art. 19 AIG, is an entrepreneur admission: it must serve the overall Swiss economic interest and have a lasting positive effect on the Swiss LABOUR MARKET, it must clear the Art. 21 priority of resident and EU/EFTA workers, and it competes for a national quota of 8,500 permits for all qualified third-country workers in 2026. A freelancer invoicing foreign clients meets none of that, so the realistic ceiling is the Schengen 90-in-180 visa-free stay.
- Notes
- This is the one indicator where Switzerland's score depends entirely on the passport. An EU or EFTA citizen simply registers as self-employed under the Free Movement Agreement and gets a five-year permit with no quota — for them the honest classification would be freelance-permit. The criterion deliberately asks about the median non-EU passport, and for that holder Switzerland is close to shut.
03
Cost of living
CriterionPragueZurich
01+−Cost of living (single, excl. rent)USD/month, single person, excluding rentPraguestronger785Zurich2,028
What this measures
Monthly cost of a defined single-person basket (food, transport, utilities, mobile+internet, modest leisure) excluding rent, curated from national statistics office price data and large local retailers' published prices, converted to USD at the ECB rate recorded in fx-rates. The method field of each value itemizes the basket inputs.
Lower is better· USD/month, single person, excluding rent· re-verified every 365 days
Prague
ČSÚ — Household Consumption Expenditures 2024 (per-capita CZ-COICOP), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- ČSÚ 2024 all-households per-capita consumption 212,569 CZK/yr minus actual rentals (04.1) 19,621 CZK → 192,948 CZK/yr = 16,079 CZK/mo excluding rent; uplifted by CPI to mid-2026 (2025 avg +2.5%, +~1.1% into 2026 → ×1.037) → ≈16,674 CZK/mo; converted at 21.244 CZK/USD (ECB 2026-07-02, EUR/CZK 24.216 ÷ EUR/USD 1.1399) → ≈$785. All-households per-capita basis (single-person basket not separately published in this release); city living runs somewhat higher.
Zurich
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Basket built from the 2023 Swiss household budget survey, per household per month in CHF: food and non-alcoholic drinks 637.76 + restaurants and cafés 427.20 (COICOP 531, excluding the 131.28 spent on accommodation) + service charges and energy of the main residence 271.46 (5712 + 5713, so the utilities without the 1,081.64 of net rent) + household goods and running the home 201.16 + clothing and footwear 160.60 + transport 743.53 + communications 161.81 + recreation, entertainment and culture 488.23 + other goods and services 319.26 = 3,411.01. Divided by the survey's own mean household size of 2.07 persons = CHF 1,647.83 per person per month, converted at 1 CHF = 1.2306 USD (ECB rates of 2026-08-13) = $2,028. Excluded: rent, alcohol and tobacco, out-of-pocket health spending, insurance premiums, taxes and social contributions.
- Notes
- Two things to hold against this figure. It is a PER-CAPITA share of average household spending, not a measured single-person budget, and a person living alone carries utilities, communications and household costs that a two-person household splits — so a real single in Zurich or Geneva will spend more than this. And it is 2023 data, the latest the survey publishes, with no inflation uplift applied. Health insurance is deliberately outside the basket even though it is compulsory, because it is carried separately by healthcare-private-cost and by the tax burden; add roughly $650/month for it if you want the all-in figure.
Monthly spending by category (excl. rent)
Prague
Zurich
ČSÚ Household Consumption Expenditures 2024 (per-capita CZ-COICOP), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- ČSÚ 2024 all-households per-capita annual spending by CZ-COICOP division (Kč/yr): food 37,888; housing excl. rent 35,314 (04 total 54,935 − 04.1 rent 19,621); transport 21,063; recreation 18,904; restaurants 15,574; furnishings 12,680; info & communication 11,887; clothing 8,373; alcohol & tobacco 6,652; insurance & finance 6,689; health 6,880; education 1,665. Each ÷12, ×1.037 CPI uplift, ÷21.244 CZK/USD. Categories approximate the ~$785/mo cost-of-living aggregate (small housing sub-lines within 04.4 rounded).
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Each 2023 household-average category divided by the survey's mean household size of 2.07 and converted at 1 CHF = 1.2306 USD; the nine items sum to the $2,028 headline.
- Notes
- Transport is the largest line and the one most open to change: CHF 555 of the household's CHF 744 is buying and running a car, against CHF 189 on public transport, so a car-free household in Zurich or Geneva — where that is entirely practical — cuts this basket by a good deal more than the difference in fares suggests.
01Transport
Praguecheaper
$86
Zurich
$442
02Food & non-alcoholic drinks
Prague
—
Zurich
$379
03Recreation, entertainment & culture
Prague
—
Zurich
$290
04Restaurants & cafés
Prague
—
Zurich
$254
05Other goods & services
Prague
—
Zurich
$190
06Utilities (service charges & home energy)
Prague
—
Zurich
$161
07Food & non-alcoholic beverages
Prague
$154
Zurich
—
08Housing utilities (energy, water, maintenance) excl. rent
Prague
$144
Zurich
—
09Clothing & footwear
Praguecheaper
$34
Zurich
$95
10Household goods & running the home
Prague
—
Zurich
$120
11Communications (mobile + internet)
Prague
—
Zurich
$96
12Recreation, sport & culture
Prague
$77
Zurich
—
13Restaurants & accommodation
Prague
$63
Zurich
—
14Furnishings & household equipment
Prague
$52
Zurich
—
15Information & communication
Prague
$48
Zurich
—
16Health (out-of-pocket)
Prague
$28
Zurich
—
17Alcohol & tobacco
Prague
$27
Zurich
—
18Insurance & financial services
Prague
$27
Zurich
—
19Education services
Prague
$7
Zurich
—
Total (excl. rent)
Prague$747/mo
Zurich$2,027/mo
04
Housing
Rent by apartment type
Asking rent, central price with outside-centre in parentheses ($/mo).
Prague
Zurich
Deloitte Czech Rent Index Q1 2026 (Prague, per-m² offered rents by district)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Mar 31, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Deloitte Q1 2026 offered-rent per-m² figures — Prague city-wide 466 CZK/m²/mo; central Prague 1 505 CZK/m² (×1.084 vs city); outer-district factor 429 CZK/m² (×0.92, below Prague 5's 459) — applied to standard sizes by room class (studio/1+kk 30 m², 1BR/2+kk 47 m², 2BR/3+kk 68 m², 3BR/4+kk 90 m²), converted at 21.244 CZK/USD (ECB EUR/CZK 24.216 ÷ EUR/USD 1.1399, 2026-07-02). The 1BR city-wide figure (466×47 ≈ $1,031) matches the scored rent-1br-center value.
- Notes
- DERIVED matrix: Deloitte publishes offered rent per m² by district, not a room-count × center/outside table. Cells = district per-m² rate × typical unit size for each room class. Center = Prague 1 (top published district); outside = outer residential districts (≈0.92 of city mean). Prague's district rent spread is narrower than in some capitals, so the center/outside gap here is modest. Room sizes are conventional Czech class midpoints.
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Apr 30, 2024
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Statistik Stadt Zürich surveys actual rents every two years; the April 2024 round publishes them by room count and Stadtkreis, split between the non-profit and the market segment. Central = the unweighted mean of Kreise 1–8, outside = Kreise 9–12, market segment only (a cooperative flat is far cheaper but has a waiting list a newcomer cannot join). Gross rents, i.e. including Nebenkosten. Each room class is then lifted to a NEW-LEASE basis by the city’s own "Neubezug bis 2 Jahre" figures for the whole city (2-room ×1.0709, 3-room ×1.0900, 4-room ×1.0979). Swiss flats are counted in rooms, so 2-room = 1BR, 3-room = 2BR, 4-room = 3BR. The survey has no 1-room class, so the studio cell is the 1BR cell × 0.7338, the canton of Zurich 1-room/2-room ratio in the BFS 2024 rent survey. Converted at 1 CHF = 1.2306 USD (ECB rates of 2026-08-13).
- Notes
- NEW-LEASE basis, which is the one that matters when you are the one signing. Zurich’s sitting tenants pay less — the same market 3-room flat averages CHF 2,221/month across all contracts against CHF 2,421 for those signed in the last two years, and a non-profit 3-room flat averages CHF 1,268. Roughly a quarter of Zurich’s rental stock is co-operative or municipal and effectively closed to an arriving foreigner. The studio row is the weakest cell: it is derived from a cantonal ratio because the city survey does not cover 1-room flats.
01Studio
Praguecheaper
$713$606 outside
Zurich
$1,982$1,637 outside
021-bedroom
Praguecheaper
$1,117$949 outside
Zurich
$2,701$2,231 outside
032-bedroom
Praguecheaper
$1,616$1,373 outside
Zurich
$3,359$2,673 outside
043-bedroom
Praguecheaper
$2,139$1,817 outside
Zurich
$4,072$3,283 outside
05
Safety
CriterionPragueZurich
01+−Homicide rateintentional homicides per 100,000/yearPrague0.8Zurichstronger0.5
What this measures
Intentional homicide victims per 100,000 population, latest available year. Country level: UNODC national series. City level: official municipal/police statistics where published; otherwise null (country value shown as country-level).
Lower is better· intentional homicides per 100,000/year· re-verified every 730 days
Prague
UNODC / World Bank — intentional homicides per 100,000 (Czechia, 2023)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- UNODC series via World Bank: 0.768 per 100,000 in 2023 (down from 0.815 in 2022). Rounded to 0.77. 2024 not yet published at the national series level on checked sources.
Zurich
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Notes
- 0.50 per 100,000 in 2024, at the very bottom of the European range and stable: the series has moved between 0.48 and 0.71 every year since 2008 with no trend.
06
Climate
CriterionPragueZurich
01+−Climate comfortpleasant months/yearPrague5Zurich5
What this measures
Number of months whose 1991–2020 climate normals satisfy: mean daily maximum between 15°C and 28°C and monthly precipitation under 150mm. Computed from the city's climate-normals indicator; the raw normals are stored alongside so users can judge by their own taste.
Higher is better· pleasant months/year· re-verified every 3650 days
Prague
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: May (18.9), Jun (22.2), Jul (24.5), Aug (24.4), Sep (19.1) = 5 (April misses at 14.5°C).
Zurich
NOAA/WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020 — station ZUERICH / FLUNTERN (WMO 06660, 556 m)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Months whose 1991–2020 normals have a mean daily maximum between 15 °C and 28 °C and under 150 mm of precipitation: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep. Computed from the climate-normals stored alongside.
02+−Air quality (PM2.5)µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5Prague12Zurichstronger8.3
What this measures
Annual mean fine-particulate (PM2.5) concentration for the city, latest available year. Anchors follow the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³ → 10) through the EU limit value territory (25 µg/m³ → 2). Preferred source: European Environment Agency city-level air quality data; outside Europe: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database or the national monitoring network.
Lower is better· µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5· re-verified every 730 days
Prague
SZÚ / ČHMÚ — outdoor air quality assessment, Prague 2023
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- SZÚ/ČHMÚ report: 2023 annual PM2.5 means at Prague's seven monitoring stations ranged 9.5–14.5 µg/m³ (urban-background midpoint ≈ 12 µg/m³). 2023 was an unusually clean year; the limit (20 µg/m³) was not exceeded.
- Notes
- About 2.4× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³) but well under the EU limit (20–25). A 2024 traffic station (Praha 2-Legerova) reached 15.5 µg/m³; winter heating and traffic are the main sources.
Zurich
Umwelt- und Gesundheitsschutz Zürich — daily air-quality measurements since 1983 (open data, CC0)
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Unweighted mean of the 2025 annual means of the city’s four PM2.5 stations, computed from the published validated daily values: Heubeeribüel 7.00, Rosengartenstrasse 8.60, Schimmelstrasse 8.91, Stampfenbachstrasse 8.57 µg/m³. Coverage is 99–100% of days at every station.
- Notes
- A genuinely clean year on a complete record — every station sits below the EU limit of 25 µg/m³ and above the WHO guideline of 5. The spread is the traffic signal: the two roadside stations (Rosengartenstrasse, Schimmelstrasse) read about 1.6 µg/m³ higher than the parkland station on the Zürichberg, so the number you breathe depends on which street you live on.
07
Healthcare
CriterionPragueZurich
01+−Private healthcare costUSD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-oldPraguestronger1,186Zurich8,437
What this measures
Median of at least three publicly quoted annual premiums for comprehensive private medical insurance (outpatient + inpatient, ~$100k coverage, small deductible) for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner, from local and international insurers. Method field lists the insurers quoted.
Lower is better· USD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-old· re-verified every 365 days
Prague
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive (outpatient + inpatient/hospital, benefit limit 1.8–10 million CZK/event, ~EUR 400,000) commercial medical insurance for foreigners — PVZP Comprehensive EXCLUSIVE and comparable UNIQA/Slavia/Maxima/Ergo products — runs ≈1,700–2,500 CZK/month for a healthy 35-year-old. Midpoint ≈2,100 CZK/mo ≈ 25,200 CZK/yr ≈ $1,186 at 21.244 CZK/USD (range ≈ $960–$1,412). Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint.
- Notes
- Residents with a residence permit and local work/business are covered by mandatory public health insurance (VZP etc.) at 13.5% of the assessment base — comprehensive commercial cover is mainly for those not yet in the public system (long-stay visa holders must carry it). This figure is the comprehensive with-inpatient tier, chosen to be comparable with other countries' comprehensive plans; a cheaper 'basic' (urgent-care-only) foreigner plan starts around 900 CZK/mo.
Zurich
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 1,032 approved 2026 premiums across 34 insurers for an adult (age class 26+) on the standard model with free choice of doctor, the lowest CHF 300 franchise and accident cover included: CHF 571.35/month = CHF 6,856/year = $8,437 at 1 CHF = 1.2306 USD (ECB rates of 2026-08-13). Not a sample of three quotes — Switzerland approves and publishes every premium, so this is the whole population of them.
- Notes
- Switzerland is the one country in this dataset where the 'private insurance' figure is not optional: KVG/LAMal basic cover is a legal duty for every resident, so this number is a bill, not a choice, and it is already counted inside the freelancer tax burden. It buys more than the criterion asks for — there is no benefit ceiling at all, where the criterion assumes ~$100k. It is also the maximum-price configuration: the official enrolment-weighted average premium actually paid by adults in 2026 is CHF 465.30/month ($6,873/year) because most people take a restricted-choice model and a higher franchise, and the cheapest standard-model quote in the country is CHF 70/month lower than the median. City medians on the same basis: Zurich CHF 639.80/month, Bern CHF 681.50, Geneva CHF 752.20 — Geneva costs 18% more than Zurich for the same legal cover.
08
Money & crypto
CriterionPragueZurich
01+−Crypto regulationPragueLegal friendlyZurichLegal friendly
What this measures
Own classification of the legal status of holding, trading and cashing out cryptocurrency for individuals: legal-friendly (legal with clear, favourable rules or explicit tax exemptions), legal-regulated (legal under standard licensing/AML and taxation), restricted (partial bans: payments or banking access prohibited), banned (holding/trading prohibited). Classified from national regulators' and central banks' official positions.
Rated by category· re-verified every 180 days
Prague
Official source
- Data as of
- Feb 15, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Holding and trading are legal. From 15 Feb 2025 individuals enjoy two explicit exemptions: a value test (crypto income up to 100,000 CZK/year is tax-free) and a time test (crypto held over 3 years before sale is exempt, up to 40 million CZK/year). Otherwise gains are taxed as other income (§10) at 15%/23%. EU MiCA applies. The explicit exemptions and the 3-year 0% rule make this 'legal-friendly' (clear favourable rules), a notch above standard 'legal-regulated'.
Zurich
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Notes
- Holding and trading are legal and the tax treatment is published rather than improvised: the Federal Tax Administration's working paper sets out that gains realised by a private individual managing private assets are TAX-FREE capital gains (Art. 16 Abs. 3 DBG), while the holding itself is subject to the annual wealth tax at its 31 December market value, and losses are correspondingly non-deductible. The exemption is not unconditional — where the scale, financing and frequency of trading go beyond private wealth management the activity is reclassified as self-employment and the gains become taxable income, which is the line to watch if you trade actively. Mining and staking rewards are income, not exempt gains.
02+−Financial control levelPragueLowZurichLow
What this measures
Own composite of state control over personal money flows: currency/capital controls (IMF AREAER), restrictions on foreign accounts and transfers, mandatory income declaration scope for residents, cash payment limits, banking access for foreigners. Low = free movement of personal funds and easy non-resident banking; very-high = strict capital controls and pervasive reporting. Method field on each value lists the inputs used.
Rated by category· re-verified every 365 days
Prague
Ministry of Finance — Act No. 254/2004 Coll. on restriction of cash payments (limit 270,000 CZK/day)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Composite: CZK is fully convertible with no capital/exchange controls (EU/OECD member; free movement of capital under EU law); cash-payment limit 270,000 CZK/day per payer-recipient pair (Act 254/2004), no limit on card/transfer payments; no FBAR-style foreign-account disclosure beyond EU CRS exchange via banks; free non-resident banking. Low state control over personal money flows.
Zurich
Bundesgesetz über die Bekämpfung der Geldwäscherei und der Terrorismusfinanzierung (GwG, SR 955.0)
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Inputs weighed: no exchange or capital controls on the movement of personal funds in or out of the country; no general legal ceiling on cash payments, only anti-money-laundering due-diligence duties on dealers and financial intermediaries under the GwG; residents declare worldwide income and worldwide net wealth in the annual cantonal return, and Switzerland exchanges account information automatically under the OECD standard.
- Notes
- Low control over the movement of money, but not low visibility. Two things surprise newcomers: the annual return asks for your WORLDWIDE assets, because the cantons levy a wealth tax on net assets, so there is a reporting duty here that most countries do not have; and opening an account is easy for a resident but often refused or heavily priced for non-residents, so 'Swiss bank account' is not something you arrange before you move.
09
Infrastructure
CriterionPragueZurich
01+−Domestic delivery qualityPragueExcellentZurichExcellent
What this measures
Quality of in-country parcel delivery. excellent = nationwide next-day widely available, dense parcel-locker network, real-time tracking standard; good = 1–3 day delivery, lockers in major cities; basic = reliable but slow (3–7 days), mostly to-door or post-office pickup; poor = unreliable delivery, street addresses often unusable, informal workarounds common. Classified from official service/coverage data of the national postal operator and the two largest private carriers; inputs itemized in each value's method field.
Rated by category· re-verified every 730 days
Prague
Packeta/Zásilkovna official news + Czech Post / carrier service pages (composite)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Packeta/Zásilkovna: ~6,200 Z-BOX lockers + ~4,000 staffed pickup points (≈10,000 points in Czechia), 184 million parcels delivered in 2025; Czech Post (Česká pošta) nationwide with Balíkovna pickup; PPL, DPD, GLS, DHL nationwide with next-day standard. Dense locker + PUDO network; next-day delivery is the norm.
Zurich
Die Schweizerische Post — Finanzbericht 2024 (Zugangspunkte) und My Post 24
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Sep 9, 2026
- Method
- Inputs: A-Post priority mail must arrive on the working day after posting, everywhere in the country; Swiss Post reports over 5,000 access points in its 2024 financial report, of which about 2,000 are staffed, plus 770 Postomaten, 563 drop-off and collection points in retailers such as Migros, and 14,077 letter boxes; tracking is standard on parcels.
- Notes
- The one part of the definition Switzerland does not meet on its own terms is the parcel-locker network: 303 My Post 24 terminals for nine million people is thin next to the locker-first markets in this dataset, where the count runs into five figures. What Switzerland has instead is an unusually dense network of STAFFED counters and retail collection points, which does the same job with different opening hours. Rated excellent on speed, coverage and tracking, with that caveat visible rather than averaged away.
02+−International delivery easePragueMinor frictionZurichMinor friction
What this measures
Ease of receiving goods from abroad. seamless = major international carriers deliver door-to-door, meaningful duty-free de-minimis threshold, customs clearance predictable in days; minor-friction = carriers present but low de-minimis, extra paperwork or routine delays; significant-friction = frequent customs holds, high brokerage fees, some marketplaces refuse to ship; unreliable = parcels regularly lost or blocked, informal import channels dominate. De-minimis thresholds and clearance rules from the national customs authority (official source, cite the regulation); carrier presence from carriers' official pages.
Rated by category· re-verified every 365 days
Prague
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Intra-EU shipping is frictionless (single market, all major carriers). Non-EU imports: the EU removed the €150 duty-free threshold and from 1 July 2026 a temporary flat €3/item duty applies to ≤€150 consignments (until 2028); VAT is collected at checkout via IOSS. Predictable but no longer duty-free — same EU regime as other member states.
Zurich
BAZG — Empfangen von Briefen und Paketen (Kleinsendungen, Wertfreigrenze)
Official source
- Data as of
- Sep 9, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 9, 2026
- Method
- Switzerland is outside the EU customs union, so every consignment is cleared. Import VAT is waived only where the tax due would be under CHF 5, which is a goods value of CHF 62 at the standard 8.1% rate and CHF 193 at the reduced 2.6% rate (books, food); customs duty under CHF 5 is likewise not levied, and unsolicited gifts between private individuals are free up to CHF 100. All the major carriers deliver door to door, and they set their own clearance fees, over which the customs administration states it has no influence.
- Notes
- Not friction from delay — clearance is quick and predictable — but from the threshold and the handling fee. A CHF 62 de-minimis is low, and the carrier's customs-clearance charge is often larger than the tax it collects, which is why a small parcel from an EU shop can arrive costing noticeably more than its price. Coming from an EU country this is the change people notice first: the same order that used to arrive with nothing to pay now clears customs.
03+−Internet speedMbps, median fixed downloadPrague30.1Zurichstronger88.5
What this measures
Median fixed-broadband download speed over the trailing 6 months from M-Lab NDT open data (CC0), aggregated at country or city level. Not comparable with Ookla figures (different test methodology) — do not mix sources within this criterion.
Higher is better· Mbps, median fixed download· re-verified every 365 days
Prague
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Czechia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Median of 343 daily country medians, 957,549 download tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; 2025/2026 files not yet published).
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures (Czech fixed broadband commonly markets 100–1000 Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion.
Zurich
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Switzerland
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Notes
- Median of the 2023 daily country medians over 343 days and 406,505 tests; monthly medians ran 77.8–102.1 Mbps. 2023 is still the latest full year M-Lab's public stats API carries for Switzerland — the 2024 file stops on 26 March. M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads far below Ookla-style figures, so compare it only with other countries in this criterion.
10
Language
CriterionPragueZurich
01+−English proficiencyPragueHighZurichHigh
What this measures
Own banding of how far English gets a resident in daily life (government offices, healthcare, housing, services). Informed by EF EPI band (research source, cited with attribution, not republished) plus official language status and service-sector realities. Values are our bands, not EF scores.
Rated by category· re-verified every 730 days
Prague
EF EPI 2025 (rank 23/123, score 582 — High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Czechia rank 23/123, score 582, EF 'High'/B2 band. English is broadly workable in Prague/Brno and the service and tech sectors, thinner in smaller towns and public offices. Czech is the sole official language.
Zurich
EF EPI 2025 — Switzerland (rank 30/123, score 564, High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Notes
- Our band, matching EF's own: 564 points, 30th of 123 countries and up 14 points on the previous edition. Do not read Switzerland as a Nordic-style English country — administration, healthcare and housing run in the local official language, which is German in Zurich and French in Geneva, and the two cities differ sharply in EF's own city scores (Zurich 621, Geneva 555). English gets a professional a long way inside international employers and almost nowhere inside a cantonal office.
11
Education
CriterionPragueZurich
01+−International schoolsaccredited international schools, countPrague9Zurichno verified data
What this measures
Count of international schools in the metro area accredited by or member of IB, CIS, COBIS, or an equivalent national-curriculum-abroad body (verified against the accreditor's public registry, not aggregator sites).
Higher is better· accredited international schools, count· re-verified every 730 days
Prague
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Count of Prague-metro schools each individually confirmed against a qualifying accreditor: (1) International School of Prague — CIS + NEASC, IB continuum (ibo.org/en/school/000889); (2) The English College in Prague — IB DP (ibo.org/en/school/000821); (3) Prague British International School / Nord Anglia — IB DP (ibo.org/en/school/001042); (4) Park Lane International School — IB PYP/MYP/DP (ibo.org/en/school/052209); (5) Nový PORG — IB DP + Cambridge (ibo.org/en/school/004534); (6) Riverside School — CIS + IB + COBIS + BSO (school accreditation page); (7) Lycée français de Prague — AEFE-homologated, all levels (aefe.gouv.fr); (8) Deutsche Schule Prag — German ZfA-recognized Auslandsschule, 'Excellent German School Abroad' seal; (9) Meridian International School — British Schools Overseas (ISI BSO report), Cambridge International pathway. Aggregator sites were used only to find candidates, not as the recorded source.
- Notes
- Verified FLOOR of 9 (±2). The IB find-an-ib-school finder and some accreditor registries returned 403 to automated fetches, so each school was confirmed via its own IB school-detail page, accreditor report, or accreditor's official listing rather than a single directory pull. Additional Prague schools may hold qualifying accreditation but were not each individually verified this cycle (e.g. Christian International School of Prague is ACSI/MSA-accredited — a US regional/faith accreditor, not on the IB/Cambridge/AEFE/German/CIS/COBIS list — so it is excluded from this strict count).
Zurich
Not counted. This criterion requires verification against the accreditors’ own registries rather than aggregator sites, and the IB directory’s school SEARCH is behind a bot challenge we do not bypass — individual school profiles are readable, but you cannot enumerate a city from them. Zurich certainly has several IB and other accredited international schools; publishing a number we could not derive from the registry would be a guess.