Looking for Italian Expats in Zurich?

Thinking about moving to Zurich as an Italian? These pros and cons come from the InterNations Expat Insider 2026 survey, in which thousands of expats around the world share what they like and don't like about life abroad each year. The points below reflect what Italian expats in Zurich wrote in their own words, backed up by survey percentages from all expats living there.

• Nature and safety stand out. 95% of expats in Zurich rate the natural environment positively and 93% personal safety, with an easy outdoor lifestyle.

• Incomes and quality of life are high. Italians single out high salaries and a high standard of living, describing 'first-world problems only'.

• It's stable and well-run. 90% rate political stability positively, 85% the economy, and 62% find bureaucracy easy (vs. 38% globally).

• Transport and travel are excellent. 93% rate the availability of public transportation positively and 90% the opportunity to travel, with good working conditions.

• It's staggeringly expensive. Just 6% of expats in Zurich rate the general cost of living positively — the lowest kind of score in the survey — and 11% housing affordability, with pricey restaurants for the service.

• The social life is hard to crack. Only 13% say making local friends is easy, and Italians describe superficial, politely distant exchanges.

• The dialect gates integration. Just 19% say the local language is easy to learn, as Swiss German is a barrier.

• Careers and openness can disappoint. Only 31% rate the local job market positively, and some mention a conservative or closed mentality, with work-life balance at 48%.

For Italians, Zurich offers high incomes, spectacular nature, safety, and a superbly run life. The catch is the extreme cost of living and a social scene that stays at arm's length. It rewards those who come for the career and the outdoors over warmth and connection.

Every year, we publish one of the biggest global surveys among expats — asking them about various aspects of their life, from work to leisure. Learn what motivated our Italian members to move abroad, what keeps them there, and what they struggle with or miss about home.

We asked tens of thousands of expats about their lives abroad in our Expat Insider surveys. In addition to our standard questions, we invite them to share what they like or dislike about their experiences in their own words. Here, we’ve selected some of the most interesting or representative quotes about expat life in Zurich from Italians, grouped into positive and negative opinions.

Let’s start with the positive ones.

On the downside, here's are some negative experiences from Italian expats in Zurich

InterNations is a place where Italian expats in Zurich exchange experiences and tips to support each other. The "Cultural Capital Of Switzerland" can be a great place for expats - our community helps you make the most of your experience!

• Browse our Members Network to get to know Zurich’s Italian expats.
• Take part in our Expat Forums to obtain first hand tips from fellow Italian expats in Zurich.
• Use the Expat Guide for Zurich to find information on your host city.

Our community in Zurich is also very active offline. Our InterNations Ambassadors organize regular events and various expat activities, e.g. a dinner in Zurich’s hippest restaurant or an outing with other Italian expats to explore the mountain resort of Zermatt. These activities are a casual way to get to know expats from Italy in your local community as well as Italians in Switzerland nationwide. Interested? Simply become a member and we’ll be happy to welcome you among our Italians living in Zurich!