What expat life in Switzerland is really like in 2026: beautiful but unfriendly

The results of the Expat Insider Survey 2026 are in, and while Switzerland managed to climb seven places in the ranking, internationals living in Switzerland still find the country unfriendly and struggle with settling in. On the plus side: it’s beautiful!

InterNations Expat Insider Survey 2026

German-based company InterNations has released the 13th edition of its annual Expat Insider Survey. This year’s survey asked nearly 8.000 respondents of 162 nationalities to rate expat life in 31 different countries according to five different scoring categories:

• Quality of Life (travel, environment and climate, leisure options, healthcare and security)
• Ease of Settling In (local friendliness, finding friends, culture and welcome)
• Working Abroad (career prospects, salaries and job security, work culture and satisfaction, work and leisure)
• Personal Finance
• Expat Essentials (digital life, admin topics, housing and language)

Among respondents, the most common nationalities were US American, British and German, and the most common countries of residence were Germany, Spain and the UAE. Respondents rated Panama, Mexico, Thailand, the UAE, and Brazil as the top five countries for internationals.

Living in Switzerland: Safety, stability, and high quality of life

Switzerland has regained some popularity among expats in 2026, ranking as the 22nd best country to move to. The alpine nation has slowly been climbing the ranking after falling from 23rd in 2023 to 34th in 2024 and back up to 29th in 2025. 

So, what’s it really like to live in Switzerland in 2026? When it comes to quality of life, expats rate the alpine nation highly, ranking it eighth out of 31 countries. 

Stealing the limelight is perhaps unsurprisingly the country’s environment with its endless lakes and mountains and more cows than people! 

Other parts of life that expats appreciate include the public transport, healthcare system and safety. Nine out of 10 expats in Switzerland are thankful for its political stability, and 91 percent say they feel safe - 12 percentage points above the global average. 

An expat from Lausanne echoed this sentiment, describing how “everything works; easy access to nature; it’s beautiful, organised, calm, and with many international companies here; low taxes and good infrastructure; good overall quality of life.”

Another area where Switzerland excels is when it comes to the economy, with 89 percent of internationals ranking it positively - a whopping 30 percentage points above the global average. Working in Switzerland also performs well, with 43 percent of international residents earning between 100.000 and 250.000 US dollars per year (around 89.000 to 222.000 Swiss francs). 

What expats dislike: High cost of living and social isolation

Moving on to what expats like the least about living in Switzerland. Making friends and finding a sense of belonging continues to be a challenge for many, with the country performing worst for its ease of settling in. In fact, the country sits in the bottom six.

Local friendliness ranks 26th and making local friends ranks 28th. “It’s very difficult to make local friends, despite efforts like joining local associations and having a child in a local school. It never gets beyond the acquaintance level,” said an expat from Geneva.

Another downside to the alpine nation is the cost of living, with Switzerland ranking 25th in the Personal Finance Index. 

While salaries are high, 62 percent of expats view expenses like housing, health insurance, and groceries negatively. The average price of a house exceeds one million francs, and cities like Zurich and Geneva, popular with expats, are some of the most expensive in the world.

The best countries for expats in 2026

Wondering where’s best for internationals? According to InterNations, the top 10 countries around the world for expats in 2026 are as follows:

1. Panama
2. Mexico
3. Thailand
4. UAE
5. Brazil
6. Spain
7. Singapore
8. Portugal
9. Malaysia
10. Luxembourg

For more information on the survey, including a detailed breakdown of the scores, visit the InterNations website.

Parts of this article originally featured on IamExpat Germany.