🏔️ Pros and Cons of Living in Switzerland | Immigration to Switzerland
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the speaker reflects on their experience living in Switzerland, comparing it to other countries they've lived in like Mexico, Canada, Germany, and the UK. They highlight Switzerland's cleanliness, safety, punctuality, and beautiful nature as major positives. The speaker also appreciates the high minimum wage and relatively low taxes. However, they mention the high cost of living, expensive services, reserved nature of locals, and high health insurance costs as downsides. Despite some challenges, they find life in Switzerland rewarding, especially with the work-life balance and financial savings.
Takeaways
- 🌍 The speaker has lived in multiple countries including Mexico, Canada, Germany, and the UK, providing a comparative perspective on living in Switzerland.
- 🏔 The speaker's first impression of Switzerland was overwhelmingly positive, noting its cleanliness, beauty, and friendly people.
- 🏙️ Switzerland is considered very clean and organized, ranking among the top three in Europe alongside Luxembourg and Norway.
- 🚸 The country is safe, with little crime, and it's rare to see homeless people or beggars.
- 🚄 Swiss public transportation is highly reliable and punctual, even more so than in Germany.
- 💧 Cold water is free in Switzerland, and there are public fountains for drinking.
- 🏞️ Switzerland offers stunning natural beauty with mountains and lakes, and it's centrally located in Europe for easy travel.
- 💰 The minimum wage is high at 25 Swiss Franks per hour, and the tax rates are relatively low, except in Geneva.
- 💸 Switzerland is expensive with services like haircuts costing around 25 Swiss Franks and public transport tickets being pricey.
- 🤐 Swiss people are described as introverted and not very open to foreigners, making it difficult to make local friends.
- 🏥 Health insurance is mandatory and can be expensive, costing around 300 Swiss Franks per month.
Q & A
What are some of the positive aspects of living in Switzerland mentioned in the video?
-Switzerland is very clean, safe, with low crime rates, and has well-organized public transport. The country also offers free cold water and has beautiful nature with mountains and lakes. Additionally, the salaries are high, and the taxation system is favorable in most cantons.
What are some of the negative aspects of living in Switzerland discussed in the video?
-Switzerland is quite expensive, with high costs for services like haircuts and public transport. The people can be introverted and not very open to foreigners, making it hard to make local friends. Health insurance is also expensive, and there can be a work-centric culture that may lead to a loss of motivation over time.
How does the cleanliness of Switzerland compare to other European countries?
-The speaker considers Switzerland to be one of the top three cleanest countries in Europe, alongside Luxembourg and Norway.
What is the speaker's personal experience with the Swiss people's openness?
-The speaker finds Swiss people to be introverted and not very communicative, especially in smaller cantons. They mention that most of their friends in Switzerland are foreigners or immigrants like themselves.
How does the speaker describe the work culture in Switzerland?
-The speaker describes a work-centric culture where people tend to focus heavily on work, which can lead to a loss of motivation and enthusiasm over time.
What is the minimum wage per hour in Switzerland according to the video?
-The minimum wage per hour in Switzerland is about 25 Swiss Franks.
How does the video describe the availability of organic products in Switzerland?
-The video states that there is a lot of organic produce and products available in Switzerland, much more than in any other European country the speaker has been to.
What is the speaker's opinion on the cost of living in Switzerland?
-The speaker finds Switzerland to be quite expensive, with high costs for services, groceries, rents, and health insurance.
What is the speaker's view on the public transport system in Switzerland?
-The speaker praises the Swiss public transport system as being very well-organized and reliable, with trains that are famous for running on time.
How does the speaker compare the Swiss lifestyle to their experiences in other countries?
-The speaker compares the Swiss lifestyle favorably to other countries in terms of safety, cleanliness, and job opportunities, but notes that the cost of living and the introverted nature of Swiss people are downsides.
What was the speaker's first impression of Switzerland when they visited over 20 years ago?
-The speaker's first impression was very positive, noting the beauty of the country, the nice weather, the mountains, and the friendly people.
Outlines
🗺️ Introduction to Living in Switzerland
The speaker begins by expressing their excitement to discuss the pros and cons of living in Switzerland, a topic suggested by viewers. They mention their own experiences living in various countries, including Mexico, Canada, Germany, and the UK, which allows them to make comparisons. The speaker's first visit to Switzerland over 20 years ago left a strong impression due to its cleanliness, beautiful landscapes, and friendly people. Despite initial language barriers and self-doubt, their positive first impressions of Switzerland have persisted over the years.
🏞️ Positive Aspects of Swiss Life
The speaker highlights several positive aspects of living in Switzerland. They praise the country's cleanliness, safety, and well-organized public services. They note the rarity of homelessness and crime, contributing to a sense of security. The speaker also appreciates the punctuality and reliability of Swiss public transport. Additionally, they mention the availability of free cold water and the beauty of Swiss nature, with its mountains and lakes. The ease of travel within Europe from Switzerland is also a point in favor, along with the high minimum wage and relatively reasonable taxation, depending on the canton.
💸 The Cost of Living and Social Dynamics in Switzerland
The speaker discusses the higher cost of living in Switzerland, including expensive services like haircuts and public transport tickets. They advise being smart about grocery shopping to save money, noting the availability of organic products. The speaker also touches on the reserved nature of Swiss people, making it difficult to make local friends, in contrast to their experiences in more outgoing cultures like Mexico. They describe Swiss people as introverted and sometimes seemingly arrogant, especially in smaller cantons. The speaker also mentions the high cost of health insurance and the work-centric culture, which can lead to a loss of motivation over time.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Switzerland
💡Pros and Cons
💡Cleanliness
💡Safety
💡Public Transport
💡Organized
💡Expensive
💡Health Insurance
💡Introverted
💡Minimum Wage
💡Taxation
Highlights
The video discusses the pros and cons of living in Switzerland based on personal experience.
The speaker has lived in multiple countries, allowing for a comparative perspective on life in Switzerland.
Switzerland was first visited over 20 years ago, leaving a strong positive impression.
Switzerland is noted for its cleanliness and organization, ranking highly in Europe.
The country is safe, with little crime and rare instances of homelessness or begging.
Public transportation in Switzerland is efficient and reliable.
Water is freely available in Switzerland, both in homes and public fountains.
Switzerland's natural beauty, with mountains and lakes, is a highlight of living there.
The country's central location in Europe allows for easy travel to neighboring countries.
Switzerland offers high minimum wages and relatively low income tax rates.
The cost of living in Switzerland is high, with services such as haircuts being notably expensive.
Swiss people are described as introverted and not very open to foreigners.
Health insurance in Switzerland is expensive, costing around 300 Swiss Franks per month.
The work culture in Switzerland is described as focused and sometimes leading to a lack of motivation.
Rents and car insurance are high, especially in larger cities.
Despite some negatives, life in Switzerland is generally considered good, with a strong social safety net.
The weather can be a downside, with too much rain and depressive periods in some seasons.
Making friends is crucial for a positive experience in Switzerland.
Transcripts
Hello guys toas is here I hope you're all doing well in today's video I'm going to talk about
pros and cons of living in Switzerland as already few of you asked me in the comments below other
videos that I made about uh life in Switzerland to make a video about uh positives and negatives
of living here in Switzerland so um I think I already have enough experience uh or I spend
enough time here in Switzerland and also before I moved to Switzerland I lived in other countries
I lived in Mexico uh I lived in Canada I lived in Germany I lived in the UK so I can compare also um
those countries and I can give you reasons why uh I moved to Switzerland and why I chose Switzerland
actually I visited Switzerland first time in my life uh more than uh 20 years ago um and when I
saw this country for the first time it was long time ago yeah let's say 20 more than 20 years ago
um Switzerland was a bit different than it is now there was uh less foreigners let's say it the way
it is um and the country was so so beautiful my first impressions were like wow I arrived to the
Eastern Switzerland canton Sankt Gallen and canton Thurgau out it was summer the weather was nice and
mountains everywhere it was beautiful and people were very nice I spent uh more than a month uh in
Switzerland at that time and I was like wow this country is really nice I like it here I spoke uh
German but not too well and somehow I thought okay this country is too good too good to be through or
too good for me or I wasn't confident enough in terms of uh saying yeah I would like to move move
here uh maybe actually the German was the the problem at that time uh it wasn't good enough
I knew English and some other languages maybe I thought I want to explore other parts of the
world and not Switzerland in terms of uh settling so yeah I lived uh after that in other countries
but anyway let's go back to Switzerland um why I like Switzerland and what are the the positives
about living here the Switzerland is very clean very clean country also if you compare it with
the other countries in Europe I mean in the top three for me personally in Europe in terms of
cleanliness and how everything is organized and nice um there I would put Switzerland Luxemburg
and Norway uh in Europe so um Switzerland is there for me yeah it's it's very clean country
nice uh you almost don't see homeless people in Switzerland of course there are homeless people
here but uh maybe there is not that many of them maybe they are better looked after um you don't
see them um in some count at all or beggars or things like that it's very very rare uh I saw
some beg but they are from other countries they are from Romania they come here and to back um
yeah so so the country is clean safe safe yeah you can uh walk in Switzerland in anywhere in also at
night also if you're are a woman um there's a very little uh amount of uh crime where people would
attack you or want to uh burglar your house or steal something from your pickpocket things like
that they are not an issue here at all I think it's partly because um officially quarter of the
population of Switzerland are foreigners and uh actually in reality it's even more um than 25%
and these people are here with their permits they don't have Swiss passport yet they are on B or C
permit and they are behaving yeah they don't want to cause themselves any trouble so it's similar
like in the US everyone is driving slowly no one wants to be checked by the by the police when
they drive because there's a lot of illegals and they don't want to be deported so in Switzerland
people are not here illegally and mainly they are um not citizens they are residents and they don't
want to lose that status because their goal is to become citizens one day so um yes Switzerland
is uh uh very safe uh everything runs on time even better than in Germany their trains you
know that this is famous they are uh on time you can rely on them the public transport is very well
organized it uh it is it is good it's very good um in the shops everything is always available
you know um nice thing is for example water here cold water is actually free you don't pay for cold
water when you are um when you have an apartment and you use cold water it's free you can also
get it on the streets you know there are fountains and you can drink it and also air is free here but
that's about it uh there's not much else uh that I could remember that it's free in Switzerland and
yeah and the nature yeah the nature beautiful it's beautiful there are there are there's
lots of um lots of mountains lots of lakes lots of beauty around in summer in Winter
you are in the center of Europe you are close to France Germany Austria uh Italy and by the
train you get there very very fast you know uh Switzerland is not that big so it is uh
uh uh also easy to travel from here to other places uh so these are the positives that came
to my mind right now and then some negatives oh another positive um the salaries you know
the the minimum wage per hour here is about 25 Swiss Franks so you're making 25 Swiss Franks
no matter what you're doing uh any manual job so I find that very good also their taxation
um here it's uh is quite good it depends on the Canton where you live um how high will be your
income tax um but yeah it's not high it's not that high except maybe the highest is the C of
Geneva but um other cantons like lern streets uh up andell Etc gra in then they have low tax so
taxes are good here okay what are the negatives yeah I would say Switzerland is quite expensive
um services for example a haircut for a for for a male uh around 25 Swiss Franks and more
uh public transport tickets are also not cheap um groceries uh you have to be smart you know
there are is lots of supermarkets and if you want to save and you don't want to overspend you go to
ALDI little and you shop there you know and if you don't care about money then you go to cop and to
Manor and to other places where the groceries are more expensive um also I find very good that there
is a lot of organic uh produce organic uh products uh groceries available here in Switzerland a lot
much more than in any other European country where I be so if you like to eat organic yeah
it's all available for you um how the negatives yeah the people you know I lived I lived in South
America and people are very nice there especially in Mexico very friendly they talk to you they're
open they're nice uh here in Switzerland people are introverts people are closed people don't
talk to you good the good thing is they speak English almost everyone knows English but they
are introverted and they are maybe a little bit afraid of foreigners especially in some smaller
cantons in the mountains you know um yeah so it's hard to make friends here with the locals uh most
of my friends here are actually foreigners or too like immigrants like me so yeah Swiss people are
inters not so open not so communicative yeah a little bit weird even in some cantons I experience
they a little bit like seem arrogant you know when they uh even when they walk by they like
not giving you space and sometimes they can be very loud on the trains like they learn like
when you are loud I mean if you are on the phone and they it happened to me people complain like
you are talking too loud I'm not talking too loud I'm just talking like if I was there with someone
talking not loud just normally so we hear each other but Swiss people come on when they get like
two of them three four oh my God and even like older people they are so noisy on the train they
they behave like they're in a in a pub they really they are loud they will just talk shout over each
other like there was no one else um but uh I think people don't see that or they don't want
to talk about it um uh what other the ne negatives yeah the the health insurance health insurance is
expensive here it will cost you around 300 Franks every month you have to pay from your own pocket
no matter what you like it or not you have to pay that uh from your own money uh yeah what other NE
Ives you know Swiss they just work work work they like to work I mean when you come here at
the beginning maybe you will enjoy and you will be not like that or you won't feel it but after a few
years uh it happens to many people they start to just they lose the motivation they are a little
bit not so enthusiastic they just work too much everything is around the money to pay the bills
but the positive thing is that here I can compare it with other countries where I lived uh you make
more money than elsewhere than most of the in most of the countries as an employee and you
after paying all your bills you save and you keep uh much more than anywhere else um the negative
is also the rents rents are high especially in big cities um so is Insurance uh of your car and
stuff like that to buy a car is actually not that bad it's not that expensive when you're buying a
when you're leing it or when you're buying an used car um what other negatives sorry guys I
don't have a list I didn't prepare this I'm just taking from my from top of my head uh
talking from top of my head so I'm trying to be authentic um yeah but overall the life is good
here I mean it's good uh sometimes the weather is actually not so nice like this year it's
too much rain uh yeah there are four seasons here uh but sometimes it rains too much also
in Winter and yeah it's a bit depressive but there's nothing like England um yeah so when
you come to Switzerland and you make friends that you will be fine because this is the only negative
that people to be honest all right guys let me know what what uh what do you think uh what is
your experience of living in Switzerland what other negatives and positives would
you add to this uh list and I hope this video gave you some ideas about how Switzerland is I
hope it helped I hope you enjoyed enjoyed it um I would be very happy if you give me a like and
watch some other of my videos and share them and subscribe and all that thank you so much
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