Yesterday I had a conversation with my housemate, about salaries and cost of living in switzerland...that really appalled me.
All was born when I yesterday morning, on my way to work, I was listening to "radio citè de Géneve" a discussion by an union guy who wanted to petition the federal government to issue a law setting minimum wage limits...at the humongous level of 3500 CHF (2920 EUR/4160 $ at today's change rates)
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT??????????????????????????
I mean...is that a minimum salary? you must be really kidding me. Minimum salary???
Then he started explaining me why you definitely need it JUST TO LIVE IN GENEVA.
He made me an example with a 5000 chf per month gross salary
First of all you have to pay for 5/6 mandatory insurances to the state: 700 CHF
than you have to pay taxes - they are low but amount to other 700 CHF in this case
you are left with 3600 CHF net (2950 EUR / 4200 $). Still a shitload of money
BUT...
you then have to pay your compulsory private medical insurance (it is not double counting - it is another one, this for current medical needs): 400 CHF PER MONTH over 25 yrs old
than if you have a television or radio or PC you have to pay I think 40 CHF month to own the right to have it
we are at 3160 now. Ah by the way, insurance does not cover 100% of medical expenses but 90% and does not covver dentist and eye lenses. Let's say 60 CHF month?
3100...
30-40 CHF for internet and at low low estimate 50-70 CHF for bills. Telephone? well it's 30 CHF a month, cheapest cheapest.
2950, let's say..
Now, the rent. An average place in Geneva, can go for easily 1100 CHF. i live 8 km from the center (that is far for a 100k inhabitants city) and pay 800 CHF for a room in a nice apartment shared with another guy. So again, you are goin quite cheap
1850...
sometimes, could be a good idea to eat. Well...eating with less than 20 CHF is really impossible. I went to a pizzeria and paid 20.5 CHF a margherita and a coke. here at UN cafeteria (highly discounted) no matter what you take but a dish + fruit and water is on average 18-19 CHF. So if we assume that you have lunch or dinner out for let's say 20 days a month (and there are on avg 22 working days... ) it is around 400 CHF
1450 CHF left.
Grocery shopping for a single? averaging the two times I went (to a cheap place, Casino) I paid 160 CHF, that lasted 2 weeks - that is 350 CHF monthly for Grocery shopping. Maybe you eat less. let's say 300
1150 CHF left (900 euros/1360 $). and you have to:
- Buy clothes
- buy things you may need for your house
- pay for your car insurance (provided you have one
- pay monthly transportation fees
- pay house insurance (yes another one!)
- buy telephones, computers, furniture, TVs and so on
hmmm...are these number flawed or living permanently in switzerland is not a very good idea? Was Laura right in telling me that moving to Zurich was not the best idea?
hmm hmm..
Visions on this?
giovedì 23 giugno 2011
Iscriviti a:
Commenti sul post (Atom)
Quite accurate numbers :-)
RispondiEliminaBut again, 5000CHF is quite a low salary ;-)
Is it? You know this is extremely surprising - and I think unsustainable on the long run.
RispondiEliminaAs a matter of fact, the french median salary after taxes is 2300 euros and the italian is 1700. Switzerland, running at 2950 is 30% higher than france and 74% higher than italy its direct neighbours. It is also a round 15% over germany that is at 2500.
Therefore, such salires are difficult to sustain from an economical point of view - too big the delta with neighbouring countries, and this is especially true for a frontier place like geneva - where going to france takes 10 minutes by car.
well, how do you think 23% of Spain survive being unemployed?
RispondiEliminaSalaries have been high for a loooong time.
RispondiEliminaWhen are we having this beer?
And that's why soooo many people, French, but Swiss too, live in France and come to work in Geneva!
RispondiElimina