Furnished Apartments in Zurich: Why They Can Be the Smarter Choice for Expats
For expats moving to Zurich, a furnished apartment can be much more than a temporary solution.
You can potentially move in, register, start working and settle into Zurich quickly, without immediately having to compete for an unfurnished apartment.
The three biggest advantages are:
Move in and register quickly without spending weeks setting up an empty apartment.
Save time and potentially money when you consider furniture, household equipment, utilities, moving and the cost of setting everything up and taking it apart again.
Avoid the intense competition and due diligence process that often comes with unfurnished rentals.
And furnished does not mean short-term. It can make sense for at least your first year or as a long-term solution, including for families and pet owners.
At first glance, furnished apartments cost more. But once you look at the total cost, the time involved and the flexibility you get, the difference can be much smaller than it appears.
In some situations, furnished can even be the cheaper overall solution.
1. Register first. Figure out Zurich afterwards.
For someone moving to Switzerland, being able to register at their new address can be one of the first practical priorities.
With a suitable furnished residential apartment, you can potentially move in and register immediately, depending on the specific apartment and rental arrangement.
That means you can have a real home while you:
Start your new job
Register in Zurich
Get settled
Understand the different neighbourhoods
Find schools or childcare
Decide where you actually want to live long term
You do not have to solve everything at once.
Most importantly, you do not necessarily have to win a competitive unfurnished rental application before you can properly start your life in Zurich.
SwissNest Tip
If registration is important for your relocation, always confirm that the specific furnished apartment allows it before booking. “Furnished” does not automatically mean that registration is possible.
2. You save time and avoid setting up an entire household
An unfurnished apartment may have a lower monthly rent, but it also means an empty apartment.
You need to buy furniture, arrange deliveries, assemble everything, set up Wi-Fi and organise the household.
And when you leave, you have to do much of it again in reverse.
For a one-year stay, you can easily spend around two weeks at the beginning and another two weeks at the end dealing with furniture, deliveries, assembly, moving, selling or disposing of things and preparing the apartment for handover.
That is almost one month of your life spent setting up and dismantling a home you are only renting for one year.
With a furnished apartment, you can arrive with your suitcase and start living.
Modern furnished apartments can already include:
Furniture
Fully equipped kitchen
Kitchen equipment
Bed and mattress
Laundry facilities
Wi-Fi
Utilities or other services, depending on the apartment
You are paying for a complete living solution rather than four walls and an empty room.
3. The total cost can be very different from the monthly rent
At first glance, furnished looks more expensive.
Let's say you stay for one year:
Furnished apartment
Rent including general utilities: CHF 3’500 × 12 = CHF 42’000
Furniture and household equipment: included
Delivery and assembly: included
Wi-Fi: included
Moving furniture in and out: not needed
Final cleaning: small move-out fee, for example CHF 150
Furniture resale, storage or disposal: not needed
Illustrative total: approx. CHF 42’150
Unfurnished apartment
Rent including general utilities: CHF 2’800 × 12 = CHF 33’600
Around one additional month effectively lost to setup and moving: approx. CHF 2’800
Furniture and household equipment: approx. CHF 8’000
Delivery and assembly: approx. CHF 1’000
Moving furniture in and out: approx. CHF 1’500
Wi-Fi: approx. CHF 600
Broadcasting fee aka SERAFE company: approx. CHF 335
Electricity and water from EWZ company: approx. CHF 600
Final cleaning: approx. CHF 300–800
Possible painting, repairs or other end-of-tenancy costs: potentially additional
Selling, storage or disposal of furniture: approx. CHF 500–1’000
Illustrative total: approx. CHF 50’735–51’035+
Suddenly, the CHF 700 monthly rent difference does not look quite as dramatic.
And this is before putting a value on your time.
Even if you buy everything at IKEA, JYSK or even a second hand store, you still need to choose it, order it, transport it, assemble it and eventually sell, move or dispose of it.
The point is not that furnished is always cheaper.
The point is that the monthly rent is not the total cost.
4. You may also avoid a large upfront investment
There is another financial advantage that is easy to overlook.
With an unfurnished apartment, you may need to spend thousands of francs furnishing it shortly after moving in.
When you book a suitable furnished apartment through SwissNest, you do not pay a deposit upfront, subject to the specific partner's rental terms.
This means you can keep your cash available for the many other expenses that come with an international move.
And when you book through SwissNest, you also receive 24-hour VIP support during your stay.
Always check the exact terms of the specific apartment before booking.
5. You can avoid the intense unfurnished rental competition
This is particularly relevant for expats.
For a traditional unfurnished apartment, the landlord or property management may assess your application against many other applicants.
Depending on the situation, this can involve:
Employment and income checks
Calls to your employer
Previous landlord references
Swiss rental history
A debt register extract
Residence and permit information
A motivational letter
Competition against applicants with established Swiss salaries and rental histories
For someone who has just arrived from abroad, this can be a difficult process.
You might have an excellent income and substantial assets but still not fit neatly into the standard “rent should not exceed one third of your income” calculation.
This is especially relevant if you have significant assets or savings but your Swiss salary does not meet the typical income calculation.
A furnished apartment can remove much of this pressure.
Instead of spending weeks trying to prove that you are the right tenant for an unfurnished apartment, you can secure a suitable home, settle in and deal with the rest of your relocation.
6. You can understand Zurich before committing long term
Moving from abroad means making decisions about a city you may barely know.
A furnished apartment gives you the opportunity to experience Zurich first.
You can find out:
How your commute actually feels
Which neighbourhood suits your lifestyle
Where you want to shop and spend your free time
What works for your children
Whether you really need a car
You can then make a long-term housing decision based on experience rather than Google Maps and apartment listings.
And if you already know where you want to live, you can simply enjoy the convenience of a furnished home without spending time and money furnishing it yourself.
7. Furnished does not mean temporary
Furnished apartments are often associated with short stays.
But for expats moving to Zurich, they can make sense for at least the first year or as a long-term solution.
This is particularly useful during the first year in Switzerland, when you are starting a job, getting registered, building your local life and working out where you actually want to live.
But you do not have to move from furnished to unfurnished later.
If you like your apartment, the location works and you value convenience and flexibility, furnished can remain your home for several years.
8. What about families and pets?
Furnished apartments are not just for single professionals.
They can work very well for:
Couples
Families
People relocating with children
Pet owners
Instead of arriving with children and immediately having to furnish an empty apartment, you can move into a home that is already set up.
The same applies to pets. There are furnished apartments where pets are accepted, although this always needs to be confirmed for the specific property.
For an international relocation, removing these logistical tasks can make a significant difference.
9. Flexibility is part of the value
Another major advantage is flexibility.
Depending on the provider and apartment, furnished accommodation can offer:
Shorter minimum rental periods
More flexible cancellation options
The possibility to extend your stay
Less commitment while you decide what comes next
This can be particularly valuable if you have just moved to Switzerland and are not yet sure what your long-term plans will look like.
Always check the exact minimum rental period, cancellation conditions and extension options before signing.
10. SwissNest's furnished apartment options
SwissNest Relocation works with partners offering modern furnished apartments in Zurich and the surrounding area.
We also have our own furnished apartment business, Comfort Apartments , with furnished homes designed for people looking for a comfortable and flexible place to live.
NOTE: As of September 2026, our Comfort Apartments in Zurich are booked out long term through June 2027. This reflects the strong demand for furnished housing as a genuine long-term solution, not simply short-term accommodation.
For expats moving to Zurich, we therefore see furnished accommodation as a smart option for at least the first year or potentially as your long-term home.
Our recommendation for expats
Do not automatically assume that an unfurnished apartment is the better choice because the monthly rent is lower.
For an international move, furnished can give you three things that are difficult to put a price on:
A home and the possibility to register from the start.
Less money and time spent setting up and dismantling a household.
Less exposure to the highly competitive unfurnished rental application process.
And once you consider the total cost, flexibility and your own time, furnished can sometimes be the cheaper and better solution, not just the easier one.
For many expats, we would consider furnished for at least the first year.
And if you like it, there is no reason it cannot be your long-term home.
How SwissNest can help
Not sure whether furnished or unfurnished makes more sense for you?
We can help you assess your options based on your budget, timeline, family situation, pets, work location and plans in Switzerland.
If furnished is the right solution, we can help you identify suitable options through our partners and Comfort Apartments.
