Zurich vs Austin: where does a chemical engineer save more?
Best for saving: Austin — about $4,333/mo after taxes and living costs.
Zurich Switzerland | Austin US ★ Best for saving | |
|---|---|---|
| Median salary | $147,784 | $115,150 |
| Take-home / mo | $8,938 | $7,243 |
| Income tax | ~27% | ~25% |
| Living costs / mo | $5,040 | $2,910 |
| Savings / mo | $3,898 | $4,333 |
| Savings rate | 44% | 60% |
| Verdict | Excellent | Excellent |
Single professional, after-tax. "Savings" = take-home − a baseline cost of living. A planning estimate, not financial advice.
How we calculated this
• Salary: BLS/OECD median for a chemical engineer, adjusted per city.
• Tax: each country's single-filer effective rate (e.g. Switzerland ~27%, US ~25%).
• Living costs: a single professional's baseline monthly budget per city.
Estimates, not financial or tax advice. Updated 2026.