bringing US appliances to Switzerland?

[bluepearl]

A work opportunity has come up and my company will relocate me from the US to Switzerland for an one year assignment.  My goal is to get a higher salary through a cost of living adjustment, but keep my expenses the same or just slightly higher, resulting in higher savings.  My company will ship my stuff there and back for me, and will also have a furnished apartment for me (stocked with basic dishes, a small selection of pots and pans etc.).

I plan to either sell, store, or donate my very limited furniture pieces (bed, mattress, one side table). But I can't decide what to do with my appliances.  I have a blendtec, a premium rice cooker with a timer, and a slow cooker.  I use them frequently here and consider them a convenience in whipping up almost all of my meals.  But I'm confused about the whole electrical conversion thing and while I can purchase step down transformers I'm afraid that my blendtec and the expensive rice cooker will fry.  Please let me know if you think it's better for me to leave my appliances here or to bring them with me?

this seems a pretty good guide on electrical supplies, but I'm still confused :)
http://international-electrical-supplies.com/travel-guides-6.html

I also welcome any other tips on relocation.  there is actually a pretty good website for expats in Switzerland but not necessarily from a mustachian point of view. 

Thank you!

[Albert]

Welcome to Switzerland… Which city are you moving to? Any tips depend a lot on your location. You can of course buy a proper adaptor, but if I were you I'd probably leave appliances in US with a friend or a relative to be used again on your return.

Is the company paying for your apartment? Prices tend to be a lot higher here than in US, how much more depends from where you lived in US.

[daverobev]

Blenders are pretty high wattage, aye? You'd need a big chunky old step down transformer.. I wouldn't bother. Lots of weight, lots of hassle, just for one year... Naw, don't do it.

[Kaminoge]

Another vote for leaving the appliances behind. Even with a transformer people tell me that it's not likely to be good for the appliances (I move countries every few years so for people in my line of work this is a common issue).

I'm going to give you a little (unasked for) non-Mustachian advice.

Switzerland is expensive. When I moved here (Bulgaria) a friend moved there. We were both living in Tokyo previously. I'm earning a fraction of what she's getting but I know who's saving more. Some of that is due to my natural frugalness but it's also been a big shock to her just how expensive life is. And keep in mind we're comparing to Tokyo. So don't count on being able to save more... and that leads to the advice.

Depending on your life experiences so far I wouldn't necessarily even try to save more. Grab a map. Look at all the cool places in and around Switzerland. Unless you've already explored them all (and if you have, nice work!) then look at this as an awesome chance to have adventures without going into debt. It would be a shame just to focus on the money if this is a one year opportunity. Now by all means travel in a Mustachian way (personally I'm a huge fan of hostels, cheap rail travel and long distance walking) but don't be so focused on saving that you miss out on living.

And congrats on the job opportunity.

[Albert]

Switzerland is expensive. When I moved here (Bulgaria) a friend moved there. We were both living in Tokyo previously. I'm earning a fraction of what she's getting but I know who's saving more. Some of that is due to my natural frugalness but it's also been a big shock to her just how expensive life is. And keep in mind we're comparing to Tokyo. So don't count on being able to save more... and that leads to the advice.

Absolutely, other than housing it's more costly here than in NYC. Nevertheless salaries are very high and it's possible to save a lot without being a hermit. I have a nice apartment downtown, travel a lot and still manage 40-50% savings rate and all that with an income only 50% above average.

Depending on your life experiences so far I wouldn't necessarily even try to save more. Grab a map. Look at all the cool places in and around Switzerland. Unless you've already explored them all (and if you have, nice work!) then look at this as an awesome chance to have adventures without going into debt. It would be a shame just to focus on the money if this is a one year opportunity. Now by all means travel in a Mustachian way (personally I'm a huge fan of hostels, cheap rail travel and long distance walking) but don't be so focused on saving that you miss out on living.

True, if you like traveling Switzerland is an excellent place to be. Hiking is world class (skiing too, but expensive) and public transport to get to those places is second to none. It's also a great base for traveling to other countries. Plenty of cheap flights or train routes from here.

[Jamesqf]

It's also a very good place for biking, if you're into that.  There's a national system of signed bike routes, for instance.  And it's almost always possible to plan a route so that you can go all day at your pace, and at the end of the day find a train to take you home.

From my experience, aside from housing (which your company seems to have covered), it's not terribly expensive if you live an outdoor/Mustachian lifestyle.  Buy produce & bread at local markets, for instance.

[Albert]

From my experience, aside from housing (which your company seems to have covered), it's not terribly expensive if you live an outdoor/Mustachian lifestyle.  Buy produce & bread at local markets, for instance.

When were you in Switzerland? If long time ago then you might not be aware that the Swiss franc has gone up relative to US dollar close to 30% (1.23 CHF/USD 10 years ago, 0.91 CHF/USD today).

Some random average prices in Basel for your information below. Not the cheapest option possible, but comparable to something like Safeway in US.

Beer (0.5 l) 7.5$ (in a pub)
Milk 1.6$/l
Rice 2$/kg
White bread 2.6$/500 g
Apples 4$/kg
Eggs (12) 6$
Tomatoes 4.3$/kg
Pork 30$/kg (beef is more)
Beer (0.5 l) 2$ (in store)
Monthly local traffic pass 80$
Very cheap eating out 25$ (ca 15$ at McDonalds)
Midrange restaurant for two (no wine) 80$
Return train ticket from Basel to Zurich (half price) 40$
Gas 2$/l (ca 7.5$/gallon)

Farmers markets provide better quality, but tend to be even more expensive (local products, bio etc)

Clothing is way more expensive as well (there are frequent sales, though), but I don't list it here as there is no reason to buy it if one stays only one year plus it's much cheaper in neighbouring Germany or France. Electronics is relatively cheap and utility prices tend to be low as well. Taxes also some of the lowest in Europe.

[luigi49]

Don't bring your appliance just for one year stay.  Too much hassle.  I have a sister that lives in zurich. 

[daverobev]

From my experience, aside from housing (which your company seems to have covered), it's not terribly expensive if you live an outdoor/Mustachian lifestyle.  Buy produce & bread at local markets, for instance.

When were you in Switzerland? If long time ago then you might not be aware that the Swiss franc has gone up relative to US dollar close to 30% (1.23 CHF/USD 10 years ago, 0.91 CHF/USD today).

Some random average prices in Basel for your information below. Not the cheapest option possible, but comparable to something like Safeway in US.

Beer (0.5 l) 7.5$ (in a pub)
Milk 1.6$/l
Rice 2$/kg
White bread 2.6$/500 g
Apples 4$/kg
Eggs (12) 6$
Tomatoes 4.3$/kg
Pork 30$/kg (beef is more)
Beer (0.5 l) 2$ (in store)
Monthly local traffic pass 80$
Very cheap eating out 25$ (ca 15$ at McDonalds)
Midrange restaurant for two (no wine) 80$
Return train ticket from Basel to Zurich (half price) 40$
Gas 2$/l (ca 7.5$/gallon)

Farmers markets provide better quality, but tend to be even more expensive (local products, bio etc)

Clothing is way more expensive as well (there are frequent sales, though), but I don't list it here as there is no reason to buy it if one stays only one year plus it's much cheaper in neighbouring Germany or France. Electronics is relatively cheap and utility prices tend to be low as well. Taxes also some of the lowest in Europe.

That's not even much more expensive than Canada, or the UK. I mean - 10 or 20%. I guess the US is just insanely cheap.. if you buy the supermarket GM/antibiotic stuff.. :-/

[m8547]

The slow cooker will be fine, it's just a heater. The rice cooker should be fine, but it probably won't keep accurate time. If you can adjust the timer arbitrarily it should be OK. The blender should be OK, but motors are a little more complicated electrically, so do some more reading to see if people have any problems.

You will need at least a 1500-2000w step down transformer. And you want a transformer, not one of those light weight power converters. A good one is really heavy, and at least as big as a toaster.

Get one that does step-up/step-down, that way if you get a unique swiss appliance you can continue to use it when you come back to the US.

[Jamesqf]

When were you in Switzerland? If long time ago then you might not be aware that the Swiss franc has gone up relative to US dollar close to 30% (1.23 CHF/USD 10 years ago, 0.91 CHF/USD today).

About 6 years ago, so the change in exchange rates hasn't been that dramatic.  Though I did make a bit of a profit by leaving a good chunk of my excess earnings in my Swiss account (there was a good chance I'd go back), until the Feds forced UBS to close US-related accounts.

Some random average prices in Basel for your information below. Not the cheapest option possible, but comparable to something like Safeway in US.

Note that some of those don't apply to someone choosing an outdoor/Mustachian lifestyle.  E.G.

Beer (0.5 l) 7.5$ (in a pub) - Don't go to pubs much, if at all.  I have no idea what the price of beer is in a US pub.
Rice 2$/kg - about the same in US, if you don't buy from bulk bins.
White bread 2.6$/500 g - maybe the same, it can vary by a factor of 2-3 depending on type & quality.  I don't buy typical US white bread (the pre-sliced "Wonder Bread" sort), but might sometimes spend $4+ for an artisan loaf from Whole Foods or similar.
Apples 4$/kg - could be about the same, depending on variety.
Monthly local traffic pass 80$ - this is for bus &c?  No equivalent most places in the US.
Very cheap eating out 25$ (ca 15$ at McDonalds)
Midrange restaurant for two (no wine) 80$ - If Mustachian, not relevant :-)
Return train ticket from Basel to Zurich (half price) 40$ - Again, no US equivalent most places/
Gas 2$/l (ca 7.5$/gallon) - Not relevant to Mustachian, as it's perfectly possible to live without a car (at least in Lausanne area).