The Best Swiss City for Remote Workers Isn't Zurich (It's Sion, Valais)

Originally published in the Remote Goats newsletter. This expanded edition lives on the blog for easier discovery.

If you earn a remote tech salary and want Swiss institutions and stability without paying Zurich rent, the conventional wisdom is "move to Zug or Lugano." But there's a less-talked-about option that might actually be better for a meaningful subset of remote workers and online entrepreneurs: Sion, in Canton Valais.

I asked the Relocation Advisor on Remote Goats:

"What's a city in Switzerland with CH institutions, standards and stability, that is also cost and tax efficient, and has some cute European town vibes?"

It returned a few options, but Sion in the French canton of Valais caught my eye. I went to visit, and here's what I found.

Why Sion deserves a closer look

1. Low-to-medium health insurance premiums

About 320 CHF/month in Sion vs ~450 CHF in Lugano — and noticeably less than Zurich. Mandatory Swiss health insurance is the single biggest "hidden" Swiss living cost, so this matters.

2. Low-to-medium personal income tax

Personal income tax (PIT) in Sion is similar to Zurich or Lugano. Disclaimer: I'm personally not too sensitive to PIT — if you have an online business and an LLC (GmbH/Sàrl/Sagl) you can deduct legitimate costs, keep your salary low to cover living expenses, and reinvest the rest through the company. (Not tax advice. Talk to a Swiss accountant.)

3. Low-to-medium living costs (especially rent)

Rent in Sion is 30% cheaper than Zurich or Geneva, similar to Lugano. The rest of living costs is still Swiss-priced, but the gap on housing is the meaningful one.

For an apero (Swiss happy hour) with a few wines I paid 45 CHF — fairly cheap by Swiss standards. Glasses of wine were 5–8 CHF, which is genuinely good value for the quality.

For dinner, 1kg of mussels was 35 CHF; other plates 40–50 CHF. Standard Swiss restaurant prices.

4. Corporate tax: ~14.5%

Higher than Zug (11.8%), similar to Geneva and Vaud, lower than Zurich (~19%). In the Lugano area, corporate tax can be 14–17% depending on the exact municipality and setup, sometimes as low as 10–12% if you do R&D / tech and go through some paperwork.

For an online business or remote-tech freelancer running through a Swiss LLC, 14.5% corporate tax in a city you'd actually want to live in is a solid combination.

5. Infrastructure: Swiss-grade

• Train station in the centre, well-connected:
  • Lausanne in 1h, Geneva in 2h
  • Ski slopes and top hiking spots in <30 minutes
• Good local hospital and schools (Swiss standards)
• City is clean, safe, and functioning

The city itself is ~35,000 people, so expect small-town vibes. Locals work in tourism / mountain activities, healthcare, education, public admin, with some engineering / bio / pharma companies and EPFL research centres in the area, plus spillover from Geneva and Lausanne.

For a family raising kids in Sion: high-quality healthcare and education locally, with easy upgrades to Lausanne or Geneva when needed (festivals, specialist medicine, international schools).

6. Lifestyle: genuinely great

Sion is one of the sunniest cities in Switzerland — comparable to Lugano. It sits in the Rhône Valley, flanked by mountain chains on both sides that keep clouds out and leave a sunny, dry climate year-round.

This is a big upside given that the majority of Switzerland is fairly gloomy weather-wise.

Nature access is incredible: a local peak in the city has two characteristic castles, and Lac Léman is a 40-minute direct train ride to the Montreux / Vaud area.

One of the inputs I gave the Relocation Advisor was: "I like small French town vibes with nice architecture." Sion delivers on that too.

Some say Sion is the oldest city in Switzerland, with population dating back to 6,000 BC. Either way: it has a large pedestrian centre, full of cafes, specialty shops, galleries, boutiques, wine bars, and restaurants. It's lively and family-friendly.

Think groups of friends with kids and dogs sitting outside a bar having a glass of wine, kids playing safely in the pedestrian squares. Relaxed and happy — not comparable to the rushed Zurich vibe.

So, am I moving there?

It's in my top 3 European contenders for cities I'd consider moving to and starting a family in.

The other 2 are Croatia and the Lugano area — both of which I've written about as part of a broader multi-base setup.

My non-negotiables for the decision:

• Total tax rates below 30% (below 20% if cost of living is high)
• Fairly safe to raise kids in
• Good enough infra and public administration
• Good vibes and lifestyle
• Friendly-enough people / a community I can plug into

All 3 check all the boxes:

• Croatia punches above its weight for lifestyle and cost of living.
• The two Swiss options offer Swiss institutions, stability, reliability, great nature, and likely give more opportunities to kids long-term.

Language is the deciding factor

The biggest differentiator across the three contenders is the language burden.

• Croatian is a bit of a niche language to learn, and opens fewer doors for the kids long-term. It's not completely useless — Croatian makes learning other Slavic languages easier, which could be interesting if the CEE region keeps growing. Istria is technically bilingual, with public Italian schools that are reportedly high quality.
• Italian is my mother tongue, so Ticino (Lugano area) life is significantly easier: admin, doctors, schools, etc. My partner could learn it and reuse it visiting family in Italy. Italy proximity also makes hometown trips a 6-hour train ride, with the Milan network handy.
• French is the language we'd both have to learn for Sion — no one really speaks English there in daily life. Personally I've had learning French on my to-do list for years (Franco-Belgian comics, French cinema, music, literature), so I wouldn't mind. More of a project for my partner though.

How Sion fits into a broader remote-work strategy

For Remote Goats readers thinking about Switzerland generally, Sion fills a specific niche:

• You want Swiss institutions and stability, but Zurich / Geneva rent is unjustifiable for the value
• You're running an online business through a Swiss LLC and want a competitive corporate tax rate (~14.5%) plus moderate health insurance
• You value sun and lifestyle more than maximum networking density (Zurich and Geneva still win for international tech networks)
• You're open to learning French — this is the binding constraint

If those line up, Sion is genuinely worth a visit before deciding.

FAQ

Is Sion better than Zurich for remote workers?

It depends on what you optimize for. Sion has roughly 30% cheaper rent, sunnier weather, lower health insurance premiums, and a relaxed small-town lifestyle. Zurich has a deeper international tech network, more English-speakers in daily life, and easier access to global flights. For a remote worker who already has their employer / clients sorted and prioritizes lifestyle and cost-efficiency, Sion is hard to beat. For someone still building their network or who needs frequent international travel, Zurich likely wins.

What's the corporate tax rate for an LLC in Sion, Valais?

Around 14.5% effective combined corporate tax rate. That's higher than the Zug benchmark (11.8%) but materially lower than Zurich (~19%) and competitive with Geneva, Vaud, and parts of Ticino. For an online business or one-person consulting LLC, the math is favorable when combined with Sion's lower cost of living.

Can English speakers get by in Sion?

Day-to-day, only partially. Tourism-facing places (hotels, mountain resorts, some restaurants) speak English fine, but everyday admin, healthcare, schools, neighbours, and most service businesses operate in French. If you want to live there long-term and integrate, learning French is effectively mandatory. If you're treating it as a 1–2 year base before moving on, you can survive in English with some friction.

How does Sion compare to Lugano for remote workers?

Both are sunnier than the rest of Switzerland and cheaper than Zurich. Lugano has Italian as the working language (an advantage if you speak Italian, a disadvantage otherwise), is closer to the Italian border / Milan, and has a slightly more international vibe. Sion is more "small French town," cheaper on health insurance, and has more dramatic Alpine access (ski slopes within 30 minutes). The Lugano area also has slightly more competitive corporate-tax setups for tech / R&D companies if you go through the right paperwork.

Is Sion a good place to raise a family on a remote income?

Yes, by most criteria. Swiss healthcare and education standards apply, the city is safe and walkable, kids play freely in the large pedestrian squares, and access to nature is exceptional. The main caveat: schooling is in French (or you need to send kids to private international schools in Geneva / Lausanne, which adds cost). Long-term language fluency for the kids becomes an asset, not a liability.

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If you're also weighing where to live with your remote income, try the Relocation Advisor — it ranks 25+ countries against your specific income, tax, and lifestyle priorities. Or browse country deep-dives including Switzerland, Cyprus, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, and more.