We are moving to Zürich in September with two kids (4 and 7) and are trying to narrow down which Kreis to focus the flat hunt on. Budget is roughly CHF 3,200 gross for 4.5 rooms, and we would rather trade a few square metres for a short walk to a primary school and a playground. Kreis 6 and Kreis 10 look promising on paper, and we have been told Affoltern and Schwamendingen give more space for the money. If you live there with children: how are the school catchments, how bad is the Kita waiting list, and how much are you actually paying in Nebenkosten on top of the net rent?
