Fribourg, Switzerland

Capital City

The cost of living in this picturesque Swiss city is steep, with average rents of 1,062 Swiss francs per month. At just over 39,000 residents, Fribourg is the largest city in its canton, though the surrounding agglomeration swells the population to 110,000. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, as the city remains firmly in the grip of a patrician class that has controlled local politics for centuries. On the upside, Fribourg's historic Old Town, replete with Gothic architecture, is a draw for tourists - though the frigid Alpine climate may test the resolve of newcomers. For those who can stomach the red tape and long, snowy winters, Fribourg offers the quintessential Swiss experience, with a unique linguistic and cultural blend straddling the French-German divide.