Uster, Switzerland

Capital City

With over 36,000 inhabitants, Uster is the third largest town in the canton of Zürich, forming one of the two centers of the Zürcher Oberland region. However, don't let the quaint lakeside setting fool you - the bureaucracy here can be a persistent headache, with the town's church rights changing hands multiple times over the centuries. On the plus side, the town's modern S-Bahn connections make a 14-minute commute to Zürich's center a breeze. If you don't mind the occasional rainy day - Uster sees over 135 days of precipitation annually - and can navigate the local government's quirks, this could be a practical choice for those seeking an affordable alternative to living directly in the Swiss capital.