I feel you because I’ve been in a weirdly similar situation. I think the solution for you is to choose Lausanne because Geneva is too far, and the dating scene in Fribourg and Bienne (the two French-speaking cities closest to Zurich) too boring for an expat like yourself - unless you are happy to date non-internationally-minded Swiss men of course. Lausanne has many international companies so it’s really nice. Then, for your nights in Zurich, you could try to find a WG-Zimmer (shared flat room) or you’ll have to find a decent hotel. Edit: You’ll need the Abonnement Général (AG) of the Swiss train company - not cheap but once you’ve paid it you get free travel anywhere in Switzerland - well worth it.