H1B is just too limited and you need a lot of luck and good timing to get it. So I would choose another way (besides trying to win the Greencard lottery, which you can try once a year):
1. Apply for Google in Zurich (or for that matter any other big company near Zurich with a big office in the US)
2. After a year transfer to the US. You get a L1 visa without a problem. There's no limit for this type of visa like e.g. the H1B has and if you're married your wife or husband is also allowed to work.
3. If you'd like to stay for longer start the greencard process as soon as you arrive in the US with the help of your company. If you're a Swiss citizen this should take between 1-1.5 years.
With a master from ETH I would expect 100k+ plus equity. If it's a later stage startup or a bigger company the base salary will be higher plus an extra bonus (stock will be on top of that). Everything else would be a weak offer and you should probably reject.
I wouldn't care about housing before you have a job here. There's no usable public transport here (Caltrain works, but only if your home and work are close enough to one of the stations and it's also not very reliable. So not comparable to Zurich at all). If you use your car to get to work you should expect lots of traffic, so I would always prefer to be close to work. With your background you should earn enough to find something.
You will earn more and have less taxes in Zurich and your living standard will be higher in Switzerland. But here in Silicon Valley you will learn more and the weather is more enjoyable than in Zurich.