The cost of living in Switzerland

Cost trends

#CHeapSwitzerland How to save money in Switzerland

There’s no denying that Switzerland is pricey, but there are bargains to be had. We’ve crowdsourced some tips from our Facebook community.

How to spend it Here’s what (the new) Swiss ten-franc note will get you

By Susan Misicka

Crisp and yellow, the new CHF10 banknote will soon be in circulation across Switzerland. But what can you buy with it?

Cross-border shopping What to do about Switzerland’s eye-watering prices?

By Simon Bradley

Switzerland remains in a price league of its own, driving thrifty shoppers over its borders. Politicians and consumer groups are now demanding action.

How much do people make? - wages and salaries

Swiss salaries: software developers Do software developers earn less than bus drivers?

By Veronica DeVore

A recent report on Swiss salaries left many wondering whether software developers really only earn a mediocre amount compared to other professions.

Swiss salaries: Teachers How well does Switzerland pay its teachers?

By Veronica DeVore

In a comparison of Swiss salaries, teachers do fairly well with earnings above many other professions. But is there more to the story? According ...

Swiss salaries: pastors Why do Swiss clergy earn so much?

By Veronica DeVore

A recently published guide to Swiss salaries revealed some outliers that intrigued our readers, so we looked into them.

Salaries What do people earn in Switzerland?

By Susan Misicka and Kai Reusser

From baker to banker, Swiss workers earn salaries that must be put into perspective.

Everyday expenses

Cost of living Zurich is the world’s second most expensive city

Only Singapore is more expensive than Zurich, finds an economic survey that compared the prices of 150 goods in 133 cities.

Disposable income Survey pinpoints least expensive places to live

Switzerland is a notoriously expensive place to live. But a survey on disposable incomes has identified disparities between housing, tax, ...

At home Communities fight the property bubble effect

By Jo Fahy in Zurich and Bern

In the shadow of a potential property bubble, concerned residents are coming up with ways to stop the places they know and love from changing ...

No win situation Counting the cost of childcare

By Chantal Britt

Childcare is an expensive business in Switzerland. Not only for parents who spend half of their household income on child minding, but ...

Import tariffs Why a steak costs so much more to eat in Switzerland

By Matthew Allen

The WTO says import tariffs explain why steak costs twice as much to eat in Switzerland than the EU.

See in other languages: 9

Balancing the books High expenses eat up middle class budget

An average monthly income of more than CHF10,000 ($10,326) for a Swiss family may appear high, but when compulsory deductions are taken away and ...

See in another language: 1

Consumer prices Everyday essentials become costlier despite lower inflation

By Duc-Quang Nguyen

Inflation has fallen in pricey Switzerland, but the cost of some of the more essential things in life keeps going up and up.

See in other languages: 3

Salaries

What's a fair wage for a middle manager in the pharmaceutical industry? How many hours is the Swiss working week? What is a 13th month salary?

See in other languages: 8

Keeping costs down How to live on less than CHF4,000 a month

(RTS TTC, swissinfo.ch) On May 18 the Swiss will vote on an initiative to introduce a nationwide minimum wage of CHF4,000 ($4,480) per month. Two ...

Highs and lows Is Switzerland really the best place to live and work?

By Matthew Allen

Expat workers tell swissinfo.ch the best and worst points of living and working in Switzerland compared to other countries.

See in other languages: 8

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How far does a franc go?

Cost trends

#CHeapSwitzerland How to save money in Switzerland

How to spend it Here’s what (the new) Swiss ten-franc note will get you

Cross-border shopping What to do about Switzerland’s eye-watering prices?

How much do people make? - wages and salaries

Swiss salaries: software developers Do software developers earn less than bus drivers?

Swiss salaries: Teachers How well does Switzerland pay its teachers?

Swiss salaries: pastors Why do Swiss clergy earn so much?

Salaries What do people earn in Switzerland?

Everyday expenses

Cost of living Zurich is the world’s second most expensive city

Disposable income Survey pinpoints least expensive places to live

At home Communities fight the property bubble effect

No win situation Counting the cost of childcare

Additional content about the topic

Import tariffs Why a steak costs so much more to eat in Switzerland

Balancing the books High expenses eat up middle class budget

Consumer prices Everyday essentials become costlier despite lower inflation

Salaries

Keeping costs down How to live on less than CHF4,000 a month

Highs and lows Is Switzerland really the best place to live and work?

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