Why is Switzerland so expensive?
Because wages and prices are both high. Swiss prices were 58.8 percent above the EU average in 2024, and housing and energy more than twice as high, while the median full-time wage is CHF 7,024 a month.
Ep. 3 · This is Ueli · 58 seconds. Watch
The real rule
Why the Swiss laugh, and what it means if you're new here.
Prices shock most new arrivals: in 2024 Swiss prices were more than half above the EU average, and housing and energy more than twice as high. Wages are high too, with a median of CHF 7,024 a month for a full-time job. As a newcomer, budget for rent first, and compare everything: the Swiss do, and they have a word for it, Rappenspalter.
Blüemli's verdict: Ding. True. Swiss prices are more than half higher than the EU average.
RAPPENSPALTER: literally: “Rappen splitter”; really: a penny pincher Ueli's Word
Be like Ueli. Count every Rappen.
Learn more: Is 100k, 120k or 150k CHF enough?
The rule, explained
The Federal Statistical Office compares price levels across Europe. For 2024, with the EU at 100, Switzerland stood at 158.8: more than half higher. The biggest gap is housing, water and electricity, at 215.4. Wages are high too: the median gross wage for a full-time job was CHF 7,024 a month in 2024. High wages, high prices, and the biggest bill is rent. That is why the Swiss have a word for someone who counts every coin: Rappenspalter, a penny pincher. A Rappen is a hundredth of a franc.
Sources: Federal Statistical Office (BFS), price level indices 2024; BFS, Swiss Earnings Structure Survey 2024; Duden, Rappenspalter
Questions people ask
How much more expensive is Switzerland than the EU?
In 2024 the Swiss price level was 158.8 with the EU at 100, so more than half higher (BFS).
What is the median salary in Switzerland?
CHF 7,024 a month, gross, for a full-time job in 2024 (BFS).
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