I have lived in Switzerland for the past
16 years, possibly the most expensive country to Earth.
According to the Big Mac Index in January
2019, a comparison of the price of a Big Mac in USD, Switzerland was the most
expensive: https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/199335/umfrage/big-mac-index--weltweiter-preis-fuer-einen-big-mac/
Still, I have managed to save more living
here than other places I have lived in. Moving there soon or already living
there, you might find my top tips for saving in Switzerland useful:
1. Don’t spend more than 30% of your
gross income on Housing. Earning 120k that is 3k a month. Rents are currently are
at their lowest levels in 20 years due to negative interest rates. Most leases
factor in interest rate rises, so you’ll be paying more should interest rates
increase too.
2. Food – our biggest expense. I have
stopped eating out just because it is more convenient. The weekly Chinese takeaway
was costing us upwards of 80 CHF – just for the convenience of not cooking on a
Friday evening. Now my daughter also wants to help in the kitchen, so we cook
instead of getting take-away. We still do nights out for fun rather than just
because it is convenient. The waiting around in a restaurant is also time where
everyone but the cook could be busy with something else. On holiday recently, we
waited an hour for food at lunchtime that meant we had to run on our hike to
fit everything in. The next morning I bought bread rolls, meats, and cheese and
we had a picnic in between booking the mine tour and taking it.
3. Don’t spend a fortune entertaining
kids. Movies, 2 kids and no change from 50 CHF. The Swiss Transport Museum, 2
Adults and 2 kids 156 CHF. There are lots of hikes and bike trails around and Park im Grüene, Sihlwald and the Waldnisparks in Zürich and Langnau
are totally free, you only pay for parking.
4. Save on Insurances. Look up online
at Comparis.ch to compare prices in your Kanton every year. You can move you
basic insurance by the end of the year by giving written notice. Be sure to
look at which options you actually use and increase your deductible/franchise
if you don’t visit a doctor regularly.
5. Always compare prices. Stores in
Switzerland isn’t obliged to give you a refund if you find it cheaper elsewhere
and you might be stuck with a store credit. Always read the T&Cs for online
orders: a “.ch” domain can ship from outside Switzerland and delivery of a new fridge only to
your house door but not inside your kitchen, known as “Bordsteinkante”, will
end up costing you a re-delivery or an on the spot charge. I use Toppreise.ch
for comparison and Brack.ch or nettoshop.ch for electronics.
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