While cooking at home is always the cheaper option, there’s no need to forego dining out completely. Try Äss Bar in Zurich old town, which sells coffee and sandwiches starting at 2.50 francs thanks to its concept of using baked goods ‘fresh from yesterday’. 

 

The department stores are also worth a try. “Jelmoli and Globus have lovely top-floor restaurants that offer a good view and great value for money thanks to being self-service,” says local yoga teacher Susan Andreou. 

 

 

If you like to eat out regularly, the Easy Dining app, which costs 95 francs per year but offers a free trial, claims to cut your bill by half with its discounts at restaurants across the canton. Zurich resident Raquel Luzi Steiner says: “I’ve been using it for two years now and it’s great. It pays for itself after two restaurant visits.”

 

 

Nothing beats crossing the border to find bargains on clothes. However, Zurich has an excellent secondhand scene, allowing you to source desirable pieces for a snip of the cost.

 

Tsitaliya Mircheva, who founded the fashion and style website Mums in Heels, says: “I got my hands on a limited edition Stella McCartney, an almost new Bally bag and some classic pieces in perfect condition for really reasonable prices.” 

 

Her favourite place to find bargains is the Burkliplatz market on Saturdays from May to October, but other good options include Flohmarkt Kanzlei, Switzerland’s largest year-round flea market, and Razzo 2nd Hand, an all-round shop in the city centre. 

 

A helpful guidebook to secondhand outlets is Nicht Neu.

 

 

Great days out don’t have to cost a fortune. The Wildnispark Zurich, a leafy space between the Sihlwald Forest and Langenberg, is home to 16 species of animals, including bears and bison, and costs just six francs for adults or 14 francs for a family ticket – a fifth of the price of Zurich Zoo. 

 

Meanwhile, adults and kids alike will be fascinated by the earthquake simulator at Focus Terra, a free-entry museum dedicated to geology. Or why not take up a hobby that will save money down the line? Veg and the City offers beginners urban gardening classes starting at 95 francs.

 

 

Which brings us to saving money on household essentials. Carina Scheuringer, founder of Switzerland’s travel and leisure magazine Spot, recommends looking for the best quality-to-cost ratio locally. She says: “I try to support the local economy where possible. I like shopping at local farms, farmers’ markets or picking up local produce in places like Farmy, an online farm shop.” 

 

She adds that coop@home regularly offers attractive deals that can be very cost effective.

 

 

There’s nothing much cheaper than going for a walk, and Zurich boasts miles of hiking trails, whether you fancy a gentle lakeside stroll or a panoramic Nordic walking session. 

 

Meanwhile, in summer, some lakeside Badis offer free entry – among them, the Katzensee north of the city has a picturesque sunbathing meadow in a nature reserve. 

 

Fitness classes don’t have to cost the earth, either. It can help to look for independent teachers out of the city centre. For example, Susan Andreou’s Move Body Mind in Kloten Balsberg and Uster offers yoga and trampolining starting at 180 francs for 10 classes.   

 

 

The price of books in Switzerland never ceases to shock. But thankfully Zurich has excellent secondhand bookshops including Bücher Brocky, which sells paperbacks from two francs and hardbacks from five francs. 

 

Alternatively, try public library Pestalozzi Bibliothek, which offers books in 11 languages and costs the price of a couple of paperbacks for a year’s membership, or the English Book Swap Zurich, which meets once a month to get a “regular influx of fresh reads without paying a rappen”.   

 

 

Purchasing an annual Halbtax pass brings the best economy when travelling in Zurich, but keep an eye out for special deals too. RailAway Kombi offers up to 50 percent discount on day trips by public transport, while municipality day train passes are another economical option. 

 

“For around 45 francs (prices vary), you get one full day of unrestricted travel on the entire SBB, RhB and PPT networks as well as several local networks,” says as Spot Magazine’s Carina. She warns that the number of passes available are restricted and there is usually an online reservation system, so it is important to plan ahead.

 

 

And don’t miss everything that is available for free. You can help yourself to water – Zurich has around 1,200 clean-water fountains; visit Zurich University’s Botanical Garden, which houses some 9,000 species of plants; and hire bikes through the Züri Rollt scheme, which simply requires a 20 franc deposit.