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HOUSING

Switzerland sees slight rise in rent prices

The average cost of renting a home in Switzerland increased in May, after falling in previously months due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

Published: 3 June 2020 17:56 CEST

Switzerland sees slight rise in rent prices

A rental sign outside a house. Photo: AFP

While the cost of rents on average increased by 0.5 percent in May, this largely offset the decrease of 0.7 percent seen in April.

The news wasn’t all bad for tenants with the costs of condominiums falling slightly over the same period.

The options grew for people searching for a new apartment, with the number of available rentals rising by 3,000 from April to May.

READ: Eight things you need to know before renting in Switzerland

The current figure of 20,000 available apartments across Switzerland is roughly the same as that seen before the outbreak of the coronavirus in February.

The data was produced by Swiss property firm ImmoScout24 and reported in Swiss media outlet Watson.

Buying a house also more expensive

The news was also bad for anyone looking to buy, with a slight increase in property prices over the set period.

Prices rose by 0.8 percent for single-family houses in May, however condominiums fell by 0.6 percent over the same period.

On a year-to-year comparison, prices have increased even more – with condos rising by 1.4 percent and single-family homes rising by 2.4 percent.

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The Swiss websites that can help you save money

True, getting ‘cheap’ stuff in one of the world’s most expensive countries is not a given. But it is not impossible either.

Depending on what you are looking to purchase, certain sites will either compare prices of goods available at various retailers, or show you where best deals are at the moment.

Let’s start with the most ‘essential’ purchase of all: food

There are no sites as such to tell you the current prices at all Swiss supermarkets, but you can do your research fairly easily.

Just look at websites of al major supermarkets — Migros, Coop, Aldi, Lidl, and Denner — and see which products are discounted on any given day or week.

The same applies to the two chains known to be on the more expensive side — Coop and Migros.

Their respective ‘budget’ lines, PrixGarantie and MBudget, are cheaper than their ‘regular’ assortment.

And keep in mind too that sometimes best deals can be found in smaller grocery shops.

READ ALSO: Why it might be cheaper to avoid the big supermarkets in Switzerland

Appliances, electronics, and sports equipment

To find the lowest prices in this category, two websites will be helpful: Preisergleich.ch and Toppreise.ch

According to Moneyland consumer platform, these two sites “compare the going prices at many major Swiss retailers. Comparisons primarily include online retailers, and retailers which have both online and offline stores.”

Insurance

Before you take out any policy, whether the obligatory health (KVG / LaMal) or car insurance, or supplemental plans, you can compare their prices versus what coverage they offer.

Though the cost the basic KVG / LaMal is the same for everyone in your canton, (based on your age and co-pay deductible you choose), complimentary policies are priced differently, depending on what services they cover.

You can compare them on Bonus.ch, or FinanceScout24

Internet and mobile plans

You can compare Internet plans which are available at your exact address, and the Internet speeds you can actually get, as well as mobile plans on Bonus.ch and Dschungelkompass.ch

Hotels

If you are going on holiday or just away for a weekend, the price of a hotel room in Switzerland, especially in popular tourist destinations, can cost quite a lot.

While you may not necessarily find a really cheap room in a decent hotel (or location), these sites will let you see what’s available, where, and at what price:

Switzerland Tourism
Ebookers.ch

Overall, there are two Swiss sites that offer price comparison on almost all services in Switzerland.

They are Comparis and Moneyland.

And also…

If you sign up at rabattcorner.ch, you will get discounts thanks to cashback and vouchers in more than 798 online stores, including Manor and MediaMarkt. You can also benefit from travel discount on SWISS airline, and other travel, leisure, and gastronomy options.

READ ALSO: Six essential tips that will save you money in Switzerland

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