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Rent prices and living space: Where in Switzerland has the best deal?

Under what conditions do foreign residents live in Switzerland? How many people in are owners rather than tenants (and vice-versa?) And where in Switzerland are rents highest and lowest?

Published: 19 March 2024 10:55 CET
Rent prices and living space: Where in Switzerland has the best deal?
New figures reveal interesting information about housing in Switzerland. Photo: Pixabay

These and other housing-related questions are answered in a new survey published by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) on Monday. 

These are some of its main findings.

Living space is determined by nationality

In each canton, Swiss nationals have more living space at their disposal than their foreign counterparty, the study found.

The national average for a Swiss household of two or more persons is 44.6 sq/m, while for foreign households it is 30.8 sq/m.

Looking at some cantons, in Zurich, that ratio is 43.5 sq/m for Swiss and 30.8 sq/m for foreign residents.

In Geneva, it is 36.2 vs 28.4; in Basel-City 38.8 vs 29; and in Vaud 42.7 vs 30.4.

The highest disparity, however, was found in Thurgau: 50.5 vs 34.3.

READ ALSO: How foreigners in Switzerland have worse living conditions than the Swiss

Owners vs. tenants

It comes as no surprise to anyone who is familiar with Switzerland’s housing market that far more people rent their dwellings than own them.

Just over 1.4 million accommodations (both homes and apartments) are owned by the people who live in them, while 2.4 million are occupied by renters.

The reasons for this trend, which contrasts with the rest of Europe, include the high cost of land and properties, as well as the fact that Switzerland’s tax system favours tenancy over ownership.

READ ALSO: Why do so many in Switzerland rent rather than buy a home?

Highest and lowest rents

The study confirmed that Zug has highest rents in Switzerland — the average cost is 1,850 francs. This fact is party due to the scarcity of available housing plaguing the tiny canton.

READ ALSO: Why does Zug have Switzerland’s ‘most acute’ housing shortage?

Zurich, which has been suffering from housing woes of its own, is in the second place (1,654 francs), followed by Schwyz (1,616).

Rents in five other cantons are also above the Swiss average of 1,412, francs.

They are Geneva (1,504); Nidwalden (1,495); Basel Country (1,468); Vaud (1,416); and Aargau (1,415).

The most affordable rents, on the other hand, are to be found in Jura — a mere 986 francs.

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LIVING IN SWITZERLAND

FACT OR FICTION: Does Switzerland really exist?

You may think, 'of course it does, I am sitting here right now'. But trying to convince doubters on social media that Switzerland is real may be a challenge.

Published: 10 May 2024 13:32 CEST
FACT OR FICTION: Does Switzerland really exist?

We have already had the “Switzerland versus Sweden debate” and have proven that they are, in fact, two different countries.

We don’t know whether the same thing is happening over in Sweden, but here we have an online “community of people dedicated to proving that Switzerland does not exist”. 

And it is not just a handful of rogue individuals who have nothing better to do than bash the tiny (non-existent) nation.

Thousands of people have taken time to post “proof” on Reddit’s “Switzerland is Fake” thread that the Alpine country is just too good to be true; instead, the picturesque mountains, lakes, and castles have been “photoshopped” in what could be the largest conspiracy since the moon landing.

“They are putting AI generated fake cities in front of their fake mountains,” one person said, backing his claim by a photo.

Among other “fake” images of Switzerland is one showing a man “caught” spreading artificial snow on a miniature version of the Alps. 

And then, when an (allegedly) Swiss person tried to prove his existence, online doubters “unmasked” him as an impostor.

What certainly doesn’t help to dissuade this community, is a very real Swiss Miniature Park in Lugano, where the whole of Switzerland is displayed in a tiny version.

Is it all a scam? Photo: Swissminiatur media

It only feeds into the disbelivers’ arguments that everything about the country is fake.

‘Abolish Switzerland’

While the Reddit community’s insistence that Switzerland doesn’t exist is (hopefully) tongue-in-cheek, real attempts to “erase” the country from the world’s map have actually been made – some more successfully than others.

In 2009, the former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi submitted a proposal to the United Nations to abolish Switzerland and divide it up along linguistic lines, giving parts of the country to Germany, France and Italy.

The motion was thrown out – officially because it violates the UN Charter, which states that no member country can threaten the existence of another – and unofficially, because the idea was, well, crazy.

But wait – there is more

In much more recent times, in March 2024, shortly before his trip to Europe, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken published a map that put Sweden where Switzerland should be – and Switzerland was nowhere to be found.

The error was quickly noticed and the relevant post deleted from social media – but not before users saw how the US had rendered Switzerland non-existent.

So does Switzerland really exist?

Unless and until proven otherwise by scientists (or Sweden), Switzerland is a real country – just take our word for it.

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