How Could Swiss Save on Expenses?

On average, a Swiss household spends 8819 francs per month, as shown by the household budget statistics published by the Federal Statistical Office. This report explains where all that money goes and how you can cut down on common expenses.

A basic principle is: You can cut down on your biggest expenses by learning to forego certain things. For example, if you frequently eat out at restaurants, you can save money by eating at home instead.

But that principle cannot always be applied. For example, there is no way to cut the cost of compulsory social security contributions. Transportation is another expense which many Swiss cannot fully cut out because their work requires commuting or mobility.

Table 1: Average Swiss household budget (2019 data)

Expenses	Per month (average)	Portion of budget
Mandatory contributions (OASI, etc.)	CHF 2800	31.7%
Housing and utilities (primary residence)	CHF 1345	15.2%
Groceries	CHF 580	6.6%
Travel accommodations	CHF 558	6.3%
Vehicle purchases and maintenance	CHF 533	6.0%
Entertainment, recreation, and cultural activities	CHF 510	5.8%
Other insurances	CHF 313	3.6%
Life insurance	CHF 282	3.2%
Healthcare	CHF 245	2.8%
Donations, gifts, hosting	CHF 199	2.3%
Other transportation costs	CHF 177	2.0%
Clothing and shoes	CHF 175	2.0%
Communications	CHF 174	2.0%
Alimony and child support	CHF 173	2.0%
Homemaking	CHF 164	1.9%
Alcoholic drinks and tobacco	CHF 95	1.1%
Various fees	CHF 67	0.8%
Soft drinks	CHF 56	0.6%
Home administration	CHF 46	0.5%
School and education	CHF 45	0.5%
Housing and utilities (secondary residence)	CHF 36	0.4%
Other goods and services	CHF 245	2.8%

 

 

Spending on mandatory contributions

The statistics show that nearly one-third of average household spending goes to compulsory expenses (table 2). But while certain expenses are mandatory, there are often steps which can be taken to lower these costs.

Table 2: Mandatory contributions

Expenses		Per month (average)	Portion of budget
Mandatory contributions		CHF 2800	31.7%
	Taxes	CHF 1180	13.4%
	Social security contributions (AHV, IV, EO, ALV, BVG, etc.)	CHF 950	10.8%
	Premiums for mandatory health insurance	CHF 670	7.6%

 

• Save on taxes
  
  Taxes make up the bulk of mandatory contributions. You can find useful tips for lowering this cost in the guide to saving on taxes in Switzerland.
• Lower your health insurance premiums
  
  The cost of compulsory health insurance makes up nearly 8 percent of average household spending. But here too, there is room to save, because the price of this insurance is different at each health insurance company. The interactive mandatory health insurance comparison makes it easy to find the cheapest offer based on your age and place of residence. You can find useful tips for reducing this expense in the guide to savings on health insurance costs.  

Spending on housing

More than 15 percent of average spending goes to the cost of housing (table 3). Net rent or mortgage interest payments come to more than 1000 francs per month and household. That is approximately enough to cover the rent of an average two-bedroom apartment in Switzerland.

Table 3: Housing and utility spending

Expenses		Per month (average)	Portion of budget
Housing and utilities (primary residence)		CHF 1345	15.2%
	Net rent or mortgage interest	CHF 1056	12.0%
	Supplementary rental costs	CHF 133	1.5%
	Electricity	CHF 72	0.8%
	Home repairs and maintenance	CHF 47	0.5%
	Central or district heating	CHF 27	0.3%
	Gas and other fuels	CHF 9	0.1%

 

• Save on rent

As a renter, your options for lowering your rent are very limited. You can normally have your rent lowered when the mortgage reference rate goes down, or when a landlord fails to make needed repairs.

In many cases, the only way to cut your rent is to move into a cheaper home. But these are highly-sought after and are often difficult to get. You can find useful tips in the guide to improving your chances of getting a rental home.

One way to get a home with a lower rent is to move to a canton which has low average rents. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the lowest average rents are found in Jura (957 francs), Neuchâtel (1026 francs), and Valais (1147 francs). Cantons with exceptionally high rents are Zug (1824 francs), Zurich (1597 francs), and Schwyz (1566 francs).

• Cut the cost of your mortgage

You can find the lowest advertised mortgage interest rates using the Swiss mortgage comparison on moneyland.ch. It may be worth refinancing your expensive mortgage with a cheaper one. Whether or not that is beneficial depends on the terms and conditions of your current mortgage.

If your mortgage does not have a fixed term, then you can terminate and refinance it at any time, in keeping with the required notice period. If you mortgage has a fixed term, you may only be able to terminate it after the contract expires.

You can find additional mortgage tips here. Before refinancing or changing your mortgage model, make sure to get informed about all possible mortgage fees and penalties which may apply.

Spending on groceries

Around 6.6 percent of the average Swiss budget is spent on buying groceries. Meat purchases represent the largest part of grocery spending. That leaves room for saving by lowering meat consumption. A kilo of meat costs 21 francs, on average. The average price of a kilo of vegetables is less than 6 francs per kilo. In many cases, replacing part of your meat consumption with vegetable proteins, for example, can lower your overall grocery budget.

Regardless of your eating habits, you can cut your food budget by following these tips for saving on grocery shopping.

Table 4: Grocery spending

Expenses		Per month (average)	Portion of budget
Food		CHF 580	6.6%
	Meat	CHF 125	1.4%
	Bread and cereal products	CHF 93	1.1%
	Milk, cheese, eggs	CHF 91	1.0%
	Vegetables	CHF 76	0.9%
	Fruit	CHF 59	0.7%
	Sugar, jams, honey, chocolate, confectionary	CHF 54	0.6%
	Fish	CHF 24	0.3%
	Cooking fats and oils	CHF 14	0.2%
	Sauces, salt, spices, soup, other foods	CHF 45	0.5%
Alcoholic drinks and tobacco		CHF 95	1.1%
	Alcoholic drinks	CHF 65	0.7%
	Tobacco	CHF 30	0.3%
Soft drinks		CHF 56	0.6%
	Mineral water, soft drinks, juices	CHF 30	0.3%
	Coffee, tea, cocoa	CHF 27	0.3%

 

Spending on dining out and travel accommodations

Travel and eating out are expensive. The average household spends nearly as much on dining out and travel accommodations as they spend on groceries. Here too, you can save a lot of money by foregoing restaurant dining and take aways, as well as holiday travel.

You can also cut the cost of these activities by following these saving tips for restaurant dining and ways to get cheaper hotel stays.

Table 5: Dining and accommodation expenses

Expenses		Per month (average)	Portion of budget
Dining and accommodations		CHF 558	6.3%
	Restaurants, cafés, bars	CHF 313	3.5%
	Hotels, pensions, private rooms	CHF 85	1.0%
	Self-service restaurants, take aways	CHF 73	0.8%
	Dining in private households	CHF 34	0.4%
	Canteens	CHF 31	0.4%
	Holiday homes, campgrounds, other accommodations	CHF 23	0.3%

 

Transportation spending

Buying and maintaining vehicles costs Swiss households an average of 533 francs per month. Other transportation costs come to 177 francs per household. Together, these make up around 8 percent of household spending.

Table 6: Vehicle and transportation expenses

Expenses		Per month (average)	Portion of budget
Vehicle purchases and maintenance		CHF 533	6.0%
	Fuel and lubricants	CHF 130	1.5%
	Vehicle purchases	CHF 126	1.4%
	Vehicle leasing	CHF 101	1.1%
	Vehicle servicing and repairs	CHF 56	0.6%
	Rents for garage and parking spaces	CHF 37	0.4%
	Vehicle accessories and spare parts	CHF 17	0.2%
	Parking	CHF 13	0.1%
	Bicycle purchases	CHF 12	0.1%
	Motorcycle, scooter and moped purchases	CHF 10	0.1%
	Swiss highway toll stickers	CHF 3	0.0%
	Other services (rental cars, etc.)	CHF 28	0.3%
Other transportation costs		CHF 177	2.0%
	Transportation plans (GA, Half Fare, etc.)	CHF 84	1.0%
	Airline tickets	CHF 50	0.6%
	Trains (tickets and point-to-point plans)	CHF 29	0.3%
	Taxi rides	CHF 5	0.1%
	Buses (tickets and point-to-point plans)	CHF 4	0.0%
	Boats (tickets and point-to-point plans)	CHF 2	0.0%
	Trams (tickets and point-to-point plans)	CHF 1	0.0%
	Other passenger and goods transportation (excluding ski lifts)	CHF 3	0.0%

 

• Save on vehicles

Fuel is the biggest cost for car owners, followed by the cost of buying or leasing vehicles. You can get tips on how to fill your tank for less in the guide to saving at Swiss gas stations.

Another way to lower your transportation costs is to use public transportation instead of owning a car. Although Swiss public transportation is expensive, it can cost less than owning a car, depending on the makeup of your household. For example, the cost of an annual GA Travelcard which lets you most public transportation in Switzerland comes to 322 francs per month. That is less than what the average Swiss household spends just on purchasing or leasing vehicles and fueling them, without counting insurance, maintenance and repairs, highway toll stickers and other costs. But if you cannot completely forego owning a car, then moving to public transportation might not pay off.

For ideas on how to lower the cost of having a vehicle, refer to this list of saving tips for car owners in Switzerland.

• Save on public transportation costs

The popularity of Swiss public transportation plans like the Half Fare Card and the GA Travelcard is visible in Swiss household spending statistics. Whether or not point-to-point plans can save you money depends on your individual travel habits. Getting a Half Fare Card plan saves you money if your spending on tickets is at least twice as high as the cost of the plan. If a Half Fare Card costs 185 francs per year, you can save money if your public transportation ticket purchases exceed 370 francs per year.

Finding out whether a GA Travelcard can save you money is less complicated. If you spend as much or more on tickets as you would spend on a GA, then getting this plan is worth it. But a second-class GA plan costs nearly 4000 francs per year. That translates into a lot of individual tickets. Make sure to carefully calculate whether or not getting a GA Travelcard makes financial sense for you.

If you do not travel enough to justify the cost of a GA plan, but you still use a lot of transportation on specific days of the year, then the Leisure Travelcard plan from the SBB/CFF can save you money. You can choose between plans which give you either 20 or 30 days of unlimited public transportation in Switzerland per year. That can save you money if you take expensive trips on at least 20 or 30 days in a year. The Leisure Travelcard is sometimes offered at special promotional prices.

Also keep an eye out for savings tickets, day passes, and special promotions. In some cases, you can get tickets for certain routes at much lower prices by booking online in advance. Public transportation operators have increasingly been running special promotional offers for new customers – such as discounted Half Fare Card plans on Black Friday.

The cost of flights is another major travel expense. When you account for the distances covered and time savings, flying is often the cheapest travel option. But there are cases where traveling by train or boat is cheaper, and may also offer a more remarkable experience. If you prefer to fly, or have no other practical option, check out these tips for getting cheaper flights.

• Save with bicycles

Bicycles require some muscle power, and are generally slower than cars or motorcycles. But they are also much cheaper than other forms of transportation. Following these savings tips for cyclists can help you cut the cost even further.

Sports and recreation spending

Recreation is an important part of life. But the costs of recreational activities vary broadly. Almost 6 percent of Swiss household spending, on average, goes to entertainment, recreation, and cultural activities (table 7).

Table 7: Spending on entertainment, recreation, and cultural activities

Expenses		Per month (average)	Portion of budget
Entertainment, recreation, and cultural activities		CHF 510	5.8%
	Bundled travel offers	CHF 136	1.5%
	Sports and recreation services	CHF 97	1.1%
	Books, press, stationery	CHF 50	0.6%
	Pets and pet care products	CHF 34	0.4%
	Public radio and television contributions	CHF 29	0.3%
	Plants and expendable garden supplies	CHF 24	0.3%
	Computers, office machines, and other peripherals	CHF 24	0.3%
	Toys, board games, pastimes	CHF 20	0.2%
	Sport and camping supplies	CHF 18	0.2%
	Theaters and concerts	CHF 16	0.2%
	Non-expendable leisure and sport supplies	CHF 14	0.2%
	Radios, audio and video devices, TVs	CHF 12	0.1%
	Gaming (lotteries, etc.)	CHF 7	0.1%
	Museums, expositions, libraries, zoological gardens, etc.	CHF 6	0.1%
	Photo and video supplies, optical instruments	CHF 5	0.1%
	Cinema	CHF 4	0.0%
	Audio, video, and data on storage mediums	CHF 4	0.0%
	Television subscriptions	CHF 2	0.0%
	Device, DVD, and CD rentals	CHF 2	0.0%
	Cable TV subscriptions	CHF 1	0.0%
	Contributions to cultural associations	CHF 2	0.0%
	Other services related to entertainment and culture	CHF 4	0.0%

 

• Save on travel

Bundled travel offers are the biggest household expense related to recreation. In most cases, buying bundled offers is more expensive than buying each part of a trip individually. The price difference varies between offers, but is typically around 10 percent. So if you are willing to forego the advantages of bundled offers and put your trip together yourself, you can save money without detracting from your travel experiences.

You can find tips for saving on flights here. You can also find ways to lower your leisure travel costs in the guide to saving on camping trips and the financial guide for hikers. If you are both a hardcore saving enthusiast and a travel buff, then check out the guide to travelling the world for free (or the closest thing to it).

• Cut the cost of sports and recreation

The average Swiss household spends around 100 francs per month on sports and recreation. That includes fees for using paid sports facilities, recreational facilities, and gyms. If you are in the habit of using gyms, take a look at these tips for cutting the cost of gym memberships.

If you regularly attend sports or dance courses, or similar activities, take a moment to review your paid courses and consider whether free alternatives could offer the same value. For example, you can find and stream numerous courses free of charge on Youtube.

Cable car tickets also fall under sports and recreation spending. You can find ways to keep your ski trips affordable in this guide.

• Save on books and newspapers

Books and newspapers are another notable entertainment expense. Take a look at these useful tips for filling your bookshelf at minimal cost for ideas on how to reduce this expense.

If you have newspaper and/or magazine subscriptions, it is worth regularly reviewing your reading habits to determine whether you still need a given subscription. Many people continue to pay for subscriptions long after they have stopped regularly reading the newspaper or magazine. If you only read several issues per year, then buying these individually at a kiosk often works out cheaper. It is also worth checking whether your local library stocks your favorite newspapers or magazines.

Some publications are also offered as a free-to-read online version financed by advertising. In some cases, subscriptions are also cheaper if you only subscribe to the digital version and forego the printed issues. So you can often save money if you are willing to read on a digital device.

• Save on entertainment

Mandatory public radio and television contributions are a recurring expense for many Swiss households. The only way to avoid this expense is to not own any devices which can be used to listen to public radio or to watch public television broadcasts. This also rules out computers and smartphones. If you are willing to do that, you can apply for an exemption from this mandatory contribution, but this option will only exist until the end of 2023. However, the contributions were lowered in 2019 (the year in which data for statistics was collected).

The cost of TV subscriptions, on the other hand, is flexible. You can read tips on how to watch TV for free or at a low cost here. If you need a TV plan, it may be worth comparing prices. You can do that using our free Swiss TV plan comparison.

If you enjoy visiting museums and similar establishments, it can be worth looking into the benefits which come with some credit cards and bank packages. For example, some Membersplus offers from Raiffeisen include a museum pass which lets you visit hundreds of Swiss museums free of charge. Discounts for events like music festivals are also sometimes offered as a complimentary benefit (refer to the guide to saving at Swiss music festivals). We also explain how to save on cinema visits.

Insurance costs

A Swiss household spends an average of 600 francs on insurance, not accounting for compulsory health insurance. Here too, costs may greatly vary. The kinds of insurance used and the premiums paid depend on a household’s makeup and the needs of its members. The rule of thumb: You should get to know which insurances you actually need, and then compare offers for each needed insurance to find the best deal.

Table 8: Insurance spending

Expenses		Per month (average)	Portion of budget
Life insurance		CHF 282	3.2%
	Premiums for pillar 3a (tax-privileged) life insurance	CHF 260	2.9%
	Premiums for pillar 3b (non-tax-privileged) life insurance	CHF 22	0.3%
Other insurances		CHF 313	3.6%
	Vehicle insurance	CHF 100	1.1%
	Supplemental hospital insurance	CHF 95	1.1%
	Household, personal liability, fire insurance and other buildings insurance	CHF 37	0.4%
	Contributions to memberships with insurance-like components (e.g. Rega)	CHF 8	0.1%
	Legal insurance	CHF 7	0.1%
	Travel insurance	CHF 3	0.0%
	Other supplemental health insurance	CHF 63	0.7%
	Other private insurances	CHF 1	0.0%

 

• Lower your life insurance spending

Almost half of Swiss spending on voluntary insurances goes to life insurance. You can use the moneyland.ch term life insurance comparison to find the best available offer for your specific needs. The guide to pillar 3a vs. pillar 3b life insurance explains the differences between these two models.

• Save on car insurance

Car insurance is another major spending point for many households. In the guide to saving on car insurance, moneyland.ch lists useful tips for cutting out unnecessary costs. In many cases, the cheapest solution is not owning a car at all – if you are able to use public transportation, for example.

• Streamline your supplemental health insurance costs

If you have supplemental hospital insurance, or are considering getting it, make sure to have a look at these hospital insurance tips. Also take time to compare offers using the supplemental health insurance comparison and the supplemental hospital insurance comparison.

• Save on other insurances

As an independent expert for insurance comparisons, moneyland.ch offers free interactive comparisons for legal insurance, travel insurance, and pet insurance. We also offer comprehensive guides to Swiss household insurance, personal liability insurance, buildings insurance, earthquake insurance, legal insurance, and travel insurance.

Healthcare expenses

On average, a Swiss household spends 245 francs on healthcare every month. That is additional healthcare spending on top of what is covered by health insurance and other insurances.

Table 9: Healthcare spending

Expenses		Per month (average)	Portion of budget
Healthcare spending		CHF 245	2.8%
	Dental care	CHF 60	0.7%
	Doctors	CHF 55	0.6%
	Medicines	CHF 39	0.4%
	Hospitals	CHF 22	0.3%
	Glasses and contact lenses	CHF 21	0.2%
	Healthcare supplies, devices, and materials	CHF 8	0.1%
	Medical laboratories and radiological institutes	CHF 6	0.1%
	Other outpatient healthcare services	CHF 34	0.4%

 

• Lower your dental care expenses

Dental care is the biggest healthcare burden born by Swiss households. Practicing good oral hygiene is the easiest way to lower the costs of dental care. This includes correctly brushing and flossing your teeth. By taking good care of your teeth, you reduce the risk of experiencing dental problems. A little bit of toothpaste works out a lot cheaper than visiting the dentist.

Still, many dentists recommend visiting a dental hygienist for tooth cleaning on a regular basis. This should help prevent the development of cavities, the build-up of plaque, and tooth discoloration. The cost of repairing damaged teeth is often much higher than that of regularly visiting a dental hygienist. So following your dentist’s advice in this regard is recommended.

Choosing the right dentist can also make a difference. The Swiss Dental Association (SSO) publishes standard rates which all of its members use to calculate their fees and charges. The rate schedule assigns a certain number of points to every type of dental treatment. This means that theoretically, the same treatment would cost the same amount at all participating dentists. But the value of points (how many francs you have to pay per point) is variable. While a point is normally equal to 1 franc, the SSO allows its members to charge private individuals as much as 1.70 francs per point. Dentists are also free to charge less than one franc per point, if they choose to. In simple terms: Some Swiss dentists charge more than others for the same treatments. The value used is normally displayed in dentist practices, and also appears on bills.

Good to know: There are some costs related to dental treatments which you do not need to pay out of your own pocket. Dental care insurance is available, and there are even specific situations which are covered by compulsory health insurance. You can find out whether getting dental insurance could make sense for you in this guide.

• Save on doctor visits

As with dental care, if you live a healthy lifestyle, you are less likely to need medical care. The less frequently you have to visit doctors, the lower your doctor bills will be. Three key elements of a physically and psychologically health lifestyle are: making sure your diet is balanced and healthy; exercising frequently and regularly; making sure to get enough sleep.

But just because going to doctors costs money does not mean you should not use them. Do not ignore problems and symptoms to save money. Your health is more important. The longer an illness goes untreated, the higher the risk of it causing permanent damage is. If you end up with chronic illnesses which require ongoing medical care, then you will not have saved anything in the long term.

If you have high doctor bills, then adjusting your health insurance deductible to reflect your spending is important. The health insurance deductible calculator on moneyland.ch makes it easy to find the optimal deductible. The rule of thumb: Use either the highest or the lowest deductible for mandatory health insurance, depending on how high your healthcare spending is. You can find all other necessary information about choosing the right deductible for mandatory health insurance here.

• Cut the cost of medicines

Swiss households spend an average of 40 francs per month on medicine. Some pharmaceuticals are covered by health insurance. Make sure to either provide your health insurance card when you buy medicines (if direct billing to your health insurance is possible), or send the receipt to your health insurance provider for reimbursement.

Depending on your situation, buying certain medicines in other countries can save you money. Many generic medicines cost around half as much in neighboring countries as they do in Switzerland. Doing this can make sense if the medicines in question are not covered by any of your Swiss health insurance policies. If your insurance does cover a medicine, then buying it in Switzerland is usually the cheaper option. You should also note that if you import pharmaceuticals with a combined worth exceeding 300 francs, you have to declare them at the customs office and pay taxes.

It is also important to know that you are only allowed to bring medicines into Switzerland if they are for your own personal use. You cannot import medicines for other people, or to sell. Imports are limited to your monthly needs, so you could not, for example, carry a suitcase full of aspirin across the border. You may not bring in medicines which contain narcotics or psychotropics.

• Save on glasses and contact lenses

The general rule here is: If your prescription changes relatively often, then using glasses is normally more expensive than using contact lenses. But if your prescription remains stable over periods of several years of more, glasses are normally much cheaper, because they do not need to be replaced regularly like contact lenses do.

Whichever solution you use, be aware that there are numerous practices and stores which sell glasses and contact lenses, and each of them has its own pricing. Comparing is worth it. You can often lower the cost by excluding optional extras like blue light filter coatings.

If your prescription changes, consider replacing just the lenses, while keeping your existing frame. Depending on the kind of frames you use, doing this can easily save you 100 francs or more.

Contact lens users can choose between daily and monthly lenses. If you wear contacts all the time, or at least very often, then using monthly lenses is normally more affordable. On the other hand, if you only wear lenses occasionally, then daily contact lenses are normally a better deal. Many dealers give you discounts when you buy contact lenses in bulk.

Some supplemental health insurance offers cover all or part of the cost of glasses and contact lenses, and even mandatory health insurance provides coverage in certain cases. You can find out more in the guide to health insurance coverage for glasses and contact lenses.

If you spend a lot of money on visual aids, you can also save money by including these expenses in the Swiss tax deduction for healthcare expenses. That does not directly cut the cost of eyecare, but it does save you money by lowering your tax bill.

Giving expenses

Hardly anyone likes being stingy when it comes to giving presents, but giving can add up to a big expense. Swiss households spend 200 francs per month, on average, on donations, gifts, and hosting at restaurants.

Table 10: Spending on donations, gifts, and hosting

Expenses		Per month (average)	Portion of budget
Donations, gifts, hosting		CHF 199	2.3%
	Hosting at restaurants	CHF 91	1.0%
	Donations	CHF 32	0.4%
	Entertainment, recreation, culture	CHF 18	0.2%
	Transportation	CHF 7	0.1%
	Food and soft drinks	CHF 7	0.1%
	Shoes and clothes	CHF 6	0.1%
	Furniture/decorations and household management	CHF 4	0.0%
	Alcoholic drinks and tobacco	CHF 2	0.0%
	Other goods and services	CHF 30	0.3%

 

• Save on gifts and hosting

Hosting at restaurants represents a major part of spending on giving. Many Swiss to invite people close to them out to bars and restaurants. But you can save a lot of money by hosting people in your home instead. Homemade meals not only carry a more personal note, but in most cases, they also cost a lot less than the ones you get at restaurants.

For ideas on how to cut the cost of gifts without sacrificing quality, take a look at these tips on how to give great Christmas gifts without breaking the bank (note: these tips apply year-round).

• Rethink the way you donate

Rethinking donations is not about giving less money, but about donating money wisely. The question here is: How can you donate in ways that will have the biggest impact in terms of furthering the cause you are donating to. In the guide to donating money in Switzerland, moneyland.ch lists key points to consider and useful information for making charitable donations.

Also bear in mind that there is a Swiss tax deduction for donations.

Fashion expenses

The average Swiss household spends 180 francs on shoes and clothes every month (table 11). The bulk of this money is spent on clothes. These easy ways to save money on clothes and fashion in Switzerland can help you lower your clothing budget.

Table 11: Spending on clothing and shoes

Expenses		Per month (average)	Portion of budget
Shoes and clothing		CHF 175	2.0%
	Clothing	CHF 140	1.6%
	Shoes	CHF 35	0.4%

 

Telecom expenses

Swiss households spend a total of 174 francs per month, on average, for telecommunications services like Internet connections and phone calls. Telecom plans are the biggest part of this expense. Stamps and other conventional postage costs only represent a small fraction of spending in this category.

Table 12: Telecommunications spending

Expenses		Per month (average)	Portion of budget
Communications		CHF 174	2.0%
	Home phone services (including Internet)	CHF 83	0.9%
	Mobile phone services (including Internet)	CHF 71	0.8%
	Phone and fax machine purchases and rentals	CHF 11	0.1%
	Internet services (without phone plans)	CHF 5	0.1%
	Postage	CHF 4	0.0%

 

• Cut your Internet costs

Find out how to get online at little or no cost here. You can use the moneyland.ch Internet plan comparison to find the cheapest Swiss Internet plan based on your specific needs and on what is available where you live.

• Save on telephone calls

Ringing people up does not always have to cost money, as these tips for making free phone calls show. You can also use the mobile plan comparison and home phone plan comparison to find the cheapest offer for your specific needs.

Homemaking expenses

Furniture is the biggest expense in this category. Swiss households spend an average of 72 francs per month on furniture, decorating, carpeting, and their repair. The moneyland.ch guide to saving on furniture offers useful tips for reducing furniture spending.

Table 13: Homemaking spending

Expenses		Per month (average)	Portion of budget
Homemaking		CHF 164	1.9%
	Furniture, decorating, carpeting, including repairs	CHF 72	0.8%
	Home appliances	CHF 31	0.4%
	Home and gardening tools	CHF 22	0.2%
	Kitchen and cooking appliances	CHF 16	0.2%
	Matrasses, duvets, pillows	CHF 12	0.1%
	Blankets, linens, other household textiles	CHF 7	0.1%
	Tapestries, curtains, upholstery, accessories	CHF 3	0.0%

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