How Expensive is Switzerland?
10 Day Switzerland Cost Breakdown
I recently spend 10 days traveling around Switzerland and I wanted to share with you a cost breakdown of this trip. Switzerland is one of the most expensive country in Europe and really, in the whole world. This makes it so that accommodation, food and other expenses are much higher than elsewhere. However, there are options to make it a bit cheaper, such as staying in hostels & cooking your own meals. Another great aspect is that Switzerland is known for their hikes and nature, which is often a free activity.
How much should you Budget for Switzerland?
It's difficult to put a budget on going to Switzerland as costs are very different depending on the type of stay that you are looking for. This is a high level overview of how much you can expect to pay for each type of trip.
Budget Backpacker: 75-90 CHF per day (hostels, cook own food, walk + public transport, free activities)
Mid Range Traveler: 120-150 CHF per day (cheap hotel, restaurants, public transport, some paid activities)
Luxury Traveler: 200-300 CHF per day (hotels, fancy restaurants, taxi's, paid activities)
How Much Did I spend in Switzerland | 10 Day Cost Breakdown
After spending 10 days traveling in Switzerland, I have a good idea how much it can cost you to travel around the big cities. I spend my time exploring: Zurich & Winterthur, Lucerne, Geneva, Lausanne & Morgins (small town in the mountains). This 10 day Swiss adventure cost me a total of 968.21 EUR or roughly 1000 CHF. I would say I definitely traveled more as a "mid range" traveler than a backpacker on this trip, however I was able to save A LOT on accommodation (see more on this below).
How to Save Money in Switzerland
If you are looking at ways to save on costs, you need to apply the following tips & tricks. For me the number 1 way I was able to save on this trip was because I was staying with friends most nights of my trip. (I only paid for 3 nights of accommodation). This really is a bonus when you travel a lot and meet people all over the world, so don't be afraid to reach out to an old travel friend or classmate and ask them if you could spend the night. This can apply in every country tho, always check your connections!
However, you are probably looking for some other tips to save money as well. So...
Check Student Discounts
A lot of places in Switzerland offer discounts if you are a student (or really if you are just under the age of 26). This is not limited to museums but really everywhere you go. Certain restaurants have student deals, same with buildings & sights. Sometimes you need a card from your university, but other times, being under 26 is enough.
Enjoy Nature
There are so many free hikes in Switzerland that you can go on. It usually fills a whole day and is the perfect way to see the best that Switzerland has to offer with little to no money. Make sure to bring some drinks & lunch on the go to save more costs. Nothing greater than a picnic on the mountains.
Sharing Economy
The best way to save on costs is to take advantage of our sharing economy. Nowadays you can share rooms (hostels or couch surfing), cars (blablacar) and even get food that others didn't want anymore (toogoodtogo) at a cheaper price. Since these categories are usually the most expensive ones, it is always great to save a bit on them by using a app like mentioned above.
Lunch Deals & No Soda or Alcohol
Now, this might not what you want to hear, but drinks are super expensive in Switzerland. If you want to enjoy a meal out but not go over budget, the best things to cut are soda (usually 6CHF) and Alcohol (between 8-15CHF) with your meal. These can easily rank up your bill without noticing.
As you can see I decided to budget for wine rather than missing out :)
If you want to really save on food costs, check out if certain places have a lunch deal. This is usually a simple meal that is offered at lunch time for a lower price than other meals.
Watch my videos from Switzerland here:
