Sharp increases for cars and housing, especially in Ticino (cross-border guide)

Context

In brief

• Mobility and housing: +2,4% in August year on year
• Overall inflation: 0,8%
• Ticino records the highest annual increase: 3%
• Fuel 17,9% more expensive on average

Key facts

• Period → August; MAb index → 2,4%
• Overall inflation → 0,8%; hardest-hit region → Ticino
• Fuel → 17,9%; heating → 17,1%
• Regional comparison → Ticino 3%; middle class → 2,6%

In August, housing and mobility costs rose by 2,4% compared with the same month last year, three times overall inflation, which stood at 0,8%. Ticino showed the sharpest growth. The figure contributes to understanding the cost of living in Switzerland, but the index specifically concerns housing and mobility.

The report comes from Comparis, an online comparison portal cited by Keystone-ATS. In collaboration with the KOF Institute, the business-cycle research center of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Comparis calculates the mobility and housing price index, called MAb.

The scope remains the one described by the source: housing, automobiles, public transport and heating. It is therefore not an update on AVS/AHV, LPP/BVG, LAMal/KVG, VAT or direct federal tax, items that are not covered here.

To understand the effect on the household budget, the source offers an example. If a family spent 2500 francs a month last year on rent, 1000 on a car and 200 on public transport tickets, with a 2,4% increase, costs rose by around 89 francs a month. Over the entire year, the increase reached 1066 francs for housing and mobility. This is the kind of comparison that readers can explore further in costo della vita in Svizzera.

The cost of owning a car

The financial burden is particularly severe for motorists. In August, fuel cost 17,9% more on average than a year earlier: diesel had become 23,3% more expensive and petrol 15,8%. Motor vehicle insurance cost 7,4% more; over five years, the increase reached 18,9%. Spare parts and accessories rose by 12,6%, while maintenance and repairs rose by 8,6%. New cars were 0,8% cheaper and used ones 1,5% cheaper.

«For drivers, it is not only the costs at the pump that are increasing»

Dirk Renkert, Comparis' finance expert, quoted in a press release, emphasizes that insurance, spare parts and repairs weigh more heavily on household budgets. In his view, because of the still uncertain geopolitical situation in the Middle East, a significant improvement in the near future is unlikely.

Operational details

Heating divides households

Energy sources with opposing trends

Heating energy prices rose overall by 17,1%. However, the aggregate figure masks opposing movements among the sources: heating oil rose in price by 53,1%, firewood by 10,8%; district heating, on the other hand, decreased by 0,4% and gas by 3,0%.

The gap materially changes the weight of the bill in the household budget. The type of energy source used to heat a dwelling has a strong impact on the financial burden and, for tenants, can hardly be changed in the short term. For this reason, the source urges people to reduce consumption and allow for a sufficient margin when heating costs fluctuate significantly.

The regional difference

The comparison by language region places Ticino in first place for annual price increases: the increase is 3% (3,0% in the reported figure). Compared with May 2026, the price level in the region rose by 0,7%.

At national level, returning to income brackets, the increase in the cost of living was more pronounced for the middle class. For this category, the MAb index rose by 2,6% year on year and by 0,6% compared with May. The twofold comparison, annual and monthly, shows two different perspectives: the first measures the distance from the same period of the previous year, while the second measures the movement compared with May 2026.

The regional difference concerns those who live in the Cantons, while the income bracket indicates that the same price increase does not weigh equally on all households. Public transport tickets are also included in the overall calculation; for this item, readers can consult mezzi pubblici.

Useful planning tools

To estimate your pension strategy, use the pension planner and the pillar 3 simulator.

Key points

Four checks to keep spending under control

From the pump to the thermostat

Comparis points to a series of practical measures to reduce the impact of mobility and housing expenses. They do not require changing the scope of the index: they serve to review the items on which a family can act directly.

1. Fuel. Compare prices among different service stations and regions before choosing where to refuel.

2. Insurance. Periodically review long-term policies, seeking more affordable solutions suited to one's situation.

3. Heat loss. Reduce heat loss through proper ventilation, keeping shutters and curtains closed at night and leaving radiators unobstructed.

4. Heating. Optimize the system by lowering the temperature by even just one degree.

The sequence makes it possible to separate decisions about mobility from those concerning housing. Comparing fuel prices concerns car-related spending; reviewing policies addresses a recurring cost; the last two measures concern the home's energy consumption.

For tenants, the home's energy source remains difficult to modify in the short term. It therefore becomes more important to act on consumption and leave some room in the household budget in case of sharp fluctuations in heating costs.

To translate these checks into your monthly budget, use calcolatore stipendio.

Source: swissinfo.ch