Stable consumer prices in September: +1% year-on-year

Context

In brief

• CPI unchanged at 101.5 points in September 2026
• Annual inflation of 1%
• Fuels and heating oil on the rise
• Travel and hospitality down

Key Facts

• Published date → October 1, 2026
• Establishment → FSO
• Index → 101.5 points
• Base → December 2025 = 100
• Monthly comparison → unchanged
• Annual inflation increase → +1.0%

September data

On 1 October 2026, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) announced that the consumer price index (CPI) remained unchanged in September 2026 compared to the previous month. The index stood at 101.5 points, with December 2025 as a base of 100. For the monthly comparison, therefore, the overall level of the index did not change.

A comparison with the same month of the previous year offers a different result. The inflation increase was +1.0%, or 1%. The press release thus combines a stable monthly reading and a positive annual reading. The first measures the change compared to the previous month; the second compares September 2026 with the same month last year.

A balance between different voices

The monthly stability is a result of opposing trends that have offset each other. It does not mean that all the prices observed by the CPI have remained stationary. The overall movement has remained unchanged because some items have pushed up and others down.

Among the prices that have increased, the press release indicates heating oil, petrol and diesel. On the other hand, the prices of international flat-rate travel, car rental and car sharing, as well as those of the hotel and para-hotel sectors, have decreased. The source thus indicates both the rising and falling areas, without transforming the aggregate figure into an identical description for each expense.

For the reader, the practical point is to distinguish the CPI level from the individual components mentioned. An index that is stuck at 101.5 points in the month can coexist with different costs for heating, refuelling, travel or accommodation. The annual inflation of 1% adds a second perspective: the comparison with a year earlier. The press release and further information on the subject can be found on the FSO's website. The figure can be combined with costo della vita in Svizzera without confusing the monthly and annual comparisons.

Operational details

How to read the data in the balance sheet

The average does not coincide with every expense

For those who live or work in Switzerland, the unchanged CPI is a general reference, not a list that blocks all expenditure. The press release shows a compensation: the overall reading remains stationary, while the categories listed move in different directions. The practical consequence is simple: the same official figure can have a different weight depending on the expenses in the personal budget.

The table separates two levels. Those who incur costs related to heating oil or fuel can look at the rising items; those who plan international flat-rate trips, use car rental or car sharing, or resort to hotels and para-hotel facilities, instead encounter categories indicated to be decreasing. The sign of the variation is therefore the figure to be read, not a figure to be automatically applied to one's spending.

The annual +1.0% should also be treated as a specific comparison. It tells how the CPI has moved compared to the same month of the previous year, while the monthly invariance describes the relationship with the previous month. Mixing the two horizons leads to a wrong reading: a balance sheet may not change in the last monthly comparison and, at the same time, be faced with a higher annual level.

To turn the data into an orderly check, it is advisable to compare your entries with the categories communicated by the FSO, without automatically extending the movement of one entry to all the others. The costo della vita in Svizzera offers a starting point for this practical reading.

Recommended tools

For an updated estimate, use the net salary calculator and the CHF-EUR exchange comparator.

Key points

How to use the press release

Three steps for a personal check

1. Record the time reference. Mark settembre 2026 as the period observed and 1 ottobre 2026 as the publication date. Beside it, note 101,5 points and the base dicembre 2025 = 100. The number thus remains linked to the period and base indicated by the source.

2. Separate the two comparisons. Create one row for the previous month, with an unchanged result, and one for the same month of the previous year, with an increase of +1,0%, equal to 1%. Do not use the annual figure as if it were the change over the last month.

3. Match expenses to the trends. Put the items related to heating oil, gasoline and diesel in one group. In another, put those related to international package tours, car rental, car sharing and hotel or para-hotel accommodation. The comparison serves to understand which items in your budget correspond to the movements described.

4. Check the original material. The press release and further information on the topic are available on the UST website. Use it as a reference to keep the monthly figure, the annual figure and the categories mentioned separate.

This procedure does not turn the CPI into a personal calculation: it organizes the comparison and prevents treating the index as if it described every single expense in the same way. For items not included in the list, it is advisable not to automatically assign a trend based solely on the press release. The interpretation thus remains faithful to the official data and its two time windows.

The next step is to update your picture of the cost of living without confusing prices, the reference period and the trend of individual categories. To supplement this check with that of your salary, use the calcolatore stipendio.

Source: admin.ch