Rising housing and mobility costs: spending on the rise in Switzerland (cross-border guide)

Context

In brief

• Housing and mobility: +2,4% in August 2026
• Households spend 89 francs more per month
• In Italian-speaking Switzerland, annual inflation reaches 3%
• Fuel: +17,9% in one year

Key facts

• Period → August 2026
• Scope → housing and mobility
• Average price increase → 2,4%
• CPI comparison → 0,8%
• Italian-speaking Switzerland → 3%
• Budget share → around 40% of daily consumption
• Monthly expenditure → 89 francs more
• Over one year → 1’066 francs more

In August 2026, prices related to housing and mobility in Switzerland increased by 2,4% compared with the same month of the previous year. The comparison with the national Consumer Price Index (CPI) of the Federal Statistical Office is clear: the CPI rose by 0,8%, meaning that the price increase in the two sectors is three times higher. In Italian-speaking Switzerland, the annual increase reaches 3%. In Ticino, the price increase for mobility and housing costs is the highest.

This figure is contained in Comparis’s MAb price index, published quarterly since March 2024 in collaboration with the KOF Swiss Economic Institute at ETH Zurich. For housing, the index considers, among other things, rents, energy and furnishings; for mobility, fuel, cars and public transport. According to Comparis, the two categories account on average for around 40% of the budget for the daily consumption of a Swiss household.

The impact in francs can be illustrated by a concrete example from the analysis: a family that a year ago spent 2’500 francs per month on rent, 1’000 on a car and 200 on public transport must now budget around 89 francs more per month. Over twelve months, the increase amounts to 1’066 francs for housing and mobility expenses alone.

The car category weighs more than fuel alone

In August, fuel cost an average of 17,9% more than a year earlier. Diesel increased by 23,3% and petrol by 15,8%. Motor vehicle insurance rose by +7,4% year-on-year and by +18,9% over five years. Spare parts and accessories increased by 12,6%, while maintenance and repairs rose by 8,6%.

Purchase prices are moving in the opposite direction: new cars cost 0,8% less than a year ago, while used cars cost 1,5% less.

«For motorists, it is not only the costs at the pump that are increasing. Insurance, spare parts and repairs are also having an ever-greater impact on household budgets. Due to the geopolitical situation in the Middle East, which remains uncertain, a significant improvement in the situation in the near future is unlikely», says Dirk Renkert, Comparis finance expert.

Operational details

Heating and spending profiles

Heating divides spending

The energy component shows that the price increase does not affect all households in the same way. Energy for heating includes gas, heating oil, firewood and district heating; in Comparis' analysis, it is the second-highest increase.

The differences between the items change how the budget is viewed: a home heated with heating oil follows different dynamics from one connected to gas or district heating. The energy source therefore affects the financial burden in very different ways. For tenants, however, the type of source used to heat the apartment is difficult to change in the short term. Renkert recommends reducing consumption and allowing sufficient room in the household budget when heating costs fluctuate sharply.

After energy for heating, among the most significant increases are other furniture, including bedroom and garden furniture, which rose by 3,5%, and furnishing accessories and non-fixed carpets, which increased by 3,1%. Not all items rose, however: small household appliances fell by 8,1%, other consumer goods for household use by 4,8%, large household appliances by 4,3%, motorized tools for home and garden by 3,6%, and electricity by 3%.

Differences by age and income

The household profile changes the index result. Over the last twelve months, the largest increase in the housing and mobility sectors concerns couples over 65 without children: +2,5% year on year and +0,7% compared with May 2026. Single people over 65 are instead the least affected: the index stands at 114 points, with an annual increase of 2,2% and an increase of 0,6% compared with May.

Income also makes a difference. The middle-income bracket records an increase of 2,6% in one year and 0,6% compared with May; for the lowest income bracket, prices rose by 2,3% year on year and by 0,6% in the last quarter. To read these differences together with other household expenses, you can consult costo della vita in Svizzera, keeping heating, mobility and furniture separate.

Recommended tools

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

Key points

From data to budget control

Five practical steps

To use the figures from the MAb index in the household budget, it is advisable to work by line items and like-for-like comparisons. The objective is to understand which housing and mobility expenses are changing, without conflating them.

1. Divide expenses into housing and mobility. In the first group, include rent, energy and furniture; in the second, fuel, cars and mezzi pubblici. These are the categories indicated by the index.

2. Compare the same month with a year earlier. As a reference, the analysis uses a family that spent 2’500 francs on rent, 1’000 on the car and 200 on public transport: the resulting change is approximately 89 francs per month, equal to 1’066 francs over a year.

3. For the car, separate fuel from motor vehicle insurance, spare parts and accessories, maintenance and repairs. Add the price of the car on a separate line, so that the review does not stop at fuel.

4. For heating, identify the energy source used in the apartment. If costs fluctuate significantly, Renkert’s recommendation is to reduce consumption and allow a sufficient margin in the household budget. For tenants, the source is practically unchangeable in the short term.

5. Repeat the check quarterly, following the MAb index, published quarterly since March 2024. Those living in Italian-speaking Switzerland can read their own trend alongside the annual figure of 3%, indicated by the analysis for this area.

This framework leads to clearer monitoring: rent remains separate from energy, the cost of the car remains separate from public transport and heating fluctuations are observed separately. When pressure on car costs emerges, regular comparison of motor vehicle insurance rates is the check suggested by Renkert; when heating costs fluctuate, the indicated priority is to leave room and reduce consumption.

To link budget monitoring to your monthly income, use calcolatore stipendio.

Source: tio.ch