How expensive is it in Switzerland? It is often said that Switzerland is an expensive country, and it is true that it is not particularly cheap. But is it really so expensive as people say? Since many people wonder about prices, we have decided to present some examples of prices today. All prices are from places we have visited in Nendaz and Zermatt in the Valais region.
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Stay in a hotel
We stayed in two hotels during our trip in Switzerland: Hotel Nendaz 4 Vallées in Nendaz and Hotel National Zermatt in Zermatt. Both hotels were excellent, but the hotel in Nendaz was extra nice with a delicious SPA and a really fresh and luxurious breakfast buffet. The prices below are for summer 2017.
- Double room "Classic room" at the hotel in Nendaz including breakfast and SPA = 220 CHF (1935 kr) on weekdays and 280 CHF (2463 kr) on weekends.
- Double room at the hotel in Zermatt including breakfast = 200 CHF (1759 kr) on weekdays and 220 CHF (1935 kr) on weekends.
Eating in a restaurant
We ate at a bunch of different restaurants and here we present prices from two of them: The Carnotzet de l'Aigle i at the hotel in Nendaz and (our favourite!) Adler Hitta in the middle of the slopes in Zermatt. Note that both these restaurants are a bit fancier places with good quality food, not least the restaurant in Zermatt which was a real gourmet place. There are of course simpler places to eat as well.
The hotel in Nendaz
- Ceasar salad = 25 CHF (220 kr)
- Traditional raclette = 28 CHF (246 kr)
- Oven roasted chicken with cider sauce and potato cakes = 34 CHF (299 kr)
- Veal fillet with potato puree and vegetables = 45 CHF (396 kr)
- Fruit salad with lemon sorbet = 10.5 CHF (92 kr)
The restaurant in Zermatt
- Spinach salad with bacon and onions = 17 CHF (15o kr)
- Rösti served with tomato, ham and melted cheese = 25 CHF (220 kr)
- Spaghetti with prawns and mussels = 36 CHF (317 kr)
- Rack of lamb with sauce, potatoes/pasta and vegetables = 42 CHF (369 kr)
- Homemade fruit cake = 8 CHF (70 kr)
Coffee, beer and drinks
It's a bit difficult to look up the prices of beer, wine and drinks afterwards because I can't find it on the restaurants' websites, so you'll have to make do with the prices we actually wrote down during the trip.
- A coffee/espresso at the hotel in Nendaz = 3.90 CHF (34 kr)
- A coca cola at the hotel in Nendaz = 4.80 CHF (42 kr)
- A large strong at the hotel in Nendaz = 8 CHF (70 kr)
- A whiskey sour on tap in Zermatt = 18 CHF (160 kr)
Swiss Travel Pass
Remember we told you about the smart "Swiss travel pass" that you can use when travelling by train and bus in the country? The passes are not completely free, but they're really handy. They are valid on almost all trains and buses throughout the country (there are a few exceptions), and also on some boats. You don't have to book your journeys in advance, you can hop on and off as you please. The prices below are for 2017.
- 3 days in 2nd class = 216 CHF (1900 kr)
- 8 days in 2nd class = 376 CHF (3300 kr)
- 15 days in 2nd class = 458 CHF (4028 kr)
- 3 days in 1st class = 344 CHF (3025 kr)
How expensive is it in Switzerland?
Switzerland is not a cheap country, but if we compare with Stockholm, we think the prices are quite similar actually. If you go to a slightly fresher restaurant in Stockholm, it's not really cheaper. And what a nice SPA hotel in Stockholm costs ... I don't even know?
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Reine Wikström says:
As suspected/known, it is expensive. even if it is high class. thank you for your story.
15 August 2017 - 8:15
Steel city anna says:
I was about to say that it sounds like Stockholm. Just booked a trip there and struggled and grumbled a lot about the prices 😉.
Nice to read about your trip in Switzerland, not so often you hear people travelling there.
15 August 2017 - 15:03
Helena says:
Steel City Anna, Stockholm is quite expensive... Are you travelling here? I also agree that you don't hear about many people travelling to Switzerland.
15 August 2017 - 19:03
Helena says:
Reine, not a cheap country, but still not as expensive as we thought. And good class 🙂
15 August 2017 - 19:02
Steve says:
As I don't travel or eat out anymore, I don't know much about prices, but it seems to be about the same as in Sweden.
That travel pass is a really good thing.
Peter's films are fun. The schnapps looked good.
15 August 2017 - 10:16
Helena says:
Prices vary across Europe. Switzerland is not very cheap, but yes, it feels like Stockholm. Which isn't that cheap either 😉.
15 August 2017 - 19:06
Anja says:
...and if you "happen" to get there by campervan, you pay for a whole year's driving instead of per distance and are treated badly and driven away from your overnight car park?
15 August 2017 - 10:33
Helena says:
Wow, what a bad experience you seem to have had Anja! What do you mean by paying for a year of driving?
15 August 2017 - 19:06
Åsa says:
I remember when I worked in Switzerland 20 years ago (in a restaurant in a nature reserve in the St Moritz area) where you could only get there on foot or by horse-drawn carriage. The cheapest thing we had was barley soup (70 kr) and a litre bottle of water cost 50 kr! That was in the self service section! But I got such good tips that I was able to save my entire salary for the end of the season!
15 August 2017 - 12:59
Helena says:
Wow, it almost sounds like it was more expensive then than now!!!? But the tips seem generous and I'm sure you have many great memories 🙂 .
15 August 2017 - 19:07
Swedish Explorer says:
So the rumour that Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in Europe is not completely wrong. Interesting review:)
15 August 2017 - 15:50
Helena says:
It is true that Switzerland is quite expensive. But we heard before that it would be "twice" as expensive as Sweden, and we think that's not true. We rather think that it is about the same as in Sthlm (which is quite expensive ;)).
15 August 2017 - 19:09
Maggan och Ingemar says:
Sounds very expensive in my ears. Luckily we are neither hotel guests nor eat out in restaurants then our pension would not be enough for more than a day 🙂 No, we stick to the motorhome and enjoy what the kitchen can offer and with travel experiences too 😀.
15 August 2017 - 16:04
Helena says:
Switzerland is about the same price as Stockholm, but in the long run it gets expensive. We don't go out to restaurants very often in Stockholm either ... You may have different habits in, for example, Spain or the Balkans ...
15 August 2017 - 19:10
Lena & Jan says:
Mm, if it tastes like that, it costs for alpine views that are admittedly unbeatable! Remember our trips there to the Motocross World Cup racing tracks, then we brewed ourselves but always proposed with a super good dinner before we left Switzerland, you have to have good food memories too 😉.
15 August 2017 - 16:52
Helena says:
Of course you have to have good memories too! We really liked Switzerland! Fantastic nature and nice people. The prices are also a bit different depending on what you choose, but in general the quality feels very high 🙂.
15 August 2017 - 19:12
Ditte says:
In winter, I have found it much more expensive than this when I look at the expenses I have incurred.
Some items seem to be at Stockholm prices and others seem much more expensive. But if you know about it, you have to save a little extra before. I now think it is too expensive with a week's skiing holiday here, a bit sad because Zermatt offers such wonderful skiing and environment. But this winter it will be France or Italy.
And yes, Schwiez is a beautiful country and a great holiday destination.
15 August 2017 - 19:06
Helena says:
I don't know if e.g. hotel prices are different in summer and winter maybe? We did not think it was cheap, but also not as expensive as we might have thought it would be. And certainly Switzerland is a fantastic travel destination! 🙂
15 August 2017 - 19:15
BP says:
Hotel prices are about the same as here at home. However, I think food and drink are ridiculously expensive. A Cola for 42 kronor is expensive. A caesar salad for over 200 kronor is also expensive, I think.
15 August 2017 - 20:07
Helena says:
Agreed. But on the other hand, the price for cola in a hotel was ... don't know what a cola can cost in a hotel in Sweden?
15 August 2017 - 20:20
Matts Torebring says:
I bought a beer at Gyllene Uttern, Gränna, which I took out with me. I commented that it was not cheap. "We had to pay for the view", I was told. It can also fit into this post.
15 August 2017 - 20:20
Helena says:
Haha, yes definitely, it fits even here! 😉
16 August 2017 - 5:34
Christian says:
Crazy expensive! I would rather go to Poland - really good food and half the price of Sweden!
16 August 2017 - 23:44
Marias Memoarer says:
A bit overpriced for my budget, especially the hotels. Would rather live cheap and simple and afford to e.g. eat sensible food instead. So if I had lived in a type of hostel, I would probably have been able to get it together financially with a small trip to Switzerland, you do not have to eat lamb roast every night either 🙂
20 August 2017 - 18:23
Kristin says:
Where to get the "SWISS TRAVEL PASS"?
have searched but come to different websites.
Loved your blog, very good information and recommendations. Will go there now in May and I have informed myself a lot now. So thank you very much 🙂
16 November 2018 - 3:10
Helena says:
Hi Kristin! Glad to hear that you like our blog, and glad that you are going to beautiful Switzerland! I quickly checked and it seems that you are right, that there are several sites selling Swiss Travel Passes. For example, it looks like you can buy them both through the state tourist office and through the train company. I would think that both work well. Shouldn't be able to go wrong via the tourist office: https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-se/swiss-travel-pass.html
16 November 2018 - 8:17