The 3 biggest Swiss household expenses, and the only one you can cut every week
The three biggest blocks in the Swiss household budget are housing (around CHF 1'449/month), the obligatory charges (taxes CHF 1'245 plus social insurance) and health insurance (around CHF 690), together more than half of gross income (BFS HABE 2023). Those three are almost impossible to move short-term. The one large expense you can change every week is groceries: around CHF 632 a month.
Updated regularly. Before you try to save money in Switzerland, it helps to know where the money actually goes. The Federal Statistical Office (BFS) measures this in its Household Budget Survey (HABE); the latest edition (2023 reporting year, published November 2025) shows three big blocks that together swallow more than half of gross income. The uncomfortable truth: the three biggest are almost impossible to move in the short term. The one large expense you can change every single week is groceries.
Rappn is the only neutral grocery price comparison app in Switzerland, with no commercial agreement with any retailer. Migros, Coop, Aldi, Lidl, Denner, Aligro and Otto's do not pay us to rank them, and nothing below is sponsored.
What are the biggest expenses in a Swiss household?
According to BFS (HABE 2023), the largest items for the average household are: housing and energy at CHF 1'449 per month (14.0 percent of gross income, the single largest consumption item), the obligatory charges of taxes (CHF 1'245, 12.0 percent) plus social insurance contributions (around 10.3 percent), and the mandatory basic health-insurance premium (around CHF 690, 6.7 percent). The obligatory expenses alone add up to CHF 3'154 per month, or 30.5 percent of gross income. Food comes only after that: around CHF 632 per month for food and non-alcoholic drinks bought for home (about 6.3 percent). Add eating out (restaurants and take-away) and the total rises noticeably further.
| Expense | Avg per month | Share of gross | Lowerable short-term? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing and energy | CHF 1'449 | 14.0 % | No (lease and notice periods) |
| Taxes | CHF 1'245 | 12.0 % | No (assessment) |
| Social insurance (AHV, pension) | ~CHF 1'065 | 10.3 % | No (compulsory) |
| Health insurance (basic) | ~CHF 690 | 6.7 % | Once a year (by 30 Nov) |
| Groceries at home | ~CHF 632 | 6.3 % | Yes, every week |
Why are groceries the only weekly lever?
Rent, taxes and social insurance are fixed by contract or by law, and change only at the next deadline at the earliest. Health insurance can at least be switched once a year (cancel by 30 November for a 1 January change); the AXA Wechselreport 2026 puts the average realised saving for active switchers at CHF 426 per year. But all of that happens at most once annually. Groceries, by contrast, you buy again every week, and each week a different promotion cycle decides where your basket is cheapest. That is what makes food the only large budget line you can influence continuously: Kassensturz (SRF) and K-Tipp have shown repeatedly that switching from name brands to budget own-brands saves 30 to 50 percent, and that the cheapest chain changes by week and category.
The catch: every chain rotates its promotions weekly, and the same item is cheapest at Migros one week, Coop the next, a discounter the week after. That research is exactly what the Rappn price comparison does for you. For the full breakdown of what an average household spends, see average household expenses; for how to cut the fixed costs once a year, see the fixed-cost switching calendar. Download Rappn and let it optimise your next weekly basket.
Sources checked: .
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the biggest expense in a Swiss household?
The single largest consumption item is housing and energy at around CHF 1'449 per month (14.0 percent of gross income, BFS HABE 2023). Counting the obligatory charges together, taxes (CHF 1'245) and social insurance are even bigger: mandatory expenses make up 30.5 percent of gross income.
How much does a Swiss household spend on groceries?
Around CHF 632 per month on food and non-alcoholic drinks bought for home (BFS HABE 2023, about 6.3 percent of gross income). Including eating out (restaurants and take-away), the figure rises noticeably further.
Why can I only save on groceries every week?
Rent, taxes and social insurance contributions are fixed and change only at the next notice or assessment date; health insurance only once a year. Groceries, by contrast, you buy weekly, and the promotions rotate constantly, so it is the only large line you can influence continuously.
How much can I realistically save on groceries?
Kassensturz (SRF) and K-Tipp found that switching from name brands to budget own-brands saves 30 to 50 percent on the affected items. On roughly CHF 632 of monthly food spending, ten to twenty percent adds up to several hundred francs a year, with no real sacrifice.