What percentage of income goes to food?
In Switzerland only around 6.3 percent of gross income goes to food at home (BFS HABE 2023, about CHF 632 per month). That is low internationally, because incomes are high. Measured against consumption expenditure, that is what you actually spend, the share is noticeably higher, because much of income goes first to taxes, social charges, housing and savings.
Updated regularly. What percentage of income goes to food has a surprisingly low answer: in Switzerland it is only around 6.3 percent of gross income for food at home (BFS, Household Budget Survey 2023, about CHF 632 per month). That it feels like more in daily life has a reason, and it lies in the denominator.
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What percentage of income do Swiss households spend on food?
Around 6.3 percent of gross income on food and non-alcoholic drinks bought for home (BFS HABE 2023). That is low by international standards, because incomes are high. The catch: measured against gross income the share looks small, because much of income is not freely available. Around 30 percent goes first to obligatory expenses (taxes, social insurance, health insurance), plus housing and the savings amount. Of what a household actually spends, its consumption expenditure of around CHF 5'049 per month, food makes up a noticeably larger share. Both figures describe the same roughly CHF 632, just against a different denominator.
| Reference base | Food's share | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Gross income (~CHF 10'340/mo) | ~6.3 % | of total income |
| Consumption expenditure (~CHF 5'049/mo) | noticeably higher | of what you actually spend |
Why 6 percent feels like more
Because you do not experience the rent, the health insurance and the taxes fresh every week, but you do experience the shop. That is exactly why the felt share is higher than the statistical one, and exactly why the grocery bill is the item where saving pays off most directly: it is the one large expense you influence weekly. A note for comparisons: the 6.3 percent is of gross income. Rules of thumb like the 50-30-20 rule work with net income, so the two percentages must not be set directly against each other.
In the Rappn app you scan your receipts and see your real share, instead of working with the average. Through the price comparison you lower it. For how many francs that is, see how much money for food per month, and where food fits into a whole budget, the 50-30-20 rule.
Sources checked: .
This is Rappn's spending view: scan your receipts to see your real food share instead of working with the 6.3% average, then lower it. Tap around to try it.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of income goes to food in Switzerland?
Around 6.3 percent of gross income on food at home (BFS HABE 2023, about CHF 632 per month). That is low, because incomes are high. Measured against actual consumption expenditure, the share is noticeably higher.
Why does the share feel higher than 6 percent?
Because much of gross income is not freely available: around 30 percent goes to obligatory expenses (taxes, social insurance, health insurance), plus housing and savings. Of what you actually spend, food makes up a noticeably larger share.
Can I compare the food share with the 50-30-20 rule?
Not directly. The 6.3 percent is of gross income, while the 50-30-20 rule of thumb works with net income. Because the denominators differ, a 6.3 percent share of gross is a larger share of net income.
Is the food share high or low in Switzerland?
Low by international standards, because wages are high. At around 6.3 percent of gross income, Switzerland is at the low end. That does not change that food is the large spending item you can influence most directly and weekly.