Grocery spending by region in Switzerland: Ticino, Romandy and German-speaking Switzerland

In 2018-2019, the last years before Covid, a household spent between about CHF 559 a month in Ticino and about CHF 641 in Central Switzerland on groceries (food and non-alcoholic drinks), against a Swiss average of CHF 618 (Federal Statistical Office, FSO). These are spending figures for consumption at home, not prices.

Updated October 2026. Sources: FSO, Household Budget Survey, table T20.02.01.00.02 and 2023 results (November 2025); University of St. Gallen (September 2025); Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS, October 2024, in German); Eurostat, 2025 data (viewed on 8 October 2026).

Which region spends the most on groceries?

Per household, Central Switzerland had the highest figure in 2018-2019 (CHF 641 a month) and the Zurich region in the Covid years 2020-2021 (CHF 700); Ticino was lowest in both periods. In the mainly German-speaking regions (Zurich, Northwestern, Eastern and Central Switzerland) spending ranged from CHF 590 to 641 in 2018-2019, and in the Lake Geneva region it was CHF 620.

Per person the order changes: Zurich leads in both periods (about CHF 314 and 337 a month), while Central Switzerland, with 2.21 people per household, drops to CHF 290. Gaps of a few dozen francs are not meaningful: the FSO rates almost all of these values “c” (a coefficient of variation of 2 to 5%), so the five regions between CHF 620 and 641 can hardly be told apart. For 2023 only the Swiss average exists, CHF 638; the 2022-2024 series is due in November 2026.

The table by major region (FSO)

Food and non-alcoholic drinks, monthly average rounded to the franc (FSO, data as of 2024). Per person: our calculation from unrounded values, spending divided by the average household size of the same period.

Food cost in Ticino: spending, the border and prices

Ticino households spend the least in francs, but their gross income sits even further below the average: CHF 8'403 a month in 2018-2019, against a Swiss average of CHF 9'539. Food therefore took 6.7% of income (average 6.5%), and 7.4% in 2020-2021, the highest share of the seven regions. The “Ticino” row is the canton only: the Italian-speaking valleys of Graubünden (Moesano, Bregaglia, Valposchiavo) belong to Eastern Switzerland.

The table does not say how much of this is spent in Italy. Nationally, the University of St. Gallen estimates food bought abroad at about CHF 4.0 billion in 2025. Since 1 January 2025 the VAT-free allowance has been CHF 150 per person per day (FOCBS); see the guides to cross-border shopping and customs and to grocery shopping in Italy from Ticino.

In 2025 Eurostat’s price level index for food and non-alcoholic drinks was 155.9 in Switzerland, 101.1 in Italy and 106.8 in France (EU = 100; see Swiss price levels and the neighbouring countries). For prices within the canton, see grocery prices in Ticino.

Romandy and the Lake Geneva region

Romandy, French-speaking Switzerland, is not one of the FSO’s major regions: the Lake Geneva region covers Geneva, Vaud and bilingual Valais, while Fribourg, Neuchâtel and Jura sit in Espace Mittelland with Bern and Solothurn. In 2018-2019 a Lake Geneva household spent CHF 620 a month, almost as much as in Zurich (623), but about CHF 288 per person against 314. In the Covid years household spending rose by more than CHF 70, to CHF 692; only Zurich saw a bigger rise. For differences between cantons, see grocery prices by canton.

Why do the differences not tell the whole story?

Five factors explain part of the gaps (FSO, 2018-2019):

• People. 1.99 per household in Zurich, 2.21 in Central Switzerland. See the guide to the grocery budget by household size.
• Income. In Zurich, with CHF 10'547 gross a month, food took 5.9% of income.
• Age. The share of retiree households ranges from 27% (Lake Geneva region) to 34% (Ticino).
• Eating out. Restaurants and accommodation are a separate line: CHF 437 a month in Ticino, 659 in Zurich. For what goes into the basket, see the guide to grocery spending by category.
• The border. The table does not show shopping done abroad separately.

How do I measure my own grocery spending?

You can start today. For one month, photograph every grocery receipt, upload it from your gallery or enter the purchase by hand in Rappn. Rappn is a free Swiss app (iOS and Android) that compares the current promotions of seven Swiss retailers and turns receipts into a spending overview. The app sorts your purchases into categories and shows your spending by month next to your own monthly average; you can filter the promotions by canton. Rappn covers the grocery line of your budget, not rent, insurance or taxes.

If you want your own figure rather than an average, the free Rappn app imports the receipts of three big Swiss supermarkets’ loyalty programmes, up to 12 months back, and you add the others by photo; it then shows your spending by category and by month. You need a Rappn account and must be an adult; the programmes’ terms still apply and the operator can restrict the link (how linking works).