12 Financial Tips for Families with Kids in Switzerland

December 15, 2025 - Daniel Dreier

Raising a family in Switzerland can be financially challenging, but it does not need to leave you cash-strapped. Follow these simple money-saving tips to stay in the black.

Children are heaps of fun, but all that fun comes at a price. A study by the Swiss federal office of statistics places the average monthly cost of raising a child in Switzerland at 819 francs, with 2 kids costing 1310 francs per month and 3 kids generating 1584 francs of extra expenses.

The public education authority of the canton of Zurich estimates that raising children to the age of 18 in the that canton costs between 358,560 francs per child (single child) and 284,880 francs per child (family with three kids).

Child benefits and tax deductions for parents may help to level the playing field, but the financial challenges faced by parents are still substantial. But proper money management and a willingness to adapt your lifestyle can help you enjoy the best of both worlds – having children and staying on track financially.

1. Take full advantage of tax benefits

Most parents know that a per-child tax deduction applies to their taxable income, but there are many additional deductions which are often overlooked. For example, generous deductions apply to money spent on daycare (up to 25,000 Swiss francs for federal income tax, plus cantonal and municipal tax deductions).

2. Choose your housing setup carefully

Housing is by far the biggest expense faced by most Swiss families. Housing cooperatives, which collectively own more than 180,000 homes in Switzerland, generally charge rents well below market rates, and are a good alternative for families. If you meet the criteria, renting from a housing cooperative can save you money.

In some (but by no means all) cases you can save money by buying a home instead of renting. The rent or buy calculator lets you easily calculate which option is more economical.

It is also important that you ask yourself just how large a home you really need. In many parts of Switzerland each extra room can easily add 500 francs to the cost of a rental home. You alone can decide whether the extra space or the extra savings would be the better investment over the long term.

3. Optimize your compulsory health insurance spending

Take time to compare health insurance policies and move your family to the most affordable insurance. Even relatively small per-person savings can make a big difference for a family.

Using the most affordable managed care model and the optimal insurance deductibles can drastically cut the cost of premiums. Some insurers offer discounts for families with kids and these are accounted for in the moneyland.ch comparison. In some cases, using different insurers for adults, children and young adults works out cheaper.

Always look into whether you are eligible to receive health insurance premium reductions. Depending on the canton you live in, the insurance you use and the size of your family, these subsidies can even cover your premiums in full.

4. Get the right supplementary health insurance

Supplementary health insurance costs money, and it is important to carefully consider whether you really need additional insurance. The coverage you get varies between policies. Only a handful give you decent coverage for dental work, preventative checkups, glasses, and other expenses that you are most likely to come up against.

The right supplemental health insurance can actually save you money. You can filter and sort the coverage provided using the supplemental health insurance comparison.

5. Cut the costs of vacations

Having children multiplies the cost of travel and hotel stays, which can make vacations difficult to afford. But there are ways to take vacations without breaking your budget. For ideas, check out the guide to taking cheaper family holidays and the guide to free activities for children in Switzerland.

6. Save on restaurant dining

Eating out is a favorite pastime in Switzerland, and is often more convenient than lugging food around. Here too, the cost multiplies with each child. Get ideas on how to save from the guide to restaurant savings.

7. Rethink transportation

Owning your own car gives you a great deal of freedom, but large family cars are expensive to buy and maintain. If you only have one or two kids, consider sticking with a small, economical car.

If you only need a car occasionally, car sharing services and private rentals provide cheap alternatives to owning your own car.

The Swiss federal railway SBB/CFF issues annual travel passes that let your kids accompany you on trains, buses, boats and even some cable cars. These cost just 30 francs per year per child, and are free from the third child onwards. If you rarely travel and generally stay on the beaten path, using public transport instead of owning a car can save you money.

8. Buy used

Switzerland is one of the best places in the world to find second hand goods in good to excellent condition at giveaway prices. Furniture in perfect condition sells at a fraction of its new retail price on classified websites like Tutti and Anibis and online auctions like Ricardo. Second-hand stores – many of them charity stores – are also plentiful. Buying used makes even more sense if your children tend to wear out furniture quickly.

Many municipalities host exchanges for children’s clothes, either permanently or several times per year, making it easy to pick up barely-used kids clothes and shoes for a song. The same goes for bicycles, toys and sports equipment. Bicycle exchanges (German: Velobörsen, French: bourses aux vélos) are a great place to pick up quality bikes for as little as 10% of their new retail price.

9. Cut the cost of groceries

More people in the house generally means more food being eaten, and groceries are a major expense for most Swiss families. Take a look at these tips for saving on grocery shopping in Switzerland for ideas on how to put more food on the table for less.

10. Choose the right telecom solutions

The cost of communicating may have come down a lot, but the recurring costs of phone, internet and TV services still add up to hundreds or even thousands of francs per year. Always compare telecom plans and use the most affordable offers which match your needs.

Consider your telecom needs carefuly. If you rarely use your home landline or Internet connections, consider terminating them to save the unnecessary cost. If you primarily use your home Internet and phone, consider ditching your mobile phone plans in favor of prepaid. Cable TV might be entertaining, but if you rarely have time for TV, you could save a lot of money by picking up free movies at the local library or subscribing to a cheap online video streaming service.

11. Join the sharing economy

Creating a habit of renting or borrowing instead of buying can radically reduce your expenses. You can get ideas of where to start in the guide to Swiss sharing economy platforms.

12. Protect your family from worst-case scenarios

Becoming disabled or even passing away can seriously disrupt your family’s finances if you do not plan ahead. To help you ensure that your dependents will be financially provided for, moneyland.ch offers a useful checklist for planning against the risk of an untimely death.

Disabilities caused by accidents are sufficiently covered by Swiss employer-based accident insurance﹘as long as you are either employed or receiving unemployment insurance benefits.

But if you become disabled because of illness, your basic disability pensions from the DI and employer-based pension funds generally will not equal the actual salary you used to earn. Some employer-based pension funds have supplemental disability insurance that covers your full insured salary. It is important to check whether or not your pension fund plan includes this supplemental insurance. If it does not, it may be worth getting private insurance for disabilities caused by illnesses to cover the difference.

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