Why is Switzerland one of the most expensive countries?

[@stillsalty947]

Well we get paid 30% more than germany and have to pay 20% more. I guess its fair

[@swissinfo]

That sounds like a good deal. :-) Do you feel there are big differences between different social groups?

[@llydrsn]

Been to CH 4 times on business trips as an Engineer in a company headquartered in Zug. I still do conversions in my head when I go to the mall to my local currency (Philippine Peso) and it makes it easier to decide not to buy anything 😅 Also about salaries in CH: my first time there after dinner once in a very nice restaurant, I asked my colleague if it is customary to leave a tip for the waiter. My companion laughed and said "You know the waiter probably earns more per month than you do" 😂

[@swissinfo]

Indeed, leaving a tip is not obligatory in Switzerland, but rather shows appreciation for the service you received, and nobody will be offended if you don't leave any. Waiters and waitresses earn on average around CHF4,000 in Switzerland, of course the actual pay can depend on many factors.

[@llydrsn]

@@swissinfo CHF4,000! Well yes, they indeed earn a lot more than I do 😅

[@p.c.k.m.h690]

Switzerland is not expensive, that's how much life costs if everyone earns a fair share

[@kinnish5267]

High productivity means high wages but also means high prices=Utter bullshit. High productivity means you produce more efficiently which means higher wages and falling prices. This video is economic nonsense

[@mikolowiskamikolowiska4993]

So why?

[@shalyfemusic]

Not always

[@DaveDVideoMaker]

I really wanna go to Switzerland, and I don’t care of the high prices.

[@Softbirb]

Well that explains it

[@bigyanadhikari5106]

The price of university is really less there, and so is healthcare, so my question is,for a middle class family, how's the quality of life because of high prices

[@yuanlei7050]

Thanks! I would challenge the conclusion of that study: we don't know why Switzerland is a high price island. They can, but they don't want. Onething in Switzerland is definitely inexpensive, i.e. your money in hand. 😃

[@Backwardlooking]

Yes. My school friend who emigrated to Switzerland at the age of 30 in 1981 with his wife and child frequently visited just across the border into Germany to purchase items even posting them here to England when we were in the E.U.. He fortunate to buy a plot of land from his employer and have a house built. But despite eventually being a Director and just prior to his death a Swiss citizen they were still paying for it. That makes international comparisons of income very different as we are taught in economics. As for the Swiss referring to themselves being a ‘Treasure Island’, that was and remains Continental Europe’s description of the United Kingdom. Despite being in the E.U. we paid much more for European goods especially cars. When visiting Sweden via the ferry from Newcastle I discovered that the much more affluent Swedes were paying much less. However I myself couldn’t book fares directly in Gothenburg. Hidden restrictions on trade are everywhere. Powerful vested interests are involved as we discover Ed when we exited the E.U. and their prolonged attempts to overturn the democratic referendum. Switzerland has had perhaps the best of both worlds as regards the E.U. but that is changing. Financially it will have to gravitate away from the E.U. as it doing making closer arrangements with London and other non European markets. Perhaps it’s biggest problem is assimilating non European migrants who are similarly attempting and demanding changes in Switzerland’s culture . That is a problem all Western countries will have to master if they wish to retain their freedoms and identities. So money and expensive prices are NOT Switzerland’s real problem.

[@Zdude28]

Is switzerland a good place to raise a family?

[@laminebah9374]

very good place .But it is really expensive

[@pippopapero5373]

How old is the video...by the way i found Scotland quite expensive as Lugano or Delemont, that's cheaper than Lugano I wouldn't believe Scandinavian countries would be cheaper than us, even comparing Geneve or Zurich and France is more expensive than Switzerland when you eat at restaurant

[@utareangara5529]

in 1998 whena happy meal was $2.95 in Australia it was $7 in Zurich >< $55 for a family sized pizza at pizza hut $7 for a glass of coke >

[@coolbeans6148]

Thanks, great vid. But my biggest question still not answered. Why is real estate so expensive, even comparatively to swiss high salaries? Even in very rural aeras, half a million.

[@swissinfo]

Hi, thanks for the great question. High real estate prices are frequently blamed on growing demand for a limited supply of properties. In recent years this has been attributed to rising immigration rates. Rock bottom interest rates have also made real estate a prime investment class. High property prices are usually seen in cities, but many rural areas are hot locations for second properties or holiday homes, which can also drive up the cost of bricks and mortar. Pension funds' investments might also play a role, as we explained here: www.swissinfo.ch/eng/gentrification_how-pension-payments-make-rents-unaffordable-for-young-people/45321458

[@coolbeans6148]

@@swissinfo Thanks for the great information. I dont know how to solve the pension problem that most nations seem to struggle with. Thats one of the down sides to democracy, once an entitlement is give, its very difficult to reverse if it ends up not working out. Ive seen in the comment section that land scalpers are also contributing to high real estate. The LVT (land value tax) supposedly corrects that, assuming there is no tax on buildings or structures.

[@basaksungur9068]

Do people go to neighboring countries to shop in bulk? (Like they do in EU countries)

[@midas1929]

Yes, they do. Those that live in a closer range to a border often cross into EC to buy stuff. You can also use VPNs and obtain a service postal address across the border. You can import CHF 300 of non-restricted items per person on a border crossing. Also, Germany e.g. has 19 % VAT and Switzerland 7,6 % and you can claim a refund on the foreign VAT.

[@swissinfo]

Thanks for your question! Yes, Swiss people are free to shop on the other side of the border, but can import goods under certain conditions. See here for the updated list of conditions: www.ezv.admin.ch/ezv/en/home/information-individuals/travel-and-purchases--allowances-and-duty-free-limit/importation-into-switzerland.html

[@montyferguson793]

how is your day going?

[@alihammoud2416]

Ok go to lebanon and order a big mag

[@alihammoud2416]

Mac

[@gvi341984]

SW has the weirdest healthcare in the EU

[@swissinfo]

This article gives a brief overview of the healthcare system in Switzerland: www.swissinfo.ch/eng/health-and-emergencies/43795760 - But the full topic is indeed quite complex. Maybe an idea for another explainer video? :-)

[@gvi341984]

@@swissinfo Yes not even citizens of SW could explain the complex healthcare. Comparison between people without income and middle class income

[@Goaltimer]

@@gvi341984 a low or high income and even no income has no influence to the monthly cost of the health insurance.

[@sagittariusa9012]

Switzerland is not in the EU.

[@gvi341984]

@@sagittariusa9012 Yes and no because of the EEA and shared culture.

[@GamingTimePro]

Haha this stock footage..

[@swissinfo]

Thanks for your comment! We create all our explainer videos using old (60s and 70s) footage from the Swiss Public Broadcasters SRF and RTS. The footage is therefore not at all stock, but comes from real reportages filmed and broadcast by Swiss television back then. We are however using it in a "stocky" kind of way, to illustrate our narration.