Every year, the Swiss Touring Club (TCS) analyses how much it costs to own a car and drive in Switzerland. In 2023, the group found that once all factors are considered, it costs 75 rappen (cents) a kilometre to run a vehicle in the alpine nation - an increase of 4 rappen compared to last year.

It costs 11.260 francs a year to run a car in Switzerland

To create the study, TCS calculated the average cost of running a new car for 10 years with an annual mileage of 15.000 kilometres. The average cost of buying the car (car leasing was not included in the study), depreciation, fuel, car insurance, vehicle inspections and maintenance were all combined to find out how much people have to fork out to run a vehicle in Switzerland.

In 2023, a standard car costs around 11.260 Swiss francs a year to run. This means that every kilometre driven on Swiss roads and motorways costs the driver 75 rappen if they keep the car for 10 years.

TCS spokesperson Laurent Pignot told RTS that "since 2019, the cost per kilometre for a car has been between 70 and 71 cents. However, this year, it is 74 cents. This jump may seem trivial, but it means a fee of 4 francs every 100 kilometres. For people driving for example 10.000, 15.000 or 20.000 kilometres a year, this is a significant change."

Average price of cars in Switzerland increase dramatically

TCS found that actually buying the car and depreciation costs were the most expensive parts of running a vehicle, especially considering that the average price of a new car has risen from 35.000 francs in 2022 to 39.000 francs today. “There are also other more visible factors such as the rise in the price of fuel, but the increase in the average price of a car remains the number one cause" of the rise, Pignot explained.

When asked how the average cost of a car could jump by 4.000 francs in a year, Pignot explained that along with higher demand for cars equipped with the latest mod cons like satellite navigation, multimedia devices and road safety systems, “The cost of raw materials has increased a lot. Inflation and economic uncertainty linked to the war in Ukraine also play a role."