As both an expat and a local will tell you, finding an affordable home to rent in Zurich is becoming an increasingly impossible task. Now, new data from the city’s statistics office has revealed the cheapest and most expensive places to rent a home in the Swiss metropolis.

Median rental costs in Zurich rise 43 percent in 24 years

According to the latest data, between March 2022 and March 2024, the average net rent for apartments in the city of Zurich increased by between 6 and 9 percent. Since 2000, median rents in the largest Swiss city have skyrocketed, rising by 43 percent - in some districts like Kreis 4 (Aussersihl) and 8 (Riesbach), costs have risen by over 60 percent.

As of March, the average net rent for a three-room home in Zurich stands at 1.578 francs a month. While this may sound low, this data takes into account pre-existing rental contracts which were agreed upon when prices were much lower. Indeed the city suggests that in the last two years, the average cost of new homes in the city has risen by up to 18 percent.

Central Zurich remains the least affordable place to rent

For 2024, the Old Town (Kreis 1) remains the most expensive place to rent an apartment in Zurich. There, budding tenants should expect to pay 36,3 Swiss francs per month per square metre, meaning a 60-square metre home costs around 2.178 francs a month.

The old town was followed by the bohemian district of Kreis 8 (31,8 francs per square metre per month), Hottingen (29,7 francs) and Enge (29,4 francs). Other inner-city areas along the hillside of Zürichberg like Oberstrass (28,7 francs) and Fluntern (28,7 francs) completed the top five.

Sihl and Glatttal districts of Zurich the cheapest places to live

By contrast, the more affordable places to live in the city of Zurich were in areas further afield, with the Sihlside district of Leimbach being rated as the cheapest. There, families will have to fork out 21,6 per month per square metre for a home, meaning that even at its cheapest, a 100-square metre home still costs over 2.000 francs a month.

Leimbach was followed by districts in the Glatt Valley, with Affoltern (22 francs) and Schwamendingen (22,1 francs) completing the bottom three. However, it must be noted that recently many of these places are seeing the fastest price rises in the city, with median costs in Leimbach increasing by 8,2 percent in two years.

For those interested, the districts of Albisrieden and Hirslanden saw the fastest price rises between 2022 and 2024, increasing by 11,3 and 10,8 percent respectively. By contrast, Fluntern is the only district which saw rental costs drop during the period, though only by 2,4 percent.

Cheapest (and most expensive) districts of Zurich for housing

In all, here are the most expensive districts to rent an apartment in Zurich as of 2024 (in francs per square metre per month):

1. Old Town (36,3)
2. Riesbach (31,8)
3. Hottingen (29,7)
4. Enge (29,4)
5. Oberstrass (28,7)
6. Fluntern (28,7)
7. Aussersihl (28)
8. Hirslanden (27,8)
9. Industriequartier (27,5)
10. Unterstrass (27)
11. Wollishofen (26,5)

Here are the cheapest places to rent a home in Zurich:

1. Leimbach (21,6)
2. Affoltern (22)
3. Schwamendingen (22,1)
4. Witikon (23)
5. Seebach (23,1)
6. Höngg (23,3)
7. Altstetten (24,3)
8. Oerlikon (24,7)
9. Wipkingen (25)
10. Albisrieden (25,4)
11. Wiedikon (25,7)

For more information about the study, check out the official website.

Thumb image credit: Michael Derrer Fuchs / Shutterstock.com