Though Zurich is often ranked as one of the most expensive places to live in the world, a recent apartment for rent has thrown the city's high prices into even sharper relief: a 14-square metre micro home in the heart of Kreis 1 has been advertised for 2.602 francs a month.

"Compact" home in Zurich costs 185 francs per square metre

“A compact apartment that is big in style”, was how the 14-square metre studio apartment on Brandschenkestrasse was advertised. In the listing published on Homegate, the micro home is said to offer “ultra-modern furniture [which] makes the most of every inch and offers clever solutions to maximise space. You can count on a spacious bed, a kitchenette (with fridge and microwave) and all the amenities that make your stay pleasant.”

Images on the listing, discovered by local media site Inside Paradeplatz, show that most of the “home” is taken up by a double bed. The kitchen affords views of the shower cubicle across the room, with a kitchen island and chair serving as a quasi-lounge area.

Though tenants may love how close it is to work, the lake and the Sihl, at 2.602 francs a month the apartment costs a whopping 185 francs per square metre, well above the already high average rental costs in Zurich. Those who move in will pay 3,5 francs per minute to stay in the minute home. 

Ultra-expensive business apartments on the rise in Zurich

The micro-home on Brandschenkestrasse is an example of a so-called “business home”. These highly expensive part-furnished apartments are meant to be used by people whose work sees them live in Zurich temporarily before moving on.

But with Zurich’s housing shortage getting worse and worse, many new arrivals are being forced to stay in business homes for longer periods, costing thousands of francs. In an indication that the micro-home is targeted at expats, the listing itself is in English rather than German.

Business apartments - alongside holiday homes offered by websites like Airbnb - have also been criticised for exacerbating the housing shortage by denying affordable homes to long-term residents. In the summer of 2024, the administrative court in Zurich ruled that holiday and business apartments may only make up 10 percent of total homes in each district, in a bid to clamp down on the practice.

To see the listing for yourself, check out the Homegate website.