How much does a child cost in Switzerland?

In Switzerland, a child costs around 400 000 francs by their 20th birthday, based on monthly expenses of between 1440 and 1920 francs. Costs include clothing, food, accommodation, insurance, leisure activities, public transport and pocket money, but not third-party care or maintenance payments.

How much does a child cost?

Q: How much does a baby cost?

In the first year of a baby’s life, you can expect additional costs of around 370 to 550 francs per month (source: Budgetberatung Schweiz). This money is spent on nappies, clothes, food, household costs, insurance and higher ancillary costs. If you need childcare, it costs extra. Buying the equipment a baby needs is also an additional cost here.

Q: How much does daycare cost in Switzerland?

A daycare centre costs around CHF 130 per child per day (source: swissinfo.ch). If a family needs full-time childcare, the figure rises to CHF 2600 at 20 working days a month. Parents with lower wages receive subsidies. The amount of the subsidy depends on the income of the parents and the canton of residence.

Q: Which age is the most expensive?

The most expensive age is 13 to 18. Costs for leisure activities, holidays, school camps, hobbies and pocket money increase sharply at this age. Depending on the educational path a child takes, education costs can come to around 1920 francs per month. Students are even more expensive due to maintenance and accommodation costs, while apprentices with an apprentice’s salary are slightly cheaper.

Children enrich our lives, but they also cost money. In order to look to the future with financial confidence and self-determination, it is worth drawing up a detailed family budget. We will give you an overview of the additional costs you will have to expect when a new generation arrives.

Children cost money. Young families with low incomes in particular can quickly reach their limits financially when there are children. It is therefore worth drawing up a budget and comparing income and expenses.

Infographic with bars and icons showing the costs of a child in Switzerland per month Note: housing costs are based on the structural survey of the Swiss Federal Statistical Office and only apply to the Canton of Zurich.

Infographic on monthly costs for children

How much does a child in Switzerland cost up to the age of 20?

According to a calculation by the Education Department of the Canton of Zurich, a child costs between 1440 and 1920 francs per month, or an average of 20 000 francs per year. Based on this calculation, a child costs CHF 400 000 up to their 20th birthday. Included in this calculation are only the costs for clothing, food, personal hygiene, accommodation, insurance, leisure time, public transport tickets and pocket money. Costs for third-party childcare and maintenance payments are not included in this estimate.

With each additional child, the financial burden on parents increases, even if costs tend to decrease compared to those for the first child. According to the Education Department, the monthly costs per child for three children fall to around between CHF 1015 and CHF 1620. Carefully planning a budget helps to realistically take these financial requirements into account.

The additional child-related costs can be cushioned to a certain extent through tax reductions, child allowances and premium reductions. Indirect costs such as expensive hobbies or costly gadgets, such as smartphones, are not included in the above calculation. Furthermore, no shortfall in income, such as a reduction in salary due to working part time, is taken into account.

Indirect costs of part-time jobs

Level of employment: many parents work part-time and forgo part of their salary.

Future provisions: the lower part-time income leads to gaps in coverage in the 1st and 2nd pillars. These gaps are covered to some extent by child-rearing credits in the first pillar.

Career: with part-time jobs, career progression is often not as fast as with a full-time job. This could lead to lower future income as well.

How much does a baby cost?

In the first year of a baby’s life, you can expect an additional cost of around 370 to 550 francs per month (source: Budgetberatung Schweiz). This money is spent on nappies, clothes, food, household costs, insurance and higher ancillary costs. If you need childcare, it costs extra. Buying the equipment a baby needs is also an additional cost here.

How much does childcare cost in Switzerland?

A daycare centre costs around CHF 130 per child per day (source: swissinfo.ch). If a family needs full-time childcare, the figure rises to CHF 2600 at 20 working days a month.
Parents with lower wages receive subsidies. The amount of the subsidy depends on the income of the parents and the canton of residence.

Which age is the most expensive?

Children are adventurous, and as they age, their leisure activities become more expensive. A trip to the zoo, a visit to the cinema or a weekend in the mountains all cost money. Holidays also become more expensive the older the child gets. There are also expenses for school camps, hobbies and pocket money.

The most expensive are children aged 13–18: depending on which educational path they choose, it is likely they will cost CHF 1920 per month. It becomes even more expensive if they want to study, because the monthly maintenance including shared accommodation and train tickets costs a lot. Parents with a child completing an apprenticeship and earning an accompanying salary have an easier time.