Zurich residents will pay less taxes next year; Switzerland still ranked Europe’s most expensive country; ; and more news in our Thursday roundup.
Zurich residents to pay lower taxes
People who live in Switzerland’s most expensive city can look forward to some financial relief.
This week, the cantonal parliament approved a tax rate reduction of 3 percent – the biggest tax cut in Zurich in 20 years.
This measure will go into effect in 2026.
But while this is good news for taxpayers, as they will have more money in their pockets, the cut will result in a significant revenue loss for the canton, which will begin the new year with a deficit of 314 million francs.
Switzerland is (still) Europe’s most expensive country
According to new data from Federal Statistical Office (OFS), Switzerland is far ahead of all its neighbours in terms of high cost of living.
The FSO compared Switzerland’s purchasing power parity with that of the 27 EU member states, examining 12,000 products ranging from food and beverages (excluding alcohol) to clothing, footwear, healthcare costs, and transportation.
It found that Switzerland is 1.5 times more expensive: the same products that cost an average of €100 (93.3 francs) in the EU would cost 151 francs in Switzerland.
This same basket of goods would cost €113 in Austria, €112 in Germany, €109 in France, €96 in Italy.
However, the study has not taken into account the fact that Swiss salaries are more than double the EU average.
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Petition calls for the revival of a train between Lausanne and Paris
The petition is calling for the reinstatement of the fourth daily TGV Lyria train between Lausanne and Paris, which was discontinued in 2019.
Since then, the three remaining trains have often been saturated, petitioners say.
The fourth train should be put back into service because “this line is a vital rail link for mobility, the economy, and tourism in the Jura, Haut-Doubs, and French-speaking Switzerland,” they claim. “Gathering nearly 2,500 signatures in three weeks demonstrates how strategic this service is for our region.”
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Rents continue to go up across the country, new figues reveal
Rents are rising almost everywhere in Switzerland, pushed upward by certain cantons and large cities.
According to Swiss Marketplace Group (SMG), there are random regional variations, but the year-on-year trend remains consistently upward.
The average increase over the past 12 months reached 2.8 percent, driven by the cantons of Graubünden (+10.5 percent) and Zug (+8.9 percent).
In urban areas, the cities of Lucerne and Geneva both saw increases of over 5 percent, while Zurich recorded a rise of 3.4 percent.
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A new flight to connect Zurich to the Lithuanian’s capital
Air Baltic is further expanding its route network to and from Switzerland.
Starting May 3rd, 2026, the airline will offer a new nonstop service between Zurich and Vilnius.
Three weekly flights are planned, on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays.
The new route complements the existing service from Switzerland to the Baltic region – namely, the Zurich-Riga and Geneva-Riga flights.
READ ALSO: All the big travel changes to expect in Switzerland in 2026
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