Why Zürich Is So Expensive

When we first arrived, I posted an article that talked about Zürich being one of the most expensive cities in the world.  Since then, I have been pondering on why this is so.  Yes, when you go to a store, things are more expensive, in fact they are usually double the price as in the US, but there has to be more than just my soap is expensive.  As a friend pointed out, Manhattan housing prices are very expensive and are probably on par with housing prices here, but Manhattan was like #20 on the list.  So then what is it?  Well, here are some examples that we have come across over the six weeks we've been here that help Zürich move into one of those top spots.

1) Fees

Everything and I mean everything has a fee associated with it.  When you move to Switzerland, you have to register with your city.  They keep track of what address you are living at and how long you are going to be living there.  This information is already given by the landlords, but for some reason you still have to go and "register".  It seems to not have a purpose, but well, the first time you register, it costs 120 francs per person.  And in Zürich, you have to register with every district.  So since we moved from the Wiedikon district to the Enge district, we had to change our registration, which was 25 francs per person.

There is also a fee to use a radio or a television.  I don't mean you need to pay for cable to get certain channels, that is separate.  There is a licensing fee just to use a radio or a television.  So if you have a clock radio or a radio in your car, you have to pay a fee.  And since the city knows who has paid this fee and exactly where they live, they will do inspections to see if you have a radio or television if you haven't paid the fee.

Finally, the best one is the cleaning fee when you move out of an apartment.  The Swiss like things clean and like things new.  So they want their apartments to look spotless when someone moves out.  This means that apartments last longer and buildings last longer because they maintain them well and it is a great idea.  The tenants before us had a dog and they smoked and both smells were 99% gone when we moved in.  However, it costs 1,000 to 2,000 francs to get your apartment cleaned just they way they like it.  Yes, that was 2,000 francs just for a normal cleaning job.  So don't ever move, it's expensive.

2)  Nothing is included

Things that you think should normally be included are not.  Apartment buildings do not have apartment numbers, just a building number and then people find you because your name is on the buzzer, on the mailbox, and in front of your door, like this:

So it is required for you to have these name plates made by the landlord and put up as soon as possible.  Well guess what, these aren't free, even though no one told us, they showed up in our mailbox with a 33 franc fee.  Yes, even though we just paid them thousands of dollars in rent and deposit, we have to pay 33 francs for three small name plates.

Light fixtures are also not included in an apartment.  Tenants must buy their own light fixtures and then they take them with them when they move out.  So we had no lights when we moved in except for in the kitchen and the bathrooms.  You, of course, don't have to get light fixtures, but well, we want some.  We got an estimate of 150 francs to put in five cheap Ikea lights.  So Darren tried to do it himself and was able to get one up.  However, he couldn't get the rest of them up, so it looks like we'll have to pay the 150 francs.

I am thankful for Roger Baker who made his son help him build the basement so his son knows how to do some handy things around the house.

I could name a lot more things, but those are enough examples.  I don't mean to complain (too much) because life is just too fantastic these days to let this get us down, but I'm just offering some insight into how some of these cities make the top of the list.  We are certainly going to feel grateful for all the things we get (and cheaply) when we move back to the US.