Flat-Hunting In Switzerland's Cheapest And Most Expensive Municipalities

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) It's just a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Le Locle in the Neuchâtel Jura to Kilchberg on Lake Zurich. But when it comes to property prices, the two towns are worlds apart. SWI swissinfo takes a closer look at the opposite ends of Switzerland's property ladder. This content was published on June 8, 2025 - 10:00 8 minutes

I write about demographic developments, societal trends and debates in Switzerland. I joined SWI swissinfo after 15 years at a local newspaper in Zurich.

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The black Mercedes pulls up in front of the construction site. Claudio Baumann steps out and greets us with a smile. He has a smart suit and sharp eyes.“We're managing the entire sales project here,” he explains.

The future apartment block is perched on a slope, only a few minutes' walk from Kilchberg station. Once completed, the upper floors will offer an unobstructed view of Lake Zurich. A vista that costs millions and attracts millionaires. The middle-floor flats have all been snapped up already.

An apartment on the ground floor is still up for grabs, however, despite its built-in private spa designed to make up for the lack of lake view. But the foundations have only just been laid.

The top floor is also still waiting for a buyer. The future owner will have to dish out a little more than CHF8 million ($9.75 million), not an unusual price tag here. After all, Kilchberg is the most expensive municipality in Switzerland.

View from one of the flats in the Haute Residences project currently under construction in Kilchberg, where the top floor costs just over CHF8 million. zVg

People move here from all over the world, particularly from the European Union and the United States. Baumann was quick to notice this trend and has started to advertise selected properties on the websites of the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal – a move that earned him a name on the shores of Lake Zurich.

Haggling attempted

Let's switch scenes to Le Locle, where a black Audi is parked in front of a converted industrial building. Inside the apartment, Sadry Ben Brahim is waiting for us. He has a discreet appearance and greets us in perfect German, despite coming from the French-speaking part of the country.

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