Mid-sized Swiss cities offer superior housing attractiveness for families with two children compared to major urban centers like Zurich and Geneva, according to a UBS study released Thursday.
The UBS CIO Global Wealth Management’s 2026 Housing Attractiveness Indicator analyzed 10 Swiss regions, evaluating municipalities based on a hypothetical family with two children and an annual gross income of 150,000 francs. The findings indicate that cantons such as Solothurn, Fribourg, Sion, Basel, Lucerne, Aarau, Chur and St. Gallen, along with secondary centers like Vevey and Lugano, ranked highest. Zurich and Geneva did not feature in the top three.
The primary driver of this preference is cost efficiency. Mid-sized cities provide well-developed infrastructure, diverse shopping and leisure options, and access to education and childcare at significantly lower living costs than major cities. For instance, Vevey’s living costs are approximately 15% below those of Geneva, while Aarau and Schaffhausen offer costs 28% and 34% lower than Zurich, respectively.
Agglomeration municipalities and rural cities such as Zollikon, Baar, Granges-Paccot, Gaiserwald and Morges also demonstrated high housing attractiveness. These areas benefit from strong accessibility, high quality of life, and often lower taxes or housing costs compared to nearby small centers.
The study highlights that housing attractiveness varies significantly by household type and financial capacity. High-income households tend to prioritize tax advantages and may tolerate higher housing costs, favoring municipalities such as Freienbach, Cologny, Appenzell, St. Moritz or Paradiso. In contrast, lower-income households are more constrained by living expenses and may opt for affordable small centers, agglomeration areas or rural municipalities with sufficient infrastructure.
