Accommodation
Renting accommodation is the norm in Switzerland, where high land prices and building costs keep the home ownership rate at a consistently low level of less than 40%. As a result, accommodation in Zurich is expensive and hard to find.
Searching for accommodation is a time-consuming process, but it is easier if you are able to carry out your search in the local area itself. You may find it helpful to book a hotel room, an airbnb, rent a place in a student house or rent a shared flat to start with. This will give you time to look around for suitable accommodation. Students in Switzerland often organise flat-shares, not least because living on campus is not as common here as it is in English-speaking countries, for example.
You should expect to pay 800 to 1,000 Swiss francs per month for a room with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. The cost of renting a one- to 2.5-room flat is significantly higher – between 1'000 and 1,800 Swiss francs per month depending on location and furnishings.
It is worth looking for accommodation outside Zurich too. Rents outside the city are more affordable and there are quick public transport links to ETH Zurich.
