T&H index: transport and housing costs
The Comparis T&H price index measures price developments in the areas of transport and housing. The 20-year comparison shows that prices for goods and services have risen by more than 21%.
27.03.2025
iStock / Vlad Yushinov
1. How have transport and housing prices changed?
In February 2025, the T&H price index recorded an increase in transport and housing costs of 0.7% within one year.
The prices for transport and housing (abbreviated to T&H) rose above average. For comparison, the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) increased by just 0.3%.
Largest price increases in the past year
Prices of motor vehicle insurance have risen particularly sharply: they are 6.1% more expensive than in February 2024.
In the case of flooring and carpets, you pay 5.4% more than 12 months ago.
The prices of apartment rents rose by 3.2% year-on-year.
Largest price declines in the past year
Prices of electricity have fallen by 8.7% within 12 months.
Energy for heating (gas, oil, firewood and district heating) became 7.4% cheaper.
Likewise, used cars became cheaper – declining by 4.6%.
You can find more figures and background information on the study’s findings in the Comparis T&H index for March 2025 (available in German only).
Example calculation: how much more do families have to pay?
An increase in the T&H price index of 0.7% within one year means that if a family spent 2,500 francs on apartment rent, 1,000 francs on a car and 200 francs on public transport tickets per month last year, the costs have increased by around 26 francs per month compared to the previous year. Looking at the year as a whole, this results in additional costs of 311 francs just for transport and housing.
The T&H index measures inflation especially in the areas of transport and housing – including the costs of a car, public transport, rent and electricity.
Why does the T&H index matter?
For an average family in Switzerland, transport and housing costs make up around 40% of their daily budget.
The problem is that the costs for an apartment, public transport or a car are sluggish consumption expenses. These costs tend to be fixed and cannot be easily influenced by your consumption habits. Any price increases in rent or transport can therefore hit your budget particularly hard.
Other statistics fail to take into account the importance of these expenses. The T&H index provides transparency and sheds light on these figures in detail.
How is the T&H index created?
It’s calculated in collaboration with the KOF Swiss Economic Institute at ETH Zurich. The index complements the Comparis consumer price index and the Comparis leisure index.
2. T&H: where the index currently stands
A look at the price development for transport and housing shows that prices rose by 0.7% in February 2025 compared to the previous year. In recent months, the price level has stabilized.
3. Inflation over the last four years is almost as high as in the previous 16 years
Although inflation has fallen further and further in recent months, it is still significantly higher than four years ago. The T&H index rose by 9.7% during this period.
For comparison: in the 16 years previously (February 2005 to February 2021), inflation amounted to 21.2% in total. This shows that inflation has risen almost as much in the last four years as in the 16 years before.
Heating energy: prices have doubled in 20 years
Energy prices in particular have risen sharply in recent years: heating energy (gas, oil, firewood and district heating) has become almost 50% more expensive in the last four years. Electricity prices have also risen by almost 40%.
In the last 20 years, the prices of heating energy have more than doubled, with an increase of 102.2%. Electricity costs rose by 67%, while fuel became 26.8% more expensive. It is particularly noteworthy that around half of this inflation is due to price increases in the last four years.
Energy prices are subject to very strong price fluctuations, as demand is also very much dependent on economic developments. Nevertheless, a long-term upward trend in price developments can be observed.
In addition, apartment rents have risen at an above-average rate of 31.5% since February 2005. Compared to four years ago, inflation was 9.3%.
Despite inflation: prices for cars are lower than 20 years ago
There are also goods whose prices have risen in the last four years, but have fallen in the long term. These include, for example, used and new cars: since February 2021, they have become 8.8% or 4% more expensive, respectively. However, the 20-year comparison shows that new cars are 8.7% cheaper today than they were then. For used cars, the price decrease is even greater, at minus 26.2%.
4. Who is most affected by inflation?
Not all Swiss households are equally affected by inflation. Consumption behaviour differs, among other things, depending on age, income and region.
T&H index by income
The lowest income bracket feels inflation the most, with an increase of 1% compared to the previous year. For them, the inflation rate has remained unchanged since November 2024.
The highest income bracket is the least affected. Here, inflation was perceived to have risen by 0.5% in the last 12 months. Here too, however, it remained unchanged in the last three months.
T&H index by age and living situation
At 1.2%, single-person households under the age of 65 experienced the highest inflation compared to the previous year. Prices for them rose by 0.2% compared to November 2024.
Couples over the age of 65 without children felt the lowest inflation, at 0.1%. For them, it fell by 0.1% in a 3-month comparison.
T&H index by region
At 0.7%, French-speaking Switzerland recorded the highest inflation compared to the previous year. Prices here rose by 0.1% compared to November 2024.
At 0.5%, Italian-speaking Switzerland had the lowest inflation. For this region, the inflation rate has remained unchanged since November 2024.
This article was first published on 27.03.2024
