In 2024, the average price of a cup of coffee in Swiss restaurants increased by CHF0.09 ($0.10) compared to the previous year, according to the CafetierSuisse association.
This marks the fifth consecutive year of rising coffee prices.
Clark Gable, the famous actor, reportedly once said, "I never laugh until I’ve had my coffee." But it’s debatable whether he would have found anything amusing about paying today’s average price of CHF4.58 ($5.17) for a café crème in Switzerland. In some areas, a simple coffee can cost up to CHF6.
Yearly increase across Switzerland
In German-speaking Switzerland, the average price of a café crème rose by CHF0.09 this year. Over the past decade, coffee prices have climbed by CHF0.36.
Despite inflation easing in Switzerland, prices for everyday items, including coffee, continue to rise.
Regional price differences
The survey by CafetierSuisse highlights significant regional price variations:
Canton Aargau offers the cheapest coffee at CHF2.50, though the average price there is CHF4.50, ranking it fourth-lowest overall.
Canton Solothurn has the most affordable average price at CHF4.45.
In Canton Zug, the cheapest coffee costs CHF4.30, with an average price of CHF4.84, making it the most expensive canton overall. This represents a CHF0.18 increase compared to last year. However, the composition of surveyed establishments in Zug has shifted slightly, according to Hans-Peter Oettli, President of CafetierSuisse.
Zurich tops the price charts
Unsurprisingly, Zurich leads with the highest prices. Customers can pay up to CHF6 for a café crème, with an average price of CHF4.78 in the canton. The city of Zurich is even pricier, averaging CHF4.86 per cup.
Outlook for 2025
Hans-Peter Oettli anticipates that coffee prices will continue to rise in 2025. “Further price increases in this range can also be expected in the coming year,” he said. Photo by Nizar Kerkeni, Wikimedia commons.