Buy property in Switzerland for CHF 300k-1.5m (2026)

Four budget tiers in Swiss cities with price per m2, what the Lex Koller rules mean for a foreign buyer, purchase costs by canton, mortgage rules and 2-3% yields.

Switzerland is the one market in this series where the first question is not the price but whether you may buy at all. This article is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice, and we have no listings in these places. Price per m2 figures below are asking-level estimates from a property portal (neho.ch, May 2026, apartments), not an official index and not sold prices; the portal's own national averages disagree with each other, so treat them as screening figures. Sizes are our own estimate (price per m2 x size).

Quick answer

CHF 300,000-1,500,000 buys very different things depending on the city. Portal estimates for apartments in May 2026: Zurich about CHF 19,400 per m2, Geneva about 17,100, Lausanne about 13,900, Basel about 11,300 and Bern about 7,700. In Zurich the bottom of the range buys roughly 15 m2 and the top about 77 m2. In Bern the same range stretches from about 39 to 195 m2. The Bern figure looks low next to the others, so check it against live listings before you rely on it. For Ticino we found only two street-level portal averages in Lugano (about CHF 7,300 and 8,000 per m2 in June and August 2026), which suggests the scale but is not a city figure.

The range is thin at the bottom in every expensive canton and generous only outside the big lake and financial centres.

Can you buy at all

The Lex Koller rules limit acquisition by people abroad. According to law-firm and portal summaries (we did not open the Federal Office of Justice text):

EU/EFTA nationals who live in Switzerland with a B or C permit can buy without Lex Koller approval.
A C-permit holder from a third country has essentially Swiss rights. A B-permit holder may buy a principal residence where registered, but not an investment flat or a holiday home.
People who do not live in Switzerland generally cannot buy ordinary residential property. The main route is a holiday home in a tourist area, under a federal quota that one guide puts at about 1,500 permits a year, with Valais, Graubunden, Vaud, Bern and Ticino taking the largest shares. Two Swiss legal sources say holiday properties below 1,000 m2 of plot and 200 m2 of net living area fall in this regime. A municipality with more than 20% second homes is also reported as closed to new ones. Verify each point with a notary.
On 15 April 2026 the Federal Council proposed tightening the rules so that third-country nationals would need authorisation for apartments too (consultation to mid-July 2026). We did not find the outcome.

Buying does not give residence. For the wider picture see where foreigners cannot own land.

Tier by tier

CHF 300,000-500,000. Our own estimate: about 39-65 m2 in Bern, 27-44 m2 in Basel, 22-36 m2 in Lausanne, and 38-68 m2 at the Lugano street averages above. In Zurich and Geneva this is a studio or a parking-and-storage deal at best. Typical stock is an older flat in a regional town or a smaller canton, often on a high floor or a busy road. The trade-off is the building: 1960s-70s blocks may face renovation levies in the owners' fund.

CHF 500,000-800,000. About 65-104 m2 in Bern, 44-71 m2 in Basel, 36-58 m2 in Lausanne, 29-47 m2 in Geneva, 26-41 m2 in Zurich. This is the first tier where Basel, Lausanne and Geneva give a one-bedroom or small two-bedroom, usually resale, in a city district or a commuter town. The trade-off is distance: the flat is often outside the centre or in the cheaper commune of the same agglomeration.

CHF 800,000-1,100,000. About 104-143 m2 in Bern, 71-97 m2 in Basel, 58-79 m2 in Lausanne, 47-64 m2 in Geneva, 41-57 m2 in Zurich. Family flats appear in Basel and Lausanne and compact two- or three-room flats in Zurich and Geneva. The trade-off is size against address.

CHF 1,100,000-1,500,000. About 143-195 m2 in Bern, 97-132 m2 in Basel, 79-108 m2 in Lausanne, 64-88 m2 in Geneva, 57-77 m2 in Zurich. A decent family flat in Basel or Lausanne, a three-room flat in Zurich or Geneva. A house is realistic only in the cheaper cantons and the outer belts.

Four buyers, four decisions

Entry buyer, CHF 300,000-500,000. Decision: which canton. The same money buys a family flat in one canton and a studio in another. The easy-to-miss point is the owners' renovation fund: ask for the fund balance and the planned works before you reserve.
Balanced buyer, CHF 500,000-800,000. Decision: resale in a city or a new build in a commuter town. Compare the monthly cost including commuting.
Lifestyle buyer, CHF 800,000-1,100,000. Decision: lake view or extra room. Test it against resale: lake-view premiums are what a weaker market removes first. UBS reported in June 2026 signs of weakening on Lake Geneva and a stagnant Ticino luxury market (search summary).
Upper-range buyer, CHF 1,100,000-1,500,000. Decision: a flat in Zurich or Geneva, or a larger home elsewhere. The mortgage test (below) often decides it before taste does.

What the purchase really costs

In Switzerland the cost depends on the canton. From portal and notary-site summaries: Zurich has no transfer tax; Vaud is cited at 3.3%; Geneva at about 3.3%, with a Casatax relief mentioned for a primary residence. Notary and land-register fees are each about 0.1-0.5%, often shared with the seller. Total buyer costs are commonly quoted at 3-5% of the price. Illustrative only: on CHF 800,000 that is about CHF 24,000-40,000, and less in a canton without transfer tax. We did not check a cantonal tax office table, so ask your notary for the exact figure.

Annual costs: a mortgage interest payment, the owners' contribution to the building fund and running costs (one bank rule adds 1% of the price a year for upkeep in the affordability test), plus cantonal and municipal property and wealth taxes. We found no sourced property tax figure. The imputed rental value tax on owner-occupied homes is due to be abolished: voters approved it on 28 September 2025 (57.7% yes per law.ch); one report gives 1 January 2029 as the start. Check how it applies to your canton.

Financing

A buyer who does not live in Switzerland should not assume a Swiss mortgage. For residents, sources describe the standard test: at least 20% equity, and the cost at an imputed rate of 4.5-5% plus 1% upkeep must not exceed one third of gross household income; amortisation is required above 66% of the value. One source's example: a CHF 1.5 million home with 20% equity needs about CHF 225,000 of annual income. We did not find the policy of Swiss banks toward foreigners. Read our guide to mortgages for non-residents.

Yield and exit

Global Property Guide gives gross yields for Q1 2026 of about 2.91% nationally, 2.51% for the canton of Zurich and 2.61% for Geneva. These are gross: after charges, tax and vacancy the net figure is lower. Switzerland is bought for stability and the franc, not for yield. A foreign investor also meets the Lex Koller limit: an investment flat is generally not available to people abroad.

New build or resale

New build offers modern energy standards and lower initial works; resale gives a known building and a fund history. We did not research Swiss warranty periods or payment protection in detail. Ask the notary how the price is secured until registration, what the developer's warranty covers and for how long, and for the fund balance and minutes of the owners' meetings on any resale.

Due diligence checklist

Land register (Grundbuch, registre foncier): owner, mortgages, easements, annotations.
Form of ownership: condominium share (Stockwerkeigentum, PPE) with the regulations and the fund, not a cooperative or a share-based tenancy.
Lex Koller status in writing from the notary, before the reservation.
Owners' meeting minutes of the last three years and planned works.
Energy certificate and heating system: a gas or oil heating may need replacing.
Zoning and second-home status in resorts.
Parking and storage: are they in the price or separate.
Notary and lawyer who work for you: see notary or lawyer.

FAQ

Can I buy a flat in Switzerland as a Pole living in Poland? Under the summaries we found, ordinary housing is generally closed to people living abroad. A holiday home in a tourist area under a quota is the usual exception, and the rules may tighten. Confirm with a notary.

Does buying give me a permit? No. Residence is a separate legal question.

Is CHF 300,000 enough? In the big cities, no, apart from a micro-flat. In smaller towns it is a small flat, if you are eligible.

How much cash do I need for CHF 800,000? At least 20% equity (CHF 160,000) plus 3-5% costs, so about CHF 184,000-200,000 as an illustration, before the income test.

Bottom line

Check eligibility first, then the canton, then the mortgage test, and only then the view. A budget in the middle of this range buys a good flat in Basel or Lausanne but a small one in Zurich or Geneva. Yields of about 2-3% gross mean you pay for stability, not income.

What this means for a normal buyer

Get the Lex Koller position in writing before you pay a deposit.
Compare cantons: costs and prices differ more than the style of home.
Pass the one-third income test on paper before you search.
Ask for the owners' fund balance and planned works.
Do not buy for yield: gross 2-3%.

An independent buyer-side adviser can help you check eligibility and costs and bring in a Swiss notary. D.H. Realting works from Warsaw as an independent consultant.

What Can You Buy in Switzerland for CHF 300,000–1,500,000 in 2026?