Swiss Cleaning Cost Index 2026
What legal household cleaning really costs: The first complete employer cost comparison across all 26 Swiss cantons.
Executive Summary
Total employer costs for a legal household cleaning engagement range from CHF 31.32/hr in Jura to CHF 40.21/hr in Nidwalden — a gap of 28.4% (CHF 8.90/hr), driven primarily by wage differences rather than cantonal social contributions. The national average stands at CHF 36.50/hr all-in.
The «legality premium» — the extra cost of properly employing someone instead of paying cash — averages 22.6% across Switzerland, or roughly CHF 1,100 per year for a household booking 3 hours per week. This is the price of AHV coverage, accident insurance, and full legal compliance.
Legal direct employment via a payroll platform (Clino, CHF 19.90/mo.) is cheaper than cleaning agencies in low-wage cantons (Romandie, Ticino), but more expensive in high-wage German-speaking cantons — agencies only become cost-effective above a gross wage of roughly CHF 29/hr.
2026 update
- The statutory minimum wage (NAV household work) rose in 2026 to CHF 20.35/h for unskilled workers (CHF 22.30 with experience, CHF 24.55 with a federal certificate).
- New municipal minimum wages now apply too: City of Zürich CHF 23.90, Winterthur CHF 23.00, City of Lucerne CHF 22.75.
- The declared average wage climbed to CHF 32.57/h in 2026 (+1.84% year on year, Quitt Household Workers Report 2026). The cantonal table below is based on data year 2024 and reflects the relative ranking of the cantons.
Canton ranking: most and least expensive
The 5 most expensive cantons
| Rank | Canton | Gross wage | FAK rate | Total cost/hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | NW Nidwalden | CHF 34.24 | 1.500 % | CHF 40.21 |
| 25 | SZ Schwyz | CHF 33.34 | 1.300 % | CHF 39.08 |
| 24 | ZH Zurich | CHF 33.37 | 1.025 % | CHF 39.02 |
| 23 | ZG Zug | CHF 33.22 | 1.350 % | CHF 38.96 |
| 22 | LU Lucerne | CHF 33.10 | 1.355 % | CHF 38.82 |
The 5 least expensive cantons
| Rank | Canton | Gross wage | FAK rate | Total cost/hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JU Jura | CHF 26.37 | 2.850 % | CHF 31.35 |
| 2 | TI Ticino | CHF 26.70 | 1.900 % | CHF 31.46 |
| 3 | GE Geneva | CHF 27.39 | 2.372 % | CHF 32.43 |
| 4 | VD Vaud | CHF 28.04 | 2.620 % | CHF 33.26 |
| 5 | FR Fribourg | CHF 28.34 | 2.350 % | CHF 33.54 |
All 26 cantons compared
| Rank | Canton | Gross wage | FAK rate | Total cost/hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 |  NW Nidwalden | CHF 34.24 | 1.500 % | CHF 40.21 |
| 25 |  SZ Schwyz | CHF 33.34 | 1.300 % | CHF 39.08 |
| 24 |  ZH Zurich | CHF 33.37 | 1.025 % | CHF 39.02 |
| 23 |  ZG Zug | CHF 33.22 | 1.350 % | CHF 38.96 |
| 22 |  LU Lucerne | CHF 33.10 | 1.355 % | CHF 38.82 |
| 21 |  GR Graubünden | CHF 32.75 | 1.500 % | CHF 38.46 |
| 20 |  AI Appenzell Innerrhoden | CHF 32.49 | 1.600 % | CHF 38.19 |
| 19 |  AR Appenzell Ausserrhoden | CHF 32.44 | 1.600 % | CHF 38.13 |
| 18 |  TG Thurgau | CHF 32.25 | 1.400 % | CHF 37.84 |
| 17 |  UR Uri | CHF 31.81 | 1.700 % | CHF 37.43 |
| 16 |  AG Aargau | CHF 31.86 | 1.450 % | CHF 37.40 |
| 15 |  BE Bern | CHF 31.73 | 1.500 % | CHF 37.26 |
| 14 |  SH Schaffhausen | CHF 31.64 | 1.300 % | CHF 37.09 |
| 13 |  SG St. Gallen | CHF 31.43 | 1.800 % | CHF 37.01 |
| 12 |  BS Basel-Stadt | CHF 31.44 | 1.650 % | CHF 36.97 |
| 11 |  SO Solothurn | CHF 31.40 | 1.250 % | CHF 36.79 |
| 10 |  OW Obwalden | CHF 30.91 | 1.400 % | CHF 36.27 |
| 9 |  GL Glarus | CHF 30.89 | 1.400 % | CHF 36.24 |
| 8 |  VS Valais | CHF 30.47 | 2.780 % | CHF 36.20 |
| 7 |  BL Basel-Landschaft | CHF 30.82 | 1.300 % | CHF 36.13 |
| 6 |  NE Neuchâtel | CHF 28.67 | 2.487 % | CHF 33.96 |
| 5 |  FR Fribourg | CHF 28.34 | 2.350 % | CHF 33.54 |
| 4 |  VD Vaud | CHF 28.04 | 2.620 % | CHF 33.26 |
| 3 |  GE Geneva | CHF 27.39 | 2.372 % | CHF 32.43 |
| 2 |  TI Ticino | CHF 26.70 | 1.900 % | CHF 31.46 |
| 1 |  JU Jura | CHF 26.37 | 2.850 % | CHF 31.35 |
Total employer cost per hour (gross wage + holiday + AHV/ALV/UVG/FAK), excluding the Clino fee. Market wage: Quitt Household Workers Report 2025 (data year 2024).
National average: CHF 36.50/hr total employer cost | CHF 31.04/hr gross wage. Based on 10,641 active contracts (Quitt Household Workers Report 2025, data year 2024).
The Rostigraben of Cleaning Costs
Romandie + Ticino (6 cheapest)
- •Average: CHF 32.63/hr total cost
- •All 6 cheapest cantons are French- or Italian-speaking
- •Lower wages due to cross-border workers and generally lower pay levels
- •Despite the highest FAK rates (JU 2.85%, FR 2.35%)
German-speaking Switzerland (20 most expensive)
- •Average: CHF 37.72/hr total cost
- •16.5% higher than Romandie + Ticino
- •Affluent Central Switzerland at the top (NW, SZ, ZG)
- •Low FAK rates (ZH 1.025%, SO 1.25%) barely help
The language border is a cost border: average total costs in Romandie and Ticino (CHF 32.63/hr) are 16.5% below those in German-speaking Switzerland (CHF 37.72/hr).
The Legality Premium: What Does Proper Employment Cost?
The «legality premium» measures how much more legal employment costs compared to a cash-in-hand arrangement (gross wage only, without social contributions, holiday pay, or platform fees).
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average legality premium | 22.6% of cash payment cost |
| Annual premium (average) | CHF 1,094/year |
| Monthly premium (average) | CHF 91/month |
| Premium per hour | CHF 5.46/hr |
| Lowest-premium canton (Zurich) | 21.5% | CHF 1,117/year |
| Highest-premium canton (Jura) | 24.5% | CHF 1,010/year |
For CHF 91 per month — less than a Netflix family plan plus a Spotify subscription — a household gets full AHV/IV coverage, accident insurance, and legal compliance for its domestic worker.
Key finding: The narrow range of the annual premium (CHF 1,010 to CHF 1,170) across all 26 cantons shows: The barrier to legality is not price, but awareness and convenience. Platforms like Clino exist precisely to eliminate the administrative burden.
Agency Comparison: When Is DIY + Clino Worth It?
Major cleaning agencies charge CHF 31.95–37.90/hr (Helpling), CHF 35–37/hr (Batmaid), or CHF 26.50–35/hr (Suuber). The break-even gross wage — above which DIY + Clino costs the same as an agency — varies by canton.
| Canton | Break-even vs. Batmaid | Actual wage | DIY cheaper? |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZH Zurich | CHF 28.64 | CHF 33.37 | No |
| BE Bern | CHF 28.50 | CHF 31.73 | No |
| VD Vaud | CHF 28.29 | CHF 28.04 | Yes (CHF 0.25) |
| GE Geneva | CHF 28.30 | CHF 27.39 | Yes (CHF 0.91) |
| TI Ticino | CHF 28.43 | CHF 26.70 | Yes (CHF 1.73) |
Surprising finding: In German-speaking Switzerland, where average wages exceed CHF 31/hr, cleaning agencies like Batmaid (CHF 35/hr) are paradoxically cheaper than legal direct employment. In Romandie and Ticino, the relationship reverses.
Annual cost comparison (3 hrs/week)
| Option | Zurich | Bern | Vaud |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batmaid (CHF 35/hr) | CHF 5,460 | CHF 5,460 | CHF 5,460 |
| Helpling biweekly (CHF 31.95/hr) | CHF 4,984 | CHF 4,984 | CHF 4,984 |
| DIY + Clino | CHF 6,323 | CHF 6,052 | CHF 5,413 |
| Undeclared work (cash) | CHF 5,206 | CHF 4,950 | CHF 4,374 |
Surprising Findings
Zurich: Lowest FAK rate, third-most expensive canton
Zurich's FAK rate (1.025%) is the lowest in Switzerland. Yet Zurich ranks 23rd of 26 on total cost because high wages (CHF 33.37/hr) more than offset low social contributions. The FAK saving versus Valais amounts to just CHF 0.49/hr, while the wage differential is CHF 2.90/hr.
Nidwalden: Smallest canton, highest costs
Nidwalden (population ~44,000) has the highest average hourly wage for household cleaning in Switzerland: CHF 34.24 — CHF 0.87 more than Zurich. Its affluent demographics (low taxes, high incomes) create strong demand with limited supply.
Jura: Highest FAK rate — and still the cheapest canton
Jura has the highest FAK rate in Switzerland at 2.85% — yet at CHF 31.32/h it is still the cheapest canton for legal household employment. The reason: its market wage (CHF 26.37) is the lowest nationwide. Even the highest social-contribution rate cannot offset a wage gap of nearly CHF 8/h versus Nidwalden.
Wages drive 85%+ of total costs
Despite FAK rates that vary by a factor of 2.8 (Zurich 1.025% to Jura 2.85%), the total cost ranking barely deviates from the wage ranking. No canton shifts by more than 2 positions. Canton-shopping for low social contributions is pointless.
Sources
- Quitt Household Workers Report 2025 (Data year 2024) — 10,641 contracts, average wages by canton
- Quitt Household Workers Report 2026 (Data year 2025) — Update: average wage CHF 32.57/h (+1.84% year on year)
- Clino canton-data.ts (2026) — FAK rates (BSV/OFAS, as of 12 Dec 2025), AHV/IV/EO, ALV, UVG rates
- Batmaid, Helpling, Suuber (March 2026) — Agency prices (list prices)
- FSIO/SECO (2026) — AHV/IV/EO contribution rates; NAV household 2026 (CHF 20.35/22.30/24.55)
- SECO, Unia, FSO (2023–2025) — Market size, undeclared work estimates
- Cantonal compensation offices (2025) — FAK contribution rates as of 1 Jan 2025
Do you represent an organization supporting households or workers?
Become a partner→Further Resources
About Clino
Clino is a Swiss SaaS platform enabling households to legally employ domestic workers — payroll, contracts, social security, and accident insurance included. CHF 19.90/month. All 26 cantons. Founded 2025 in Zurich. clino.ch
