How Swiss car insurance premiums vary depending on where you live
If you think your vehicle insurance premiums are too high, consider moving to another Swiss city. But be careful — depending on where you move, your rates may actually go up.
The reason is that how much you pay for your car insurance depends on where in Switzerland you live.
And, according to a new survey of 10 Swiss cities by Comparis consumer site, the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive policy can be quite hefty: 24 percent.
Where are the rates highest and lowest?
“Insurers calculate premiums based on the likelihood of accidents [in a given city], among other criteria,” according to Andrea Auer, Comparis’ mobility expert.
Comparis found that premiums in Lugano are the highest in Switzerland: 960 francs a year for a comprehensive insurance.
This corresponds to other data showing that drivers in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino have the highest number of car accidents, according to statistics from AXA insurance.
READ MORE: MAPS: Which Swiss canton has the worst drivers?
When looking only at alcohol-related accidents, however, Geneva is in the lead, according to the Swiss motoring organisation Touring Club Suisse (TCS).
No wonder Switzerland’s second largest city in the fourth place on the Comparis list, with drivers paying an average of 846 francs in premiums.
Zurich (858) and Lausanne (851) have even higher premiums.
The cheapest rate, on the other hand, (771) is in Bern.
However, the rates are not determined by residence alone.
Motorists sometimes pay different premiums even within the same city, based on their postal code.
For instance, within Winterthur in canton Zurich, drivers who live in Töss (postcode 8406) pay premiums that are almost 6 percent higher than the population of the district of Ricketwil (postcode 8352).
While the former pay an average of 850 francs for their comprehensive insurance, the average premium in Ricketwil is 804 francs, according to Comparis.
In Zurich, rates are also based on the general income level of a given post code .
Those living in the 8004 area, for example, pay 878 francs, while residents of 8045 spend 845 francs to insure their vehicles.
The motorists' residence (city or postal code) are not the only criterium for setting premiums: they are also determined by drivers’ nationality:
Why foreigners in Switzerland pay higher car insurance premiums
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The reason is that how much you pay for your car insurance depends on where in Switzerland you live.
And, according to a new survey of 10 Swiss cities by Comparis consumer site, the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive policy can be quite hefty: 24 percent.
Where are the rates highest and lowest?
“Insurers calculate premiums based on the likelihood of accidents [in a given city], among other criteria,” according to Andrea Auer, Comparis’ mobility expert.
Comparis found that premiums in Lugano are the highest in Switzerland: 960 francs a year for a comprehensive insurance.
This corresponds to other data showing that drivers in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino have the highest number of car accidents, according to statistics from AXA insurance.
READ MORE: MAPS: Which Swiss canton has the worst drivers?
When looking only at alcohol-related accidents, however, Geneva is in the lead, according to the Swiss motoring organisation Touring Club Suisse (TCS).
No wonder Switzerland’s second largest city in the fourth place on the Comparis list, with drivers paying an average of 846 francs in premiums.
Zurich (858) and Lausanne (851) have even higher premiums.
The cheapest rate, on the other hand, (771) is in Bern.
However, the rates are not determined by residence alone.
Motorists sometimes pay different premiums even within the same city, based on their postal code.
For instance, within Winterthur in canton Zurich, drivers who live in Töss (postcode 8406) pay premiums that are almost 6 percent higher than the population of the district of Ricketwil (postcode 8352).
While the former pay an average of 850 francs for their comprehensive insurance, the average premium in Ricketwil is 804 francs, according to Comparis.
In Zurich, rates are also based on the general income level of a given post code .
Those living in the 8004 area, for example, pay 878 francs, while residents of 8045 spend 845 francs to insure their vehicles.
The motorists' residence (city or postal code) are not the only criterium for setting premiums: they are also determined by drivers’ nationality:
Why foreigners in Switzerland pay higher car insurance premiums
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