Most affordable places to buy property in French-speaking Switzerland revealed

Real estate agency Neho has revealed the most and least affordable places to settle down and buy a home in French-speaking Switzerland. 

Where to buy property in French-speaking Switzerland

It was recently reported by comparison site Comparis that over half of people in Switzerland rent accommodation, partly due to the high cost of buying a home. Neho has revealed the most affordable places to purchase property in French-speaking Switzerland, offering a glimmer of hope for those looking to put down roots.

Neho shared that potential buyers can find the best deal on a property in cantons Jura, Valais and Neuchâtel, reports Watson. For those seeking to be close to Basel, the Jura region may be a good place to consider buying. A detached house costs an average of 3.760 Swiss francs per square metre (sqm). 

Further south in Valais and Neuchâtel, the average cost of a detached house is 3.806 Swiss francs per sqm. In these regions, “becoming a homeowner remains possible”, according to Watson. 

The most affordable canton to buy property in changes when comparing apartment prices. Neuchâtel is the most affordable, with an apartment costing 3.900 Swiss francs per sqm, followed by 4.466 Swiss francs per sqm in Jura and 4.812 Swiss francs per sqm in Valais.

Most expensive French-speaking cantons to buy property

At the other end of the spectrum, canton Geneva has some of the highest property prices in French-speaking Switzerland. A detached house can cost almost triple the price of one in Jura. 

The price of a detached house in Geneva costs an average of 13.850 Swiss francs per sqm, and an apartment costs 14.333 Swiss francs per sqm, on average. Lausanne and Vevey are also other cantons with high property prices.

When comparing to Zurich in German-speaking Switzerland, a detached house costs even more at 17.243 Swiss francs per sqm and an apartment 19.028 Swiss francs per sqm, on average. 

When buying a property, potential homeowners may want to consider factors other than just the cost, such as tax rates, public transport, the rate of unemployment and crime rates. The 2025 Gemeinderrankings by Bilanz analysed factors such as these and found that in 2025, the top 10 best places to live in Switzerland were mostly in German-speaking cantons. Freienbach, Schwyz, was named the best place to live in Switzerland.