ILLUSTRATION
TANG YAU HOONG
IT'SOFFICIAL
.
According to the latest Worldwide Cost of Living
Survey from the Economist Intelligence Unit, Zürich is the most
expensive city in the world. Famous for vaults stuffed with gold,
and a population of bankers and brokers, it’s so rich it doesn’t mint
anything smaller than a five-centime coin.
So why, after six years of banks, francs and the most expensive
Chinese food I have ever purchased – CHF30 (£25) for a plate of
kung pao chicken – am I, a certified skinflint, still here? Because
I’ve learnt to pinch pennies in a place that doesn't even have them.
The first rule to follow is: always drink beer. In restaurants and
bars, ale is typically cheaper than both mineral water and soda.
Ask for a
Stange
and you’ll get a saving-strategy star and a glass of
local beer on tap that should cost you less than CHF5.
When it comes to food, rent an apartment and cook
for yourself. Or, if you’re here on holiday and that
sounds too much like hard work, there are some
(
relatively) cheap restaurants. At Hiltl (
hiltl.ch
),
the oldest vegetarian restaurant in Zürich,
free seconds from the menu mean you can
eat like a king for a pauper’s ransom. The
pasta at Tschingg (
tschingg.eu
)
starts at as little as CHF7 if you
prefer to eat on the run.
For dessert, grab a bar of delicious Swiss chocolate. But
instead of paying tourist prices, do what the locals do and head to
the grocery store. At Migros, Coop or Denner, a bar of the dark
stuff costs less than a franc. Sweet indeed.
Burn off the sweeties by getting on your bike. The train might be
super-efficient, but it’s cheaper to ride, especially as you can rent
for free thanks to a scheme called Züri Rollt (
tinyurl.com/8bzxkxs
).
If
you get thirsty, drink from one of Zurich’s 1,200 water fountains.
For a few souvenirs, head over to the Zürcher Brockenhaus
(
zuercher-brockenhaus.ch
)
for a second-hand shopping
extravaganza. With departments ranging from clothing to
kitchenware, you’ll get a unique look into Swiss culture
even if you don’t buy a thing.
Finally, be sure to visit the Kunsthaus art
museum (
kunsthaus.ch
)
on a Wednesday,
when the main collection is free.
Chantal Panozzo blogs about Switzerland at
onebigyodel.com
Saving cents
O N T H E
G R O U N D
Zürich blogger
Chantal Panozzo
knows how to live on a shoestring
in the world’s most expensive city
Burn off the
sweeties by getting
on your bike. The train
might be super-efficient, but
it’s cheaper to ride
0 4 5
R E G U L A R S
