Should you visit Zurich or Interlaken?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Zurich and Interlaken. We’ll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget. So, let's dig into it.
Zurich
Zurich has the biggest connection for trains in Switzerland. It also has the country's biggest and busiest airport. Because of its importance as a transportation center, it is likely to be the first place you visit in Switzerland. It is the financial capital of the country (although, contrary to what you may have thought, not the political capital). It has many international companies, and is home to the country's stock exchange.
Interlaken
Interlaken is a small city that is located in the Bernese Highlands Region of central Switzerland. It sits pleasantly between two Alpine Lakes, Brienzersee and Thunersee. This scenic setting and its easy accessibility make it a popular base camp for travel into the Bernese Oberland Alps. It has become a top tourist destination in Switzerland and it is also a hub for outdoor sports enthusiasts, as there are plenty of things to do in Interlaken in the summer. Interlaken is a great hoping off point to explore many of the nearby mountains, lakes, and valleys. It offers easy transportation to most major Swiss cities by train or car.
Which city is cheaper, Interlaken or Zurich?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Zurich is $211, while the average daily cost in Interlaken is $184. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Zurich and Interlaken in more detail.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about $266 for a double occupancy room in Zurich.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $212 in Interlaken For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
Zurich food costs typically run travelers around $49 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
The average traveler spends about $51 per day in Interlaken for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
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Food
Meals for one day
Zurich $49
Interlaken $51
Typical Food prices in Zurich
Some typical examples of dining costs in Zurich are as follows:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Zurich
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Zurich.
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Culinary Tour from Zurich with Traditional Swiss Cheese Fondue Dinner:
$154
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Overnight Mount Titlis including 4-course dinner:
$545
Typical Food prices in Interlaken
For Interlaken, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Zurich is $28 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
To get around in Interlaken, the average visitor spends $10 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Zurich
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Zurich:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Zurich
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Zurich:
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Zurich to Zurich Airport (ZRH) - Departure Private Car Transfer:
$73
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Zurich Departure Private Transfers from Zurich City to Zurich Airport ZRH:
$100
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Zurich Departure Private Transfers from Zurich City to Zurich Airport ZRH:
$87
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Zurich Arrival Private Transfers from Zurich Airport ZRH to Zurich City:
$95
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Zurich Airport Transfers : Zurich City to Zurich Airport ZRH in Luxury Van:
$100
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Zurich Airport Transfers : Zurich City to Zurich Airport ZRH in Luxury Car:
$133
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Zurich Airport Transfers : Zurich City to Zurich Airport ZRH in Business Car:
$91
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Zurich Airport Transfers : Zurich Airport ZRH to Zurich City in Luxury Van:
$100
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Zurich Airport Transfers : Zurich Airport ZRH to Zurich City in Luxury Car:
$126
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Zurich Airport Transfers : Zurich Airport ZRH to Lucerne City in Luxury Van:
$207
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Zurich Airport Transfers : Zurich Airport ZRH to Lucerne City in Business Car:
$118
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Zurich Airport Transfer: Zurich Airport (ZRH) to Zurich:
$91
Typical Local Transportation prices in Interlaken
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Interlaken are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Interlaken
Also for Interlaken, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Transfer from interlaken City to Lucerne City:
$174
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Private transfer from Interlaken to Zurich Airport:
$485
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Private Transfer from Interlaken to Geneva Airport:
$670
Is it cheaper to fly into Zurich or Interlaken?
Prices for flights to both Interlaken and Zurich change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Entertainment
Zurich's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $28 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
In Interlaken, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $83 per person, per day.
Tours and Activities in Zurich
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Zurich are as follows:
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2-Day Alps Tour from Mt Pilatus and Mt Titlis:
$592
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2-Day Jungfraujoch Top of Europe Tour from Interlaken or Grindelwald:
$557
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2-Day Mt Rigi Tour from Zurich Including Mineral Baths and Lake Lucerne Cruise:
$474
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2-Day Switzerland Tour from Zurich to Geneva: Mt.Titlis,Interlaken,Bern,Gruyères:
$693
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2-Day Winter Tour from Mt Pilatus and Mt Titlis:
$592
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2-hour Private Guided Zurich Downtown Tour:
$225
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3 in 1: Zurich Walking Tour - Cruise on the Lake - Cable Car Ride to Felsenegg:
$98
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3-Day Glacier Express Self-Guided Tour from Zurich:
$556
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3-Day GoldenPass Line Self-Guided Tour from Zurich:
$439
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4-Day Glacier and Bernina Express Self-Guided Tour from Zurich:
$768
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4-Day Switzerland Tour from Zurich Including Mt. Titlis Cable Car:
$1,662
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5-Day Famous Mountain Peaks Self-Guided Tour from Zurich:
$982
Tours and Activities in Interlaken
For Interlaken, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Funicular Ticket to Harder Kulm:
$19
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Private Lake Thun and Lake Brienz Express Tour from Interlaken:
$30
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High Ropes Adventure Park Admission in Interlaken:
$46
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Trümmelbach Waterfalls Small-Group Tour from Interlaken:
$80
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Aare River Gorge Walk Small-Group Tour from Interlaken:
$106
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Schilthorn Piz Gloria (James Bond Location) Small Group Tour from Interlaken:
$159
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GAILY TOUR in INTERLAKEN - Gay & Lesbian Tour:
$187
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Tandem Paragliding Experience from Interlaken:
$196
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Tandem Paragliding Experience with Transport from Interlaken:
$196
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Self-Guided Tour: Schilthorn Piz Gloria (James Bond world) from Interlaken:
$217
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Aare River Gorge Walk Private Tour from Interlaken:
$238
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Aare River Gorge Walk plus Lake Brienz Cruise - Private Tour from Interlaken:
$238
Alcohol
The average person spends about $23 on alcoholic beverages in Zurich per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Typically, people visiting Interlaken spend on average $14 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in Zurich
Also in Zurich, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
When comparing the travel costs between Zurich and Interlaken, we can see that Zurich is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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