Cost of Eating Out in Zurich 2026 — Restaurant Prices, Rösti Costs and Zurich Food Budget Guide

Cost of Eating Out in Zurich 2026

Zurich is consistently ranked among the world's most expensive cities for eating out, reflecting Switzerland's extraordinary cost of living, high labour costs, and the strength of the Swiss franc. A casual sit-down restaurant lunch in Zurich costs more than a mid-range restaurant dinner in most European capitals. Despite this, Zurich's food quality is excellent and the city has a vibrant neighbourhood restaurant scene around the Langstrasse and Kreis 4-5 areas. This guide covers eating-out costs in Zurich in 2026.

Zurich Restaurant Prices by Category

• Coffee and croissant (bakery or café): CHF 8-14 ($13.45-$23.55 AUD)
• Migros or Coop supermarket lunch: CHF 10-16 ($16.82-$26.91 AUD)
• Döner kebab or falafel (takeaway): CHF 10-18 ($16.82-$30.28 AUD)
• Weekday set lunch menu (Mittagsmenü): CHF 18-30 ($30.28-$50.46 AUD) per person
• Niederdorf neighbourhood casual dinner: CHF 35-60 ($58.87-$100.92 AUD) per person
• Langstrasse mid-range restaurant: CHF 40-75 ($67.28-$126.15 AUD) per person
• Zurich upscale restaurant (Bahnhofstrasse, Seefeld): CHF 80-160 ($134.56-$269.12 AUD) per person
• Zurich fine dining (Dolder Grand, Park Hyatt): CHF 160-350+ ($269.12-$588.70 AUD) per person

Zurich Best-Value Eating Strategies

• Swiss supermarkets (Migros and Coop) have excellent deli and prepared food sections and are the single most effective strategy for budget eating in Zurich; the Langstrasse neighbourhood (Kreis 4) has Zurich's most affordable and diverse restaurant scene; the Hürlimann Areal and Viadukt market area have mid-range cafes and restaurants; fondue restaurants charge CHF 30-50 per person for a traditional Swiss experience — this is worth the cost as an authentic Zurich meal

Tipping in Zurich

• Tipping is not as obligatory as in the US, but rounding up or leaving 5-10% is standard and appreciated at Zurich sit-down restaurants; service staff in Switzerland earn high base wages; stating "stimmt so" (keep the change) when paying is the typical Zurich tipping method; large rounding-up amounts (more than 10%) are unusual in Zurich

Zurich Daily Food Budget

• Budget (supermarket, takeaway): CHF 25-40 ($42.05-$67.28 AUD) per day; Mid-range: CHF 60-120 ($100.92-$201.84 AUD) per day; Upscale: CHF 150-350+ ($252.30-$588.70 AUD) per day

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