Is buying a property in Thurgau worthwhile compared to Zurich or Winterthur?

The 3-point orientation

• A model house (180 m²) costs around 1.45 million CHF in Thurgau -- around 2.5 million CHF in Winterthur and up to 4.5 million CHF in Zurich. Depending on the location, the price advantage is 40 to 70 percent.
• Despite price growth of 4.5 percent per year, the Thurgau real estate market remains in the lower middle of the country -- and thus continues to offer entry opportunities for buyers.
• The Frauenfeld-Winterthur commuter connection takes around 20 minutes, and numerous Thurgau municipalities offer a lower tax burden than comparable locations in the canton of Zurich.

The big price comparison: How much do private homes really cost?

The figures speak for themselves -- and they tell the story of a real estate market that is increasingly operating at two speeds. Anyone looking for a single-family house with 180 square meters of living space in the canton of Thurgau must expect an average of 1.45 million francs. That's a lot of money, no question about it. But in comparison, this sum seems almost modest: In Winterthur, the sixth-largest city in Switzerland, the price for a comparable property is around 2.5 million francs. And if you search in the city of Zurich, you have to calculate around 4.5 million francs -- more than three times the Thurgau average.

The pattern is also evident among condominiums: A 115 square meter apartment in Thurgau is available for around 850,000 francs. In Zurich, comparable properties rarely start at less than 1.8 million francs. For families, this means in practice: In Thurgau, the same budget not only makes it possible to buy more living space, but often also a plot of land with a turnaround that would simply be priceless in Zurich.

The tax bill: Where is more left in your wallet?

The purchase price is one thing -- the running costs are another. And this is where Thurgau plays another trump card. Numerous municipalities in Thurgau have a significantly lower tax burden than comparable locations in the canton of Zurich. For a household with a taxable income of 150,000 francs, the difference can quickly amount to several thousand francs per year.

Municipalities such as Bottighofen, Salenstein and Müllheim, which combine low tax rates with high quality of living, are particularly attractive. Anyone who calculates the tax savings over the entire holding period of a property -- typically 20 to 30 years -- quickly comes up with a six-figure sum, which further puts the already cheaper purchase price into perspective.

However, the tax landscape is not a monolithic block. In Thurgau, too, there are municipalities with higher tax rates, and not every suburb of Zurich is an upper-class tax haven. An individual tax comparison is definitely worthwhile.

Commuting: Closer than expected

The commuter argument is often the first to be brought up against Thurgau -- and which can be refuted the quickest. The Frauenfeld-Winterthur route takes around 20 minutes by train. It takes about 50 minutes from Frauenfeld to Zurich main station -- comparable to many commuter routes within the canton of Zurich. Anyone who lives in Kreuzlingen benefits from good connections to Winterthur and Eastern Switzerland.

• Frauenfeld -- Winterthur: approx. 20 minutes (direct connection S-Bahn/IR)
• Frauenfeld -- Zurich HB: approx. 50 minutes
• Kreuzlingen -- Winterthur: approx. 45 minutes
• Weinfelden -- Zurich HB: approx. 60 minutes

The transport infrastructure in Thurgau has been significantly expanded in recent years. The half-hour service on the most important routes is standard, and with the further expansion of the S-Bahn network, commuter times are likely to be reduced again in the medium term.

Quality of life: space, nature and peace

This is perhaps the biggest -- and most difficult to quantify -- advantage of Thurgau. Anyone who has sat on Lake Constance on a summer evening with a view of the Alpine chain and the knowledge that their own single-family house is only ten minutes away, understands why more and more families are venturing to change location.

Thurgau offers:

• Larger plots of land and more living space per franc invested
• Short distances into nature -- Bodensee, Thur-Auen, vineyards
• A family-friendly environment with good schools and low crime rates
• Less traffic noise and air pollution than in the Zurich metropolitan area
• A growing gastronomic and cultural offering that increasingly refutes rural reputation

Thurgau as a market: From alternative model to intrinsic value

For a long time, buying real estate in Thurgau was considered a compromise solution -- people bought there because they couldn't afford Zurich. This perception has fundamentally changed. With annual price growth of 4.5 percent -- well above the Swiss average of 3.6 percent -- the market shows that demand is not just an overflow effect, but is a result of real location attractiveness.

Attractive mortgage interest rates do the rest: They make buying a home affordable even for younger buyers and fuel demand across the entire Thurgau real estate market. Anyone who buys in Thurgau today is not investing in an alternative location -- but in a growth market with substance.

Common misconceptions

• “There are only old farmhouses in Thurgau.” -- Wrong. The proportion of new buildings in Thurgau is high, and modern buildings with contemporary architecture and energy standards are being built in virtually all major municipalities. The range of condominiums in the upscale segment is also growing steadily.
• “The commuter route eats up the price advantage again.” -- The calculation rarely pays off. Even with a GA or a route card, you save hundreds of thousands of francs over the entire period of ownership in Thurgau compared to a comparable purchase in Zurich. The commute cost comparison is almost always in favour of Thurgau.
• “Thurgau real estate is not rising in value.” -- The data refute the opposite: With 4.5 percent annual price growth, Thurgau is above the national average. Individual districts such as Weinfelden are seeing even stronger increases in value.

Conclusion: Thurgau is no longer a Plan B

Anyone who compares buying real estate in Thurgau with Zurich or Winterthur will find that the price advantage is considerable, the tax savings significant, the commuter times manageable - and the quality of life is even higher in many areas. Thurgau has developed from an alternative model to a serious market in which price, location and prospects are right. For families, couples and first-time buyers who are ready to think beyond the cantonal border, Thurgau offers one of the most attractive alternatives in German-speaking Switzerland. The decisive question is no longer whether Thurgau is worthwhile -- but how long the prices there will remain so favourable.

Glossary on buying real estate in Thurgau vs. Zurich and Winterthur

• affordability: Ratio of annual housing costs (mortgage interest, amortization, service charges) to gross income. Banks generally require that affordability does not exceed one third of income.
• model house: A standardized, fictitious reference property (here: 180 m² of living space), which is used for price comparisons between regions.
• Tax rate: The municipal multiplier on cantonal property tax. A lower tax rate means a lower tax burden for owners and residents.
• condominium: condominium ownership apartment in which the buyer acquires a defined share of the entire building and an exclusive right of use of the apartment.
• price growth: The percentage change in real estate prices over a specific period of time, usually on an annual basis.
• First acquirer: People who buy a property for the first time -- often associated with special funding opportunities or tax incentives.
• half-hour: Timetable rhythm, with a train running every 30 minutes -- standard on the most important connections in Thurgau.
• agglomeration: The extended catchment area of a city, consisting of the core city and surrounding communities, which are closely intertwined economically and in terms of transport technology.