Skip to content

Household guide

How Much Does a Cleaner Cost in Switzerland? The 2026 Price Guide

Budget for a cleaner’s gross wage, paid holiday, employer contributions, insurance and any administration fees. Cash payment can be legal; ordinary household cleaning is generally not tax-deductible.

Helpore Editorial

The gross hourly wage is only one part of a cleaning budget. What you pay also depends on employer contributions and whether you arrange the work privately, through an agency or through a platform.

If someone already helps in your home, choose Helpore Admin Light for monthly payslips, paperwork and calculations while you register and pay, or Helpore Admin for the agreed administration under your authorization. Your Helper does not need a public profile or a Helpore account. To find someone new, you can book a Helper through Flex.

The short answer: what a cleaning lady costs in 2026

For private household cleaning in Switzerland in 2026:

How you hire Illustrative planning range, CHF per hour
Private hire (declared) CHF 29 to 40 planning illustration; check included employer costs
Cleaning company / agency CHF 35 to 50 planning illustration; compare the actual quote
Cash payment Lawful when the employment is correctly declared; undeclared work creates legal risks

The CHF 25 to 34 gross wage and CHF 29 to 40 household cost ranges here are planning illustrations, not verified 2026 market averages or complete quotes. Add the actual paid-holiday provision, employer charges, insurance and administration fees for your arrangement.

What makes up the real cost?

When you employ someone for domestic work in Switzerland, the total cost has three parts:

  1. The gross hourly wage. Agree pay for the tasks and check the applicable minimum. The CHF 25 to 34 range here is a planning illustration, not a verified current average.
  2. Paid holiday. Budget for paid time off. An hourly supplement is permitted only under the narrow exception for genuinely irregular part-time work and must be identified in the contract and payslip.
  3. Employer social contributions and insurance. Add the applicable employer shares, fund and administration charges, accident premiums and any pension duties. These depend on the worker and arrangement; a single percentage does not establish the full total.

A CHF 30 gross wage does not determine the household’s final hourly cost by itself. Use the itemized illustration below, then add any costs it omits. The legal hiring guide explains the duties.

Check the minimum that applies to your work and canton. The federal domestic-work contract applies within its scope, generally from an average of five hours a week with the same employer. Work mainly involving childcare is excluded, and Geneva has its own contract. Within the federal scope, the gross minimums from 1 January 2026 are:

  • Unskilled: CHF 20.35/hour
  • Unskilled with 4+ years' experience: CHF 22.30/hour
  • Trained with EBA: CHF 22.30/hour
  • Trained with EFZ: CHF 24.55/hour

Check any higher cantonal or local wage floor. Experience and tasks matter when you agree a rate; the CHF 25 to 34 range in this guide is only a planning illustration.

How many hours do you actually need?

A useful rule of thumb: about half an hour per 20 m². So:

  • An 80 m² flat with kitchen and bathroom ≈ 2 hours per visit
  • A 120 m² home ≈ 3 hours per visit

Most households book a weekly or fortnightly visit for ongoing upkeep, with occasional extra hours for deep cleaning, windows or ironing.

Real cost example

3 h a week at CHF 30.00 in Zurich

  • Wage390.0013 h × CHF 30.00
  • Public holidays0.39 %1.52
  • Holiday pay8.33 %32.49
  • Employer contributions33.70AHV 5.3 % · ALV 1.1 % · FAK 1.025 % · office 5 %
  • Accident insurance0.505 %2.15
  • You pay a monthCHF 459.86

Estimate your own cleaning cost

Every home is different, so use the estimator below to see your own numbers. Pick your home size, how often you want a clean, and a realistic Helper rate, then treat the result as a starting point rather than a fixed quote.

Cost estimator

Your month with a cleaner

Home size
How often
Hours a week
8

You pay a monthCHF 1’226.39CHF 35.38 per hour worked

  • Wage1’040.0034.67 h × CHF 30.00
  • Public holidays0.39 %4.06
  • Holiday pay8.33 %86.63
  • Employer contributions90.00AHV 5.3 % · ALV 1.1 % · FAK 1.025 % · office 5 %
  • Accident insurance0.505 %5.70

With Admin LightCHF 1’242.29

Set up Helpore Admin Light

Your household is the employer. Helpore Admin is optional.

Open the full calculator

Rates as published for 2026, as at 01.01.2026.

Compare employment arrangements and included costs

Cleaning company or agency. Compare the actual quote, tasks, continuity, return guarantee and included costs. The CHF 35 to 50 range here is illustrative, not a verified current market average.

Cash payment. You can pay cash legally if employment, contributions, insurance and wage records are handled correctly. Undeclared work can lead to back payments, penalties and compensatory insurance premiums. Read cash payment and undeclared work.

Helpore. Helpers agree a gross wage and pay no platform fee. If you already have a Helper, Light prepares monthly payslips, paperwork and calculations while you register and pay; Admin performs the agreed administration with your authorization.

Can you deduct household help from your taxes?

Ordinary cleaning and household expenses are generally private living costs, not deductible employment costs. Qualifying third-party childcare or disability-related help can have separate deductions, conditions and limits. Payment in cash does not decide eligibility; the expense and supporting records do. Check our tax deductions guide and your cantonal tax office.

What you pay with Helpore

Helpore supports household employment with a clear division of administration:

  • Compare the available plans. Light and Admin support a Helper you already employ.
  • Choose the division of work. Light prepares monthly payslips, paperwork and calculations for you to act on; Admin handles the agreed administration with authorization.
  • You stay in control. You choose the Helper, the hours and the tasks.
  • No Helpore fee from the Helper’s gross wage. Employee deductions remain; household fees and employer costs are separate.

If someone already helps in your home, choose Helpore Admin Light for monthly payslips, paperwork and calculations while you register and pay, or Helpore Admin for the agreed administration under your authorization. Your Helper does not need a public profile or a Helpore account. To find someone new, you can book a Helper through Flex.

Are you a cleaner or nanny? See how much to charge in 2026 and create your free Helper profile.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a cleaning lady cost per hour in Switzerland in 2026?

This guide uses CHF 25 to 34 gross wage and CHF 29 to 40 household cost ranges as planning illustrations, not verified current averages or complete quotes. The actual total depends on hours, wage, paid holiday, employer charges, insurance and administration fees.

What is the minimum I can legally pay a cleaner?

The federal domestic-work minimum applies within its scope, generally from an average of five hours a week with the same employer. Geneva has its own domestic-work contract, other cantonal or local rules may be higher, and work mainly involving childcare is excluded from the federal contract. Check the applicable task, canton and contract. Within federal scope, the 2026 gross floors are CHF 20.35 for unskilled work, CHF 22.30 for the experience/EBA category and CHF 24.55 for EFZ.

Do I have to pay social contributions?

AHV liability starts on 1 January after the seventeenth birthday. In domestic work, the low-pay exception lasts through 31 December of the year the worker turns 25: pay of CHF 750 or less per calendar year and household is exempt unless the worker requests contributions. Above CHF 750, contributions apply to the full liable wage. Older working-age domestic staff are generally liable from the first franc; reference-age rules differ. The household remains the employer and must arrange the applicable accident insurance. Light supplies monthly payslips and paperwork; Admin performs the agreed administration.

Can I pay cash in hand, and what are the risks of undeclared work?

Cash payment can be lawful. Undeclared employment can lead to back payments, penalties and compensatory insurance premiums.

Can I deduct it from my taxes?

Ordinary cleaning is generally a private living expense. Qualifying childcare and disability-related help may have separate deductions with conditions and limits. Check the tax deductions guide and your cantonal tax office.

How much does it cost to register a cleaner?

Registering your Helper has no single price: as the employer you owe costs on the wages you pay. They are the employer share of contributions, the family allowance contribution, the compensation office's administration charge, any cantonal contributions and the accident premium. An insurer may bill that premium as a yearly flat amount. The estimator on this page shows these costs.

How much does a cleaner get paid in Switzerland?

Your Helper gets the gross hourly wage you agree, which must not fall below the minimum that applies to the work in your canton. Above that floor, the tasks, your Helper's experience and the region decide what is fair. Holiday pay, employer contributions and insurance come on top; the estimator on this page adds them to the wage you enter.

What is the average salary for household work in Switzerland?

This guide quotes no verified average. Household work is usually agreed by the hour. A monthly salary is the agreed gross hourly wage times the hours worked, and holidays are paid as well. The minimum that applies to the work in your canton sets the floor, and the estimator on this page shows a month for your hours and wage.

How much does a cleaner cost for a few hours a week?

For a few hours a week you pay your Helper's gross wage plus what every employer adds: paid holidays, any public holiday share, employer contributions and the accident insurance premium. Small jobs are declared like any other; as a rule even a small wage carries contributions. The estimator on this page shows the month for your canton, hours and wage.

How much are social contributions for a cleaner?

As the employer you pay a share of AHV, IV, EO and ALV equal to the share deducted from your Helper's wage. Your compensation office adds the family allowance contribution and an administration charge, both varying by canton and office, and some cantons add their own contributions. The estimator on this page names each part with its rate.

Official sources