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Your Realistic Student Budget

The real cost of student life in Switzerland - and what you actually have left to spend.

First digital edition — 2026 · EN03 · Free digital guide

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25 content pages plus the cover, making a 26-page A5 PDF. No account or email address required.

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The five parts below reproduce the validated EN03 text word for word. They are formatted for reading on phones, tablets and computers.

  1. PART 01

    WHEN EVERYTHING IS NEW, GIVE YOUR BUDGET SOME REFERENCE POINTS TOO

    Practical reference points for estimating the real cost of student life in Switzerland and replacing averages with your own figures.

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  2. PART 02

    YOUR BANK BALANCE IS NOT YOUR BUDGET

    Separate already committed costs, living essentials and the money that genuinely remains yours to choose.

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  3. PART 03

    WHAT DOES AN ORDINARY DAY COST YOU?

    Observe food and other daily expenses for a week, then turn real-life spending into a more useful student budget.

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  4. PART 04

    COSTS THAT DO NOT ARRIVE EVERY MONTH

    Plan for start-up costs, annual expenses and financial shocks without confusing them with an ordinary monthly budget.

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  5. PART 05

    KEEP YOUR BUDGET ALIVE WITHOUT SPENDING YOUR LIFE DOING ACCOUNTS

    A light four-week method for observing, adjusting and maintaining a budget without spending your life doing accounts.

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The purpose of the guide

When everything is new, give your budget some reference points too.

This short guide helps you see what comes in, what is already committed, what daily life requires and what remains yours to choose. It uses questions and transparent assumptions rather than universal rules.

What you will find

  • A simple way to see money coming in and going out.
  • Questions rather than universal rules.
  • A four-week path requiring about ten minutes per week.
  • Links to official sources for facts that can change.

What you will not find

  • No get-rich promise or miracle method.
  • No judgement about your spending.
  • No amounts or advice tailored to your personal situation.

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Main sources and updates

The main reference figures in this guide come from institutional sources: EPFL, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), FMEL, UNIL Student Support and the Canton of Vaud.

Prices and conditions can change. Visit SEEC.ch for full sources, verification dates and up-to-date links.

Main sources:

  • EPFL — financing your studies;
  • EPFL — tuition fees and immigration;
  • EPFL — insurance and financial support;
  • FOPH — health and accident insurance;
  • FMEL — student housing;
  • UNIL Student Support — social and financial support;
  • Canton of Vaud — education grants and support.

Version history

  • EN03 · The SEEC guide is now available to read online

    The essential chapters of Your Realistic Student Budget are now available as HTML pages. The EN03 PDF remains available at the same address.

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