The monitoring of prices for mobile communication services is based on a methodology defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The starting point of the method consists in defining three baskets designed to reflect the consumption habits of three different user profiles (small, medium and large consumers). The next step is to identify the least expensive formula proposed by each of the operators in question on the market to satisfy the needs reflected in the basket. By calculating the cost of each basket on a monthly basis, it is implicitly possible to understand the level of prices charged. The field of investigation and the limits of the method are presented in more detail at the end of this section.
In order to understand the price of mobile communication services, the following three consumption baskets have been defined:
- A small basket allowing 30 phone calls to fixed or mobile networks, 10 SMS and 500 Mbit of data consumption per month.
- An average basket allowing 100 telephone calls to fixed or mobile networks, 20 SMS and 2 Gbit of data consumption per month.
- A large basket allowing unlimited phone calls to fixed or mobile networks, an unlimited number of SMS and 20 Gbit of data consumption per month.
Low user basket
This first table presents, for the years 2023 and 2024, the most attractive offers provided on the Swiss market by the mobile communication service providers selected for the analysis. In 2024, we can see that M-Budget proposes the most competitive price for a small consumer with a subscription at a price of CHF 12.00 per month. At the other end of the scale is Swisscom, which requires a prepayment of CHF 23.00 for the same profile, which represents an additional 91.7 %.
| Years | Providers | Offers | Prices | Access type | Baskets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | M-Budget | M-Budget Prepaid | 12.0 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2023 | Yallo | Yallo Prepaid - All in 7.5 | 12.2 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2023 | Salt | Prepay | 15.3 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2023 | Sunrise | Sunrise Prepaid Budget 15 | 15.6 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2023 | Swisscom | Prepaid Basic Rate | 23.0 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | M-Budget | Prepaid | 12.0 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Yallo | Prepaid - All in 7.5 | 12.2 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Sunrise | Sunrise Prepaid Budget 15 | 15.6 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Salt | Swiss 10GB 5G | 17.0 | Postpaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Swisscom | Prepaid Basic Rate | 23.0 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
|
Source: Results from Teligen/OECD Mobile Voice and Data
Price Benchmarking system. Copyright Tech Insights, UK, https://www.techinsights.com/, Method: https://www.oecd.org/officialdocuments/publicdisplaydocumentpdf/?cote=DSTI/CDEP/CISP(2017)4/FINAL&docLanguage=En |
The table below provides a price comparison between the 37 considered OECD member countries for the year 2024. It can be seen that Switzerland, with its cheapest offer, ranks 33th in the ranking. There are therefore 32 countries in which the user with small needs has a more attractive offer.
| Years | Countries | Providers | Prices | Access type | Baskets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Korea | SK 7 (SK Telecom) | 1.9 | Postpaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Colombia | Movistar | 3.5 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Italy | Kena (TIM) | 4.7 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Slovenia | Telekom Slovenije | 4.8 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Estonia | Telia | 4.8 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | France | SFR | 4.8 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Sweden | Comviq (Tele 2) | 4.9 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Poland | Orange | 5.1 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Chile | Entel Movil | 5.1 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Türkiye | Vodafone | 5.3 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Belgium | Orange | 5.3 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Germany | Telekom | 5.5 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Lithuania | Tele2 | 5.6 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Luxembourg | POST | 5.6 | Postpaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Hungary | T-Mobile | 6.0 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Spain | O2 (MoviStar) | 6.6 | Postpaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Portugal | UZO (MEO) | 7.1 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Mexico | MoviStar | 7.4 | Postpaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Czech Rep. | O2 | 7.6 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Slovak Rep. | Slovak Telekom | 8.1 | Postpaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Latvia | LMT | 8.2 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | New Zealand | One New Zealand | 8.6 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Netherlands | Vodafone | 8.6 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Israel | Partner | 9.2 | Postpaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Finland | Telia | 9.3 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Denmark | TDC / YouSee | 10.3 | Postpaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Austria | Bob (A1 Telekom Austria) | 10.4 | Postpaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Greece | Vodafone | 10.8 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Australia | Boost (Telstra) | 11.0 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | UK | O2 | 11.1 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Japan | NTT DoCoMo | 11.3 | Postpaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Ireland | Vodafone | 11.9 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Switzerland | M-Budget | 12.0 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Iceland | Siminn | 13.7 | Postpaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | USA | TracFone (Verizon) | 14.9 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Norway | Telia | 17.4 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
| 2024 | Canada | Chatr (Rogers) | 17.7 | Prepaid | 30 voice calls, 500 Mbit data |
|
Source: Results from Teligen/OECD Mobile Voice and Data
Price Benchmarking system. Copyright Tech Insights, UK, https://www.techinsights.com/, Method: https://www.oecd.org/officialdocuments/publicdisplaydocumentpdf/?cote=DSTI/CDEP/CISP(2017)4/FINAL&docLanguage=En |
Medium user basket
The table below shows the cheapest offers proposed on the Swiss market in 2023 and 2024 by the considered service providers. In 2024, a user who wishes to satisfy the needs of a so-called medium consumer must pay a monthly charge of CHF 17.00 to Salt. At the other end of the scale, Swisscom's monthly price is 134.7 % higher, at CHF 39.90. In 2024, Swisscom is clearly the most expensive operator.
| Years | Providers | Offers | Prices | Access type | Baskets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | M-Budget | M-Budget Mini | 14.0 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2023 | Yallo | Yallo Regular Plus | 19.5 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2023 | Salt | Start Max 5G | 24.9 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2023 | Sunrise | Up Mobile S 5G | 34.0 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2023 | Swisscom | Basic Mobile S 5G | 39.9 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Salt | Swiss 10GB 5G | 17.0 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Yallo | Regular Plus | 19.5 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | M-Budget | Mini | 20.4 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Sunrise | Up Mobile S 5G | 36.4 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Swisscom | Basic Mobile S 5G | 39.9 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
|
Source: Results from Teligen/OECD Mobile Voice and Data
Price Benchmarking system. Copyright Tech Insights, UK, https://www.techinsights.com/, Method: https://www.oecd.org/officialdocuments/publicdisplaydocumentpdf/?cote=DSTI/CDEP/CISP(2017)4/FINAL&docLanguage=En |
The international comparison made here for the OECD countries in 2024 shows that Switzerland, when considering its cheapest offer for a medium user basket, ranks 31th in the ranking.
| Years | Countries | Providers | Prices | Access type | Baskets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Colombia | Movistar | 3.5 | Prepaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Korea | SK 7 (SK Telecom) | 4.2 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | France | SFR Red (SFR) | 5.0 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Chile | Entel Movil | 5.5 | Prepaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Lithuania | Tele2 | 5.6 | Prepaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Türkiye | Vodafone | 5.8 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Italy | Kena (TIM) | 5.8 | Prepaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Poland | Orange | 6.1 | Prepaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Estonia | Elisa | 6.2 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Spain | O2 (MoviStar) | 6.6 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Slovenia | A1 | 6.7 | Prepaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Luxembourg | POST | 7.5 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Mexico | MoviStar | 7.5 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Sweden | Comviq (Tele 2) | 7.8 | Prepaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Germany | Telekom | 7.9 | Prepaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Portugal | UZO (MEO) | 8.1 | Prepaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Israel | Partner | 9.2 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Austria | Magenta | 10.4 | Prepaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Australia | Boost (Telstra) | 11.0 | Prepaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | UK | O2 | 11.1 | Prepaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Denmark | TDC / YouSee | 11.7 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Greece | Vodafone | 12.6 | Prepaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Belgium | Orange | 13.2 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | New Zealand | One New Zealand | 13.8 | Prepaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Hungary | T-Mobile | 14.9 | Prepaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Latvia | Tele2 | 15.1 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Slovak Rep. | Slovak Telekom | 15.1 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | USA | TracFone (Verizon) | 15.3 | Prepaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Iceland | Nova | 15.8 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Netherlands | Vodafone | 16.5 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Switzerland | Salt | 17.0 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Finland | Telia | 18.9 | Prepaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Ireland | Vodafone | 19.1 | Prepaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Japan | NTT DoCoMo | 20.4 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Canada | Chatr (Rogers) | 21.3 | Prepaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Norway | Telia | 21.8 | Prepaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Czech Rep. | T-Mobile | 22.3 | Postpaid | 100 voice calls, 2 Gbit data |
|
Source: Results from Teligen/OECD Mobile Voice and Data
Price Benchmarking system. Copyright Tech Insights, UK, https://www.techinsights.com/, Method: https://www.oecd.org/officialdocuments/publicdisplaydocumentpdf/?cote=DSTI/CDEP/CISP(2017)4/FINAL&docLanguage=En |
High user basket
Below are the most interesting offers proposed in Switzerland by the operators included in the analysis in the years 2023 and 2024. In 2024, CHF 40.90 separates the cheapest offer (19.50 for Yallo) from the most expensive offer (60.40 for M-Budget), which is 209.7 % more.
| Years | Providers | Offers | Prices | Access type | Baskets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Yallo | Yallo Regular Plus | 19.5 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2023 | Sunrise | Sunrise Prepaid Unlimited 90 days | 40.6 | Prepaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2023 | M-Budget | M-Budget Giga | 40.7 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2023 | Salt | Swiss Max 5G | 43.6 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2023 | Swisscom | Prepaid Basic Rate | 50.6 | Prepaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Yallo | Regular Plus | 19.5 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Salt | Swiss XXL 5G | 28.0 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Sunrise | Swiss Travel+ | 39.9 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Swisscom | Prepaid Basic Rate | 50.0 | Prepaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | M-Budget | Giga | 60.4 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
|
Source: Results from Teligen/OECD Mobile Voice and Data
Price Benchmarking system. Copyright Tech Insights, UK, https://www.techinsights.com/, Method: https://www.oecd.org/officialdocuments/publicdisplaydocumentpdf/?cote=DSTI/CDEP/CISP(2017)4/FINAL&docLanguage=En |
The international comparison established for the year 2024 places our country in the middle of the ranking, since it occupies the 16th place out of the 33 OECD countries considered.
| Years | Countries | Providers | Prices | Access type | Baskets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Colombia | Movistar | 3.5 | Prepaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | France | SFR Red (SFR) | 5.0 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Italy | ho.Tutto chiaro (Vodafone) | 6.6 | Prepaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Poland | Orange | 7.7 | Prepaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Spain | O2 (MoviStar) | 9.4 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | UK | EE | 11.1 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Slovenia | A1 | 11.6 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Mexico | MoviStar | 13.7 | Prepaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Australia | Boost (Telstra) | 14.3 | Prepaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Lithuania | Tele2 | 15.0 | Prepaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Sweden | Comviq (Tele 2) | 17.7 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Latvia | LMT | 18.4 | Prepaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Germany | O2 | 18.9 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Belgium | Orange | 19.2 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Denmark | TDC / YouSee | 19.2 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Switzerland | Yallo | 19.5 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Austria | Magenta | 20.8 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Iceland | Nova | 20.8 | Prepaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Estonia | Telia | 21.2 | Prepaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Canada | Chatr (Rogers) | 21.3 | Prepaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Finland | Telia | 21.4 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Korea | KT | 22.8 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Netherlands | KPN | 26.7 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | New Zealand | Skinny (Spark) | 28.2 | Prepaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Ireland | Vodafone | 30.0 | Prepaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Slovak Rep. | Orange | 32.1 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Norway | Telia | 34.6 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Czech Rep. | T-Mobile | 35.4 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Portugal | MEO | 38.3 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | USA | Cricket (AT&T) | 38.6 | Prepaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Hungary | Yettel | 54.9 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Luxembourg | POST | 63.9 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
| 2024 | Greece | Vodafone | 68.0 | Postpaid | unlimited voice, 20 Gbit data |
|
Source: Results from Teligen/OECD Mobile Voice and Data
Price Benchmarking system. Copyright Tech Insights, UK, https://www.techinsights.com/, Method: https://www.oecd.org/officialdocuments/publicdisplaydocumentpdf/?cote=DSTI/CDEP/CISP(2017)4/FINAL&docLanguage=En |
Method implemented : field of investigation and limitations
- The providers under consideration correspond to mobile communication service operators (Swisscom, Sunrise and Salt) and certain resellers active on the market during the period under review. In terms of users, they represent more than 80% of the market.
- The period under consideration corresponds to the 31 days of August of the year under review.
- The products examined correspond to all the offers proposed by the selected providers and to which a new customer can subscribe during the analysis period.
- The price of the cheapest product from certain providers might be significantly higher than that of their competitors. We then consider this product inappropriate for the consumption profile because it requires, in order to stick to the definition of the basket, the purchase of a multitude of additional options making its price explode. If this is the case, the cheapest product from these suppliers is not presented in the results. A note is added under the table showing this eviction.
- Discounts are included in the calculation of the cost of each
basket. The discounts included are:
- Promotional discounts on the monthly rental and/or activation charges. Promotional offers must be available for at least one month and be valid at the time of data collection.
- Off-peak discounts on calls and messages.
- Selective discounts to specific or selected phone numbers.
- Usage discounts in the form of traffic included or minutes of usage included.
- The analysis focuses only on the cheapest product by provider, with the objective of minimizing the user's expenditure on their usage profile.
- The cost of the SIM card is amortized over 36 months.
- The acquisition cost of the device is not considered.
- Offers negotiated on a case-by-case basis and special offers aimed at a specific population category (young people, students, companies, etc.) are not taken into account.
- Transmission speeds are not included in the definition of the profiles and therefore not considered in the analysis.
- International roaming services are not considered.
- Aspects such as network quality, quality of customer service, customer loyalty measures or transaction costs are not considered.
- Finally, it should be noted that the basket methodology is more intended to provide an overview of the prices charged at a given time than to provide information on their evolution over time. Since the offers considered vary over time, the changes observed from one year to the next are more like a trend. For temporal analyses, the results of the consumer price index of the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO) should be used.
Last modification 16.01.2025
