Building land in the Canton of Zurich costs between CHF 800 and more than CHF 5'000 per square metre depending on location. This statistic shows modelled median prices for all 160 Zurich municipalities, based on transaction and listing data from 2023-2025. With detailed district analysis, municipality ranking and visualisation of price distribution. Ideal for investors, developers and buyers looking to assess undeveloped plots or demolition properties.
Gold Coast municipalities on Lake Zurich dominate the top end: Zollikon, Küsnacht, Erlenbach and Kilchberg reach median building land prices of CHF 4'200-5'500 per m². Municipalities close to the city such as Zumikon, Maur and Hombrechtikon are also above CHF 3'500. The City of Zurich itself shows extreme variation: Wiedikon and Hottingen reach CHF 6'000+, while more peripheral districts such as Affoltern or Schwamendingen are at CHF 2'200-2'800.
In the Zurich Oberland (Hinwil district) and Weinland (Andelfingen district), median building land prices are below CHF 1'200 per m². Municipalities such as Wila, Ossingen or Thalheim an der Thur offer plots partly below CHF 1'000. Rural areas in the Affoltern district (Knonauer Amt) and in the Säuliamt are also affordable — typically CHF 1'500-2'500. The price range within the canton is therefore a factor of 5x.
In the Canton of Zurich, median building land prices rose by around 32 % between 2018 and 2024 — driven by scarcity of building zones after the adoption of the tightened Spatial Planning Act (RPG) in 2014. Since 2023, price growth has slowed. The City of Zurich's plans for greater densification and rezoning could bring slight downward price pressure in the coming years. In rural areas, building land remains scarce due to the continued separation of building and non-building land.
Four main factors: location (distance to the nearest railway station, views, noise exposure), building zone (residential zone W2 vs W3 vs mixed-use zone — higher utilisation factor = higher price), servicing status (commercially serviced plots cost 15-25 % more) and the municipality's tax burden. Location and building zone explain around 70 % of price variation.
The values shown here are modelled median prices — based on transactions, listing analyses and cantonal estimated values. The data basis is broad (more than 2'500 transactions since 2020) but usually small per municipality (<10 transactions). Specific plots can deviate significantly from the median depending on slope, views, shape and servicing status. The statistic is intended as guidance, not as a replacement for a valuation.
A low m² price does not necessarily mean a good deal. Check: current building zone (risk of upzoning or downzoning?), servicing costs (water, electricity, road), ground investigations (contaminated sites, landslides, pollutant contamination), flood zone status and noise limit values (road noise, rail noise). A professional site analysis before purchase costs CHF 800-2'500 — measured against the purchase price, an important contribution to security.