What a young adult pays depending on where they settle

A premium that changes at 19, then at 26

Compulsory health insurance distinguishes three age classes: children up to 18, young adults from 19 to 25, and adults from 26 onwards. The move to the next class takes effect on the 1 January following the birthday, and it shows on the premium immediately.

The median young adult premium stands at 311.3 francs a month in 2026, against 451.9 francs for an adult. A young adult therefore pays about 69 % of an adult premium, a statutory discount that disappears at once at 26.

Where the premium is lowest and where it is highest

The premium does not depend on the municipality itself, but on the premium region to which the Federal Office of Public Health assigns it. All municipalities in the same region therefore show exactly the same amounts. The differences are mostly visible between cantons.

• AI: 216.6 francs a month
• ZG: 227.5 francs a month
• UR: 236.6 francs a month
• LU: 257.7 francs a month
• OW: 261.0 francs a month

At the other end, Geneva has the highest cantonal median at 431.9 francs a month, ahead of Ticino (414.1 francs), Basel-Stadt (391.3 francs), Neuchâtel (364.5 francs) and Vaud (352.3 francs).

What the gap means for a student budget

The 2’584 francs separating the cheapest region from the most expensive amount, over a year, to a month and a half of rent in many university towns. For a young adult choosing where to live at the start of a course, the difference is not trivial.

That figure remains an average, however, calculated across all deductibles and all insurance models. The premium actually paid depends on the chosen deductible, the model and the insurer: it can differ appreciably from this average in either direction.

A young adult who moves changes premium without changing insurer or cover. The change takes effect with the move, since the premium region is determined by the place of residence. It is one of the few items in a student budget that shifts automatically, with no paperwork, on the simple notification of a new address.

The 2027 rates arrive at the end of September

The premiums published here apply to 2026. Rates for the following year are announced each autumn, once approved by the Federal Office of Public Health. The amounts presented in this article therefore serve as a benchmark for gauging the scale of the next change, region by region.

Official averages published by the Federal Office of Public Health for 2026, across all deductibles and all models, assigned to each municipality through the official table of premium regions. The premium depends on the region, not on the municipality: two municipalities in the same region show identical values. The amounts shown are not offers and do not constitute insurance advice.