Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cham and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,771 a month against $3,527 in Cham, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Cham
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,527
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,771
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cham and in Athens

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cham and in Athens actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,527 in Cham versus $1,771 in Athens.

  • Cham $3,527
  • Athens $1,771

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,432 in Cham versus $2,736 in Athens.

  • Cham $5,432
  • Athens $2,736

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,337 in Cham versus $3,701 in Athens.

  • Cham $7,337
  • Athens $3,701

Living in Cham is roughly 99% more expensive than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cham 160% above, Athens 31% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cham
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$30.40 CHF 25.04
$16.83 €14.97
80.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$122 CHF 101
$68.2 €60.7
79.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$18.19 CHF 14.98
$11.43 €10.17
59.14%
Cappuccino
$6.17 CHF 5.09
$4.06 €3.61
51.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.52 CHF 4.55
$2.74 €2.44
101.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.81 CHF 3.96
$0.53 €0.47
807.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.62 CHF 7.10
$5.69 €5.06
51.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.60 CHF 5.44
$5.68 €5.06
16.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cham
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.14 CHF 1.76
$1.85 €1.64
15.68%
White Bread (500g)
$3.80 CHF 3.13
$1.44 €1.28
163.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.86 CHF 3.18
$2.82 €2.51
36.88%
Eggs
$7.26 CHF 5.98
$4.86 €4.32
49.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$26.70 CHF 21.99
$15.27 €13.58
74.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$28.37 CHF 23.37
$10.36 €9.21
173.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$42.48 CHF 34.98
$19.10 €16.99
122.41%
Apples (1kg)
$4.22 CHF 3.48
$2.22 €1.98
90.09%
Banana (1kg)
$2.12 CHF 1.75
$1.92 €1.71
10.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.28 CHF 2.70
$1.41 €1.25
132.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.59 CHF 3.78
$2.04 €1.82
125.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.42 CHF 1.99
$1.05 €0.93
130.48%
Onion (1kg)
$2.16 CHF 1.78
$1.17 €1.04
84.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.46 CHF 2.03
$1.08 €0.96
127.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 CHF 0.95
$0.84 €0.75
38.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.98 CHF 9.05
$5.49 €4.89
100.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.73 CHF 10.48
$10.17 €9.05
25.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.78 CHF 2.29
$2.13 €1.90
30.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 CHF 2.59
$2.28 €2.03
37.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Cham
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.95 CHF 4.08
$1.37 €1.22
261.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$149 CHF 122
$29.71 €26.43
400.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.29 CHF 4.36
$4.39 €3.90
20.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.40 CHF 2.80
$1.00 €0.89
240.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$61.7 CHF 50.8
$16.63 €14.79
270.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.32 CHF 1.91
$2.38 €2.11
-2.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.0K CHF 32.1K
$28.4K €25.3K
37.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.1K CHF 32.2K
$27.2K €24.2K
43.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cham
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$279 CHF 230
$203 €181
37.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.94 CHF 25.48
$26.79 €23.83
15.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.9 CHF 46.04
$30.16 €26.82
85.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cham
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$90.5 CHF 74.5
$53.7 €47.74
68.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$49.67 CHF 40.90
$26.40 €23.48
88.14%
Cinema Ticket
$25.71 CHF 21.18
$10.59 €9.42
142.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cham
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,791 CHF 1,475
$566 €504
216.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$32.2K CHF 26.5K
$12.9K €11.4K
150.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cham
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$143 CHF 118
$89.1 €79.3
60.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.7 CHF 48.31
$40.48 €36.01
44.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$168 CHF 138
$104 €92.3
61.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$253 CHF 208
$124 €111
103.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cham
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,739 CHF 1,432
$729 €648
138.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,475 CHF 1,214
$647 €576
127.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,977 CHF 2,452
$1,328 €1,181
124.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,600 CHF 2,142
$1,169 €1,040
122.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$16.9K CHF 13.9K
$4,024 €3,579
318.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$13.3K CHF 10.9K
$3,483 €3,098
281.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cham
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,240 €1,103
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.07
4.48
-53.79%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cham: October 19, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cham
$1.5K
Athens
$647 56.1% $827
Groceries & Markets
Cham
$604
Athens
$312 48.3% $292
Eating Out
Cham
$470
Athens
$271 42.4% $199
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cham
$366
Athens
$260 28.8% $105
Clothing & Footwear
Cham
$280
Athens
$161 42.5% $119
Getting Around
Cham
$191
Athens
$45 76.6% $146
Sport & Entertainment
Cham
$142
Athens
$75 47.3% $67

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,739 in Cham and $729 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $122 in Cham vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $604 vs $312 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇭 Cham
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
19:39 7:39 PM
20:39 8:39 PM
1 h ahead of Cham
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
17,060
3,090,508 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cham Athens 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Cham
  • Athens

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Cham vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cham or Athens?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 99% lower than in Cham. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Cham and in Athens?
You'd need roughly $5,290 in Cham and $2,657 in Athens to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Cham compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,739 in Cham versus $729 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Cham and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $122 in Cham. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Cham compared to Athens?
All in, you'll spend $3,527 per month in Cham versus $1,771 in Athens – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Cham or in Athens?
At $1,771 in Athens versus $3,527 in Cham, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Cham. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Cham or Athens?
Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,771 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.
How safe is Cham compared to Athens?
Safety-wise, Cham and Athens are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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