Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cham and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,337 a month against $3,527 in Cham, rent and utilities included – about $26,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

171

Cost of Living Index in Cham
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Cham Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Cham

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,527

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,337

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cham and in Bucharest

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 Bucharest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,527 in Cham versus $1,337 in Bucharest.

Cham $3,527
Bucharest $1,337

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,432 in Cham versus $2,029 in Bucharest.

Cham $5,432
Bucharest $2,029

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,337 in Cham versus $2,721 in Bucharest.

Cham $7,337
Bucharest $2,721

Living in Cham is roughly 164% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cham is 160% above, Bucharest is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.40 CHF 25.04

$14.45 RON 68.4

110.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 101

$58.1 RON 275

110.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.19 CHF 14.98

$7.53 RON 35.65

141.57%

Cappuccino

$6.17 CHF 5.09

$3.45 RON 16.33

78.84%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 CHF 4.55

$2.46 RON 11.65

124.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 CHF 3.96

$2.23 RON 10.54

115.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.62 CHF 7.10

$3.76 RON 17.78

129.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 CHF 5.44

$4.19 RON 19.84

57.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.76

$1.62 RON 7.67

32.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 CHF 3.13

$1.30 RON 6.13

192.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.86 CHF 3.18

$1.70 RON 8.05

127.06%

Eggs

$7.26 CHF 5.98

$3.79 RON 17.93

91.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.70 CHF 21.99

$8.86 RON 41.90

201.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.37 CHF 23.37

$6.90 RON 32.67

311.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.48 CHF 34.98

$12.14 RON 57.4

249.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 CHF 3.48

$1.30 RON 6.17

224.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 CHF 1.75

$1.60 RON 7.55

32.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 CHF 2.70

$1.57 RON 7.42

108.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 CHF 3.78

$2.68 RON 12.67

71.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 CHF 1.99

$0.81 RON 3.82

198.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.78

$0.79 RON 3.73

173.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CHF 2.03

$0.91 RON 4.30

170.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 CHF 0.95

$0.97 RON 4.58

19.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 CHF 9.05

$6.41 RON 30.34

71.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 CHF 10.48

$6.18 RON 29.24

105.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 CHF 2.29

$1.23 RON 5.83

126.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 CHF 2.59

$1.67 RON 7.91

88.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.95 CHF 4.08

$0.87 RON 4.10

468.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$149 CHF 122

$20.98 RON 99.3

608.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 CHF 4.36

$0.66 RON 3.10

701.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.40 CHF 2.80

$0.60 RON 2.85

466.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 CHF 50.8

$6.19 RON 29.28

896.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.91

$1.93 RON 9.15

20.21%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

$28.7K RON 135.9K

35.85%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.1K CHF 32.2K

$26.3K RON 124.6K

48.34%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$279 CHF 230

$196 RON 926

42.62%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$30.94 CHF 25.48

$8.49 RON 40.19

264.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.9 CHF 46.04

$9.05 RON 42.84

517.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.5 CHF 74.5

$49.54 RON 234

82.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.67 CHF 40.90

$25.03 RON 118

98.44%

Cinema Ticket

$25.71 CHF 21.18

$8.24 RON 39.01

212.01%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,791 CHF 1,475

$636 RON 3,007

181.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.2K CHF 26.5K

$14.6K RON 69.0K

120.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$143 CHF 118

$88.5 RON 419

61.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.7 CHF 48.31

$38.77 RON 183

51.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$168 CHF 138

$78.8 RON 373

113.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 CHF 208

$90.6 RON 428

178.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 CHF 1,432

$695 RON 3,288

150.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 CHF 1,214

$446 RON 2,109

230.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,977 CHF 2,452

$1,084 RON 5,130

174.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,600 CHF 2,142

$712 RON 3,368

265.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.9K CHF 13.9K

$3,797 RON 18.0K

343.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.3K CHF 10.9K

$2,202 RON 10.4K

502.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,354 RON 6,406

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

6.75

-69.33%

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

Last update for Cham: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cham

$1.5K 41.8%

Bucharest

$446 33.3% 69.8% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Cham

$604 17.1%

Bucharest

$225 16.9% 62.7% $379

Eating Out

Cham

$470 13.3%

Bucharest

$226 16.9% 52% $244

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cham

$366 10.4%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 41.7% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Cham

$280 7.9%

Bucharest

$133 10% 52.3% $147

Getting Around

Cham

$191 5.4%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 85.3% $163

Sport & Entertainment

Cham

$142 4%

Bucharest

$66 4.9% 53.5% $76

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,739 in Cham and $695 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $122 in Cham vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $604 vs $225 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Cham

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

19:39 7:39 PM

20:39 8:39 PM

1 h ahead of Cham

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,060

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

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).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cham Bucharest 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cham
Bucharest

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 Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cham and Bucharest differ by about 164% in total monthly costs ($3,527 vs $1,337 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,290 in Cham and $2,006 in Bucharest 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,739 in Cham versus $695 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,527 per month in Cham versus $1,337 in Bucharest – a 164% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 609% less than in Cham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,337 in Bucharest versus $3,527 in Cham, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Cham. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cham and Bucharest are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 164% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.