Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cham and Geneva

For one person, living is cheaper in Cham: $3,575 a month against $4,079 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Geneva outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Cham, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Cham
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,575
/mo nomad
Geneva
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$4,079
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cham and in Geneva

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,575 in Cham versus $4,079 in Geneva.

  • Cham $3,575
  • Geneva $4,079

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,453 in Cham versus $6,308 in Geneva.

  • Cham $5,453
  • Geneva $6,308

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,331 in Cham versus $8,538 in Geneva.

  • Cham $7,331
  • Geneva $8,538

Living in Cham costs roughly 12% less than in Geneva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cham 163% above, Geneva 200% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cham
Geneva
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$29.74 CHF 24.65
$30.31 CHF 25.12
-1.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$122 CHF 101
$129 CHF 107
-5.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$17.93 CHF 14.86
$19.47 CHF 16.14
-7.91%
Cappuccino
$5.82 CHF 4.83
$6.40 CHF 5.30
-9.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.32 CHF 4.41
$4.66 CHF 3.86
14.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.87 CHF 4.04
$4.13 CHF 3.43
17.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.45 CHF 7.00
$9.82 CHF 8.14
-13.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.53 CHF 5.41
$9.87 CHF 8.18
-33.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cham
Geneva
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.13 CHF 1.76
$2.35 CHF 1.95
-9.36%
White Bread (500g)
$3.76 CHF 3.12
$3.26 CHF 2.70
15.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.62 CHF 3.00
$3.39 CHF 2.81
6.78%
Eggs
$7.27 CHF 6.02
$8.18 CHF 6.78
-11.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$26.38 CHF 21.86
$25.05 CHF 20.76
5.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$28.65 CHF 23.75
$29.22 CHF 24.22
-1.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$42.06 CHF 34.86
$42.51 CHF 35.24
-1.06%
Apples (1kg)
$3.91 CHF 3.24
$3.53 CHF 2.93
10.76%
Banana (1kg)
$2.15 CHF 1.78
$1.63 CHF 1.35
31.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.10 CHF 2.57
$2.85 CHF 2.36
8.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.58 CHF 3.79
$4.90 CHF 4.06
-6.53%
Potato (1kg)
$2.25 CHF 1.87
$1.64 CHF 1.36
37.20%
Onion (1kg)
$2.24 CHF 1.86
$2.29 CHF 1.90
-2.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.39 CHF 1.98
$2.19 CHF 1.81
9.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 CHF 0.92
$1.66 CHF 1.38
-33.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.02 CHF 9.14
$10.97 CHF 9.10
0.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.08 CHF 10.01
$12.16 CHF 10.08
-0.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.82 CHF 2.33
$3.21 CHF 2.66
-12.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 CHF 2.57
$3.30 CHF 2.74
-6.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Cham
Geneva
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.13 CHF 4.25
$3.55 CHF 2.94
44.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$146 CHF 121
$85.8 CHF 71.1
70.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.44 CHF 3.68
$7.61 CHF 6.31
-41.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.96 CHF 2.45
$3.76 CHF 3.11
-21.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$59.7 CHF 49.45
$64.2 CHF 53.2
-7.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 CHF 1.82
$2.35 CHF 1.95
-6.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.7K CHF 32.9K
$39.5K CHF 32.8K
0.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.9K CHF 33.1K
$38.8K CHF 32.2K
2.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cham
Geneva
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$286 CHF 237
$280 CHF 232
2.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.15 CHF 24.16
$37.96 CHF 31.46
-23.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.8 CHF 45.46
$57.6 CHF 47.70
-4.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cham
Geneva
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$85.3 CHF 70.7
$77.0 CHF 63.8
10.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$40.01 CHF 33.16
$43.34 CHF 35.92
-7.68%
Cinema Ticket
$22.10 CHF 18.32
$23.96 CHF 19.86
-7.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cham
Geneva
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,488 CHF 1,233
$2,484 CHF 2,059
-40.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.7K CHF 20.5K
$35.2K CHF 29.2K
-29.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cham
Geneva
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$137 CHF 114
$133 CHF 110
2.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.0 CHF 44.72
$79.1 CHF 65.6
-31.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$157 CHF 130
$169 CHF 140
-6.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$249 CHF 206
$188 CHF 156
31.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cham
Geneva
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,780 CHF 1,476
$2,825 CHF 2,342
-36.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,566 CHF 1,298
$2,115 CHF 1,753
-25.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,896 CHF 2,400
$5,088 CHF 4,217
-43.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,704 CHF 2,242
$3,963 CHF 3,284
-31.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.0K CHF 10.8K
$22.5K CHF 18.6K
-42.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$11.7K CHF 9,721
$16.3K CHF 13.5K
-28.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cham
Geneva
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$7,271 CHF 6,027
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.03
1.98
2.53%

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

Last update for Cham: October 24, 2026

Last update for Geneva: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cham
$1.6K
Geneva
$2.1K 35% $548
Groceries & Markets
Cham
$597
Geneva
$600 0.4% $2.4
Eating Out
Cham
$458
Geneva
$482 5.3% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cham
$370
Geneva
$375 1.5% $5.4
Clothing & Footwear
Cham
$268
Geneva
$256 4.6% $12
Getting Around
Cham
$186
Geneva
$126 32% $59
Sport & Entertainment
Cham
$129
Geneva
$125 3.5% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,780 in Cham and $2,825 in Geneva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $122 in Cham vs $129 in Geneva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $597 vs $600 per month, with Cham cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇭 Cham
🇨🇭 Geneva
🕒 Local time
08:47 8:47 AM
08:47 8:47 AM
Same time as Cham
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
17,060
191,557
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.829 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.923 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cham Geneva 210 km
From you
  • Cham
  • Geneva

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 Geneva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cham cheaper than Geneva?
Cham is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and utilities. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $5,362 in Cham and $6,118 in Geneva 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.
What is the rent difference between Cham and Geneva?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,780 in Cham versus $2,825 in Geneva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Geneva runs roughly 41% less than in Cham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.
What are total monthly expenses in Cham and in Geneva?
All in, you’ll spend $3,575 per month in Cham versus $4,079 in Geneva – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Cham or in Geneva?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Cham is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is it better to live in Cham or in Geneva?
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.
Which city is safer, Cham or Geneva?
Safety-wise, Cham and Geneva are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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