Cost of Living Comparison Between Cham and Geneva Cost of Living Comparison Between Cham and Geneva

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,528 in Cham versus $4,215 in Geneva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,360 in Cham versus $6,620 in Geneva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,192 in Cham versus $9,024 in Geneva.

Living in Cham costs roughly 16% less than in Geneva, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cham 164% above, Geneva 216% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 CHF 25.23

$37.08 CHF 30.32

-16.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 121

$149 CHF 122

-1.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.66 CHF 16.08

$18.74 CHF 15.32

4.91%

Cappuccino

$6.74 CHF 5.51

$5.89 CHF 4.82

14.43%

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

$5.51 CHF 4.51

$5.42 CHF 4.43

1.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 CHF 4.07

$4.89 CHF 4.00

1.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.05 CHF 8.22

$10.09 CHF 8.25

-0.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.68 CHF 6.28

$8.79 CHF 7.19

-12.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.83

$2.22 CHF 1.81

0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 CHF 2.72

$3.81 CHF 3.12

-12.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.39

$4.40 CHF 3.60

-5.68%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.91

$7.60 CHF 6.22

-5.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.77 CHF 23.52

$27.21 CHF 22.25

5.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.10 CHF 27.07

$32.60 CHF 26.65

1.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.54 CHF 36.42

$53.0 CHF 43.34

-15.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 CHF 3.29

$3.41 CHF 2.78

17.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 CHF 2.22

$2.44 CHF 2.00

11.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.44

$3.01 CHF 2.46

-1.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 CHF 4.13

$6.47 CHF 5.29

-21.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 CHF 2.34

$2.54 CHF 2.08

12.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.88

$2.36 CHF 1.93

-2.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CHF 2.10

$2.49 CHF 2.03

3.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CHF 1.24

$1.32 CHF 1.08

15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.20 CHF 9.16

$10.93 CHF 8.94

2.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.01 CHF 10.64

$12.29 CHF 10.05

5.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CHF 1.94

$3.28 CHF 2.68

-27.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 CHF 2.59

$3.63 CHF 2.97

-12.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.88 CHF 3.17

$3.61 CHF 2.95

7.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.1 CHF 81.0

$86.2 CHF 70.5

14.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 CHF 6.35

$7.50 CHF 6.14

3.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.15 CHF 3.40

$3.54 CHF 2.89

17.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.3 CHF 70.6

$64.3 CHF 52.6

34.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

$2.21 CHF 1.80

1.81%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

$40.7K CHF 33.3K

1.04%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

$49.3K CHF 40.3K

-19.10%

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

$255 CHF 209

$257 CHF 210

-0.65%

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

$35.13 CHF 28.73

$47.97 CHF 39.23

-26.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 48.16

$64.3 CHF 52.6

-8.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.2 CHF 70.5

$81.3 CHF 66.5

6.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.03 CHF 29.46

Cinema Ticket

$22.76 CHF 18.61

$24.23 CHF 19.82

-6.07%

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

$2,609 CHF 2,133

$3,422 CHF 2,798

-23.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

$33.5K CHF 27.4K

1.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 CHF 108

$139 CHF 113

-5.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.6 CHF 49.57

$79.7 CHF 65.1

-23.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 121

$166 CHF 136

-11.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 CHF 167

$214 CHF 175

-4.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,705 CHF 1,394

$2,383 CHF 1,949

-28.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 CHF 1,201

$2,021 CHF 1,652

-27.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 CHF 2,310

$4,642 CHF 3,796

-39.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,506 CHF 2,049

$3,834 CHF 3,135

-34.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.9K CHF 13.8K

$22.7K CHF 18.5K

-25.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.1K CHF 11.5K

$15.8K CHF 12.9K

-11.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,409 CHF 6,058

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

2.46

-15.04%

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

Last update for Cham: July 20, 2026

Last update for Geneva: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,705 in Cham and $2,383 in Geneva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $147 in Cham vs $149 in Geneva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $646 vs $674 per month, with Cham cheaper across the board.

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

Cham is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,293 in Cham and $6,323 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,705 in Cham versus $2,383 in Geneva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,609 in Cham versus $3,422 in Geneva. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Geneva. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

For families, Cham is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Geneva, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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.

Expats usually find Cham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Geneva. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.