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: $3,622 in Cham versus $4,202 in Geneva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,410 in Cham versus $6,374 in Geneva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,198 in Cham versus $8,546 in Geneva.

Living in Cham costs roughly 14% less than in Geneva, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cham 163% above, Geneva 205% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.40 CHF 25.63

$30.87 CHF 25.19

1.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 103

$136 CHF 111

-7.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.26 CHF 14.91

$18.85 CHF 15.38

-3.13%

Cappuccino

$6.05 CHF 4.94

$6.65 CHF 5.43

-9.02%

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

$5.68 CHF 4.63

$5.00 CHF 4.08

13.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 CHF 3.91

$4.17 CHF 3.41

14.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.40 CHF 6.86

$10.02 CHF 8.18

-16.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 CHF 5.57

$9.77 CHF 7.97

-30.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.81

$2.38 CHF 1.94

-6.72%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 CHF 3.30

$3.49 CHF 2.85

16.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 CHF 3.13

$3.26 CHF 2.66

17.48%

Eggs

$7.36 CHF 6.01

$8.25 CHF 6.74

-10.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.93 CHF 22.79

$25.28 CHF 20.63

10.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.68 CHF 22.59

$30.09 CHF 24.56

-8.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.42 CHF 35.44

$43.71 CHF 35.67

-0.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 CHF 3.36

$3.59 CHF 2.93

14.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 CHF 1.86

$1.68 CHF 1.37

35.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 CHF 2.70

$2.73 CHF 2.23

20.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 CHF 3.85

$4.81 CHF 3.93

-1.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.06

$1.59 CHF 1.29

58.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.85

$2.13 CHF 1.74

6.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CHF 2.09

$2.10 CHF 1.71

21.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 CHF 0.98

$1.70 CHF 1.39

-29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.20 CHF 9.14

$11.27 CHF 9.20

-0.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.61 CHF 11.11

$12.19 CHF 9.95

11.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 CHF 2.34

$3.27 CHF 2.67

-12.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CHF 2.62

$3.58 CHF 2.92

-10.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.00 CHF 4.08

$3.69 CHF 3.01

35.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 CHF 124

$90.8 CHF 74.1

67.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.61 CHF 4.58

$7.83 CHF 6.39

-28.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.47 CHF 2.83

$3.91 CHF 3.19

-11.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.9 CHF 50.5

$65.7 CHF 53.6

-5.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.86

$2.38 CHF 1.95

-4.20%

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

$40.6K CHF 33.2K

$39.1K CHF 31.9K

3.87%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

$40.1K CHF 32.8K

-0.51%

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

$288 CHF 235

$287 CHF 234

0.40%

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

$32.30 CHF 26.36

$39.09 CHF 31.91

-17.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 CHF 46.65

$58.1 CHF 47.39

-1.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.4 CHF 75.4

$76.3 CHF 62.2

21.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.34 CHF 34.56

$46.89 CHF 38.26

-9.70%

Cinema Ticket

$25.03 CHF 20.43

$24.65 CHF 20.12

1.54%

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

$1,818 CHF 1,484

$2,449 CHF 1,999

-25.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

$36.8K CHF 30.0K

-7.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$148 CHF 121

$136 CHF 111

8.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 CHF 49.56

$81.8 CHF 66.7

-25.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$167 CHF 136

$169 CHF 138

-1.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$261 CHF 213

$189 CHF 154

38.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 CHF 1,413

$2,843 CHF 2,320

-39.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 CHF 1,199

$2,143 CHF 1,749

-31.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,875 CHF 2,346

$4,690 CHF 3,827

-38.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 CHF 2,189

$3,651 CHF 2,979

-26.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.9K CHF 14.6K

$22.5K CHF 18.3K

-20.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.6K CHF 11.1K

$16.0K CHF 13.0K

-14.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,229 CHF 5,900

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

1.98

4.55%

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

Last update for Cham: September 7, 2026

Last update for Geneva: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,732 in Cham and $2,843 in Geneva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $126 in Cham vs $136 in Geneva. Groceries flip the comparison at $616 vs $611, with Geneva cheaper for home cooking.

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 Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,434 in Cham and $6,303 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: $1,732 in Cham versus $2,843 in Geneva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,818 in Cham versus $2,449 in Geneva. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Geneva pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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 16% less than in Geneva. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.