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: $3,510 in Cham versus $4,065 in Geneva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,437 in Cham versus $6,486 in Geneva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,364 in Cham versus $8,908 in Geneva.

Living in Cham costs roughly 14% less than in Geneva, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cham 162% above, Geneva 203% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.40 CHF 23.83

$36.37 CHF 28.51

-16.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$151 CHF 118

$147 CHF 116

2.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.86 CHF 15.57

$18.44 CHF 14.46

7.70%

Cappuccino

$6.84 CHF 5.36

$5.98 CHF 4.69

14.38%

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

$5.57 CHF 4.37

$5.47 CHF 4.29

1.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 CHF 4.09

$4.88 CHF 3.82

6.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.91

$9.82 CHF 7.70

2.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.84

$8.65 CHF 6.78

-13.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.74

$2.29 CHF 1.79

-3.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 CHF 2.56

$3.80 CHF 2.98

-14.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 CHF 3.20

$4.40 CHF 3.45

-7.27%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.66

$7.34 CHF 5.76

-1.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.15 CHF 22.07

$27.18 CHF 21.31

3.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.89 CHF 26.57

$33.05 CHF 25.91

2.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.75 CHF 35.08

$51.7 CHF 40.54

-13.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 CHF 2.99

$3.46 CHF 2.71

10.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 CHF 2.08

$2.41 CHF 1.89

9.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 CHF 2.36

$3.00 CHF 2.35

0.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 CHF 4.10

$6.38 CHF 5.01

-18.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CHF 2.14

$2.65 CHF 2.08

3.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.78

$2.42 CHF 1.90

-6.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 1.95

$2.50 CHF 1.96

-0.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CHF 1.22

$1.39 CHF 1.09

12.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 CHF 8.58

$10.96 CHF 8.59

-0.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.44 CHF 12.10

$12.88 CHF 10.09

19.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 CHF 1.93

$3.23 CHF 2.53

-23.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 CHF 2.37

$3.67 CHF 2.88

-17.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.82 CHF 2.99

$3.66 CHF 2.87

4.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.6 CHF 77.3

$85.6 CHF 67.1

15.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.57 CHF 5.94

$7.43 CHF 5.82

1.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.11 CHF 3.22

$3.66 CHF 2.87

12.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.3

$64.4 CHF 50.5

35.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 CHF 1.84

$2.31 CHF 1.81

1.30%

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

$39.6K CHF 31.1K

$41.2K CHF 32.3K

-3.76%

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

$38.7K CHF 30.4K

$49.8K CHF 39.0K

-22.19%

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

$258 CHF 202

-0.17%

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

$36.19 CHF 28.37

$48.14 CHF 37.74

-24.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 CHF 46.55

$63.7 CHF 49.93

-6.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.5 CHF 69.4

$80.9 CHF 63.4

9.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.39 CHF 29.32

Cinema Ticket

$22.34 CHF 17.52

$24.66 CHF 19.33

-9.41%

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

$2,563 CHF 2,009

$3,395 CHF 2,662

-24.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 27.2K

$33.0K CHF 25.9K

5.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 CHF 104

$137 CHF 107

-3.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 CHF 48.12

$82.4 CHF 64.6

-25.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 116

$166 CHF 131

-11.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 156

$215 CHF 168

-7.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 CHF 1,310

$2,308 CHF 1,810

-27.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 CHF 1,144

$2,016 CHF 1,581

-27.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,857 CHF 2,240

$4,626 CHF 3,627

-38.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 CHF 1,962

$3,904 CHF 3,061

-35.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.1K CHF 9,524

$23.2K CHF 18.2K

-47.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.0K CHF 9,428

$17.7K CHF 13.9K

-32.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,773 CHF 6,094

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: April 22, 2026

Last update for Geneva: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,671 in Cham and $2,308 in Geneva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $151 in Cham vs $147 in Geneva. Groceries flip the comparison at $652 vs $674, with Cham 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 Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,266 in Cham and $6,097 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: $1,671 in Cham versus $2,308 in Geneva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,563 in Cham versus $3,395 in Geneva. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% 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 16% less than in Geneva. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.