Cost of Living Comparison Between Cham and Lausanne Cost of Living Comparison Between Cham and Lausanne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,622 in Cham versus $3,900 in Lausanne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,410 in Cham versus $5,943 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,198 in Cham versus $7,986 in Lausanne.

Living in Cham costs roughly 7% less than in Lausanne, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cham 163% above, Lausanne 183% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.40 CHF 25.63

$30.85 CHF 25.18

1.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 103

$120 CHF 97.9

4.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.26 CHF 14.91

$18.94 CHF 15.45

-3.59%

Cappuccino

$6.05 CHF 4.94

$6.21 CHF 5.07

-2.58%

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

$5.68 CHF 4.63

$5.26 CHF 4.30

7.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 CHF 3.91

$4.32 CHF 3.53

10.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.40 CHF 6.86

$10.68 CHF 8.72

-21.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 CHF 5.57

$9.99 CHF 8.15

-31.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.81

$2.25 CHF 1.84

-1.33%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 CHF 3.30

$4.07 CHF 3.32

-0.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 CHF 3.13

$3.32 CHF 2.71

15.36%

Eggs

$7.36 CHF 6.01

$7.13 CHF 5.82

3.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.93 CHF 22.79

$24.97 CHF 20.38

11.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.68 CHF 22.59

$28.48 CHF 23.25

-2.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.42 CHF 35.44

$40.00 CHF 32.65

8.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 CHF 3.36

$3.73 CHF 3.04

10.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 CHF 1.86

$2.17 CHF 1.77

5.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 CHF 2.70

$2.62 CHF 2.14

25.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 CHF 3.85

$4.76 CHF 3.88

-0.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.06

$1.81 CHF 1.48

39.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.85

$1.99 CHF 1.62

14.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CHF 2.09

$2.05 CHF 1.68

24.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 CHF 0.98

$1.71 CHF 1.39

-29.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.20 CHF 9.14

$10.90 CHF 8.90

2.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.61 CHF 11.11

$15.21 CHF 12.42

-10.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 CHF 2.34

$2.74 CHF 2.23

4.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CHF 2.62

$3.33 CHF 2.72

-3.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.00 CHF 4.08

$4.55 CHF 3.72

9.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 CHF 124

$95.4 CHF 77.8

59.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.61 CHF 4.58

$7.80 CHF 6.36

-28.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.47 CHF 2.83

$4.71 CHF 3.85

-26.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.9 CHF 50.5

$85.7 CHF 69.9

-27.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.86

$2.27 CHF 1.85

0.44%

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

$40.6K CHF 33.2K

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

-7.98%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

$40.0K CHF 32.7K

-0.19%

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

$288 CHF 235

$295 CHF 240

-2.30%

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

$32.30 CHF 26.36

$37.56 CHF 30.65

-14.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 CHF 46.65

$51.2 CHF 41.78

11.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.4 CHF 75.4

$72.5 CHF 59.2

27.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.34 CHF 34.56

$50.4 CHF 41.15

-16.03%

Cinema Ticket

$25.03 CHF 20.43

$24.31 CHF 19.84

2.96%

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

$1,818 CHF 1,484

$3,018 CHF 2,463

-39.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

$37.2K CHF 30.3K

-8.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$148 CHF 121

$145 CHF 118

2.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 CHF 49.56

$78.1 CHF 63.8

-22.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$167 CHF 136

$144 CHF 118

15.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$261 CHF 213

$217 CHF 177

20.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 CHF 1,413

$2,280 CHF 1,861

-24.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 CHF 1,199

$1,848 CHF 1,508

-20.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,875 CHF 2,346

$4,387 CHF 3,580

-34.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 CHF 2,189

$3,275 CHF 2,672

-18.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.9K CHF 14.6K

$18.8K CHF 15.3K

-4.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.6K CHF 11.1K

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

-6.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,014 CHF 5,724

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

1.95

6.15%

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

Last update for Cham: September 7, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,732 in Cham and $2,280 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $126 in Cham vs $120 in Lausanne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $616 vs $597 per month, with Lausanne 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 Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cham is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,434 in Cham and $5,850 in Lausanne 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 $2,280 in Lausanne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,818 in Cham versus $3,018 in Lausanne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lausanne pay roughly 3% 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 Lausanne, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cham and Lausanne 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 8% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.