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: $3,528 in Cham versus $3,563 in Lausanne.

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

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,192 in Cham versus $7,677 in Lausanne.

Living in Cham costs roughly 1% less than in Lausanne, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cham 164% above, Lausanne 167% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 CHF 25.23

$33.01 CHF 26.99

-6.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 121

$148 CHF 121

-0.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.66 CHF 16.08

$18.84 CHF 15.41

4.35%

Cappuccino

$6.74 CHF 5.51

$5.85 CHF 4.79

15.21%

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

$5.51 CHF 4.51

$5.35 CHF 4.38

2.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 CHF 4.07

$4.80 CHF 3.93

3.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.05 CHF 8.22

$9.64 CHF 7.88

4.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.68 CHF 6.28

$8.51 CHF 6.96

-9.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.83

$2.18 CHF 1.78

2.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 CHF 2.72

$4.20 CHF 3.44

-20.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.39

$4.32 CHF 3.53

-3.94%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.91

$7.24 CHF 5.92

-0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.77 CHF 23.52

$26.30 CHF 21.50

9.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.10 CHF 27.07

$28.79 CHF 23.54

14.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.54 CHF 36.42

$53.5 CHF 43.74

-16.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 CHF 3.29

$3.73 CHF 3.05

7.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 CHF 2.22

$2.17 CHF 1.78

25.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.44

$2.91 CHF 2.38

2.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 CHF 4.13

$6.62 CHF 5.41

-23.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 CHF 2.34

$2.44 CHF 2.00

17.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.88

$2.41 CHF 1.97

-4.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CHF 2.10

$2.61 CHF 2.14

-1.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CHF 1.24

$1.40 CHF 1.14

8.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.20 CHF 9.16

$10.94 CHF 8.95

2.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.01 CHF 10.64

$15.85 CHF 12.96

-17.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CHF 1.94

$2.05 CHF 1.67

16.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 CHF 2.59

$3.20 CHF 2.62

-0.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.88 CHF 3.17

$4.86 CHF 3.97

-20.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.1 CHF 81.0

$95.5 CHF 78.1

3.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 CHF 6.35

$7.82 CHF 6.39

-0.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.15 CHF 3.40

$3.39 CHF 2.77

22.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.3 CHF 70.6

$65.5 CHF 53.6

31.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

$2.13 CHF 1.75

5.63%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

-0.01%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

$41.8K CHF 34.2K

-4.56%

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

$255 CHF 209

$327 CHF 267

-21.88%

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

$35.13 CHF 28.73

$50.2 CHF 41.06

-30.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 48.16

$58.3 CHF 47.66

1.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.2 CHF 70.5

$78.0 CHF 63.8

10.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.32 CHF 39.51

Cinema Ticket

$22.76 CHF 18.61

$26.86 CHF 21.97

-15.26%

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

$2,609 CHF 2,133

$2,764 CHF 2,260

-5.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

$34.6K CHF 28.3K

-1.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 CHF 108

$107 CHF 87.7

22.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.6 CHF 49.57

$68.7 CHF 56.2

-11.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 121

$150 CHF 123

-1.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 CHF 167

$186 CHF 152

10.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,705 CHF 1,394

$1,882 CHF 1,539

-9.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 CHF 1,201

$1,440 CHF 1,178

2.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 CHF 2,310

$3,639 CHF 2,975

-22.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,506 CHF 2,049

$2,977 CHF 2,435

-15.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.9K CHF 13.8K

$18.5K CHF 15.1K

-8.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.1K CHF 11.5K

$14.3K CHF 11.7K

-1.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,398 CHF 5,232

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

2.5

-16.40%

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

Last update for Cham: July 20, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,705 in Cham and $1,882 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $147 in Cham vs $148 in Lausanne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $646 vs $657 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 Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cham is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,293 in Cham and $5,345 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: $1,705 in Cham versus $1,882 in Lausanne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,609 in Cham versus $2,764 in Lausanne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Lausanne. 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 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 1% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.