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: $3,510 in Cham versus $3,497 in Lausanne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,437 in Cham versus $5,694 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,364 in Cham versus $7,890 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs are close between Cham and Lausanne; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cham 162% above, Lausanne 161% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.40 CHF 23.83

$33.20 CHF 26.03

-8.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$151 CHF 118

$148 CHF 116

1.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.86 CHF 15.57

$19.38 CHF 15.19

2.48%

Cappuccino

$6.84 CHF 5.36

$5.99 CHF 4.69

14.19%

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

$5.57 CHF 4.37

$5.58 CHF 4.38

-0.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 CHF 4.09

$4.84 CHF 3.79

7.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.91

$10.03 CHF 7.87

0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.84

$8.43 CHF 6.61

-11.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.74

$2.17 CHF 1.70

2.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 CHF 2.56

$4.11 CHF 3.22

-20.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 CHF 3.20

$4.45 CHF 3.49

-8.31%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.66

$7.27 CHF 5.70

-0.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.15 CHF 22.07

$26.33 CHF 20.64

6.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.89 CHF 26.57

$28.92 CHF 22.67

17.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.75 CHF 35.08

$52.0 CHF 40.77

-13.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 CHF 2.99

$3.79 CHF 2.97

0.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 CHF 2.08

$2.10 CHF 1.65

26.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 CHF 2.36

$2.89 CHF 2.26

4.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 CHF 4.10

$6.68 CHF 5.23

-21.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CHF 2.14

$2.55 CHF 2.00

7.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.78

$2.35 CHF 1.84

-3.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 1.95

$2.60 CHF 2.04

-4.23%

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

$11.12 CHF 8.72

-1.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.44 CHF 12.10

$15.76 CHF 12.36

-2.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 CHF 1.93

$2.05 CHF 1.61

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 CHF 2.37

$3.17 CHF 2.49

-4.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.82 CHF 2.99

$4.72 CHF 3.70

-19.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.6 CHF 77.3

$97.3 CHF 76.3

1.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.57 CHF 5.94

$7.82 CHF 6.13

-3.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.11 CHF 3.22

$3.41 CHF 2.67

20.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.3

$67.8 CHF 53.1

28.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 CHF 1.84

$2.24 CHF 1.76

4.46%

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

$39.6K CHF 31.1K

$40.8K CHF 32.0K

-2.77%

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

$38.7K CHF 30.4K

$41.6K CHF 32.6K

-6.95%

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

$258 CHF 202

$330 CHF 259

-21.94%

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

$36.19 CHF 28.37

$49.88 CHF 39.11

-27.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 CHF 46.55

$58.0 CHF 45.44

2.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.5 CHF 69.4

$76.1 CHF 59.7

16.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.53 CHF 37.26

Cinema Ticket

$22.34 CHF 17.52

$26.14 CHF 20.50

-14.54%

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

$2,563 CHF 2,009

$2,812 CHF 2,205

-8.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 27.2K

$34.5K CHF 27.1K

0.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 CHF 104

$110 CHF 86.2

20.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 CHF 48.12

$68.9 CHF 54.0

-10.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 116

$150 CHF 118

-1.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 156

$188 CHF 147

6.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 CHF 1,310

$1,853 CHF 1,453

-9.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 CHF 1,144

$1,496 CHF 1,173

-2.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,857 CHF 2,240

$3,576 CHF 2,803

-20.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 CHF 1,962

$2,917 CHF 2,287

-14.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.1K CHF 9,524

$20.0K CHF 15.7K

-39.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.0K CHF 9,428

$15.3K CHF 12.0K

-21.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,994 CHF 6,267

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: April 22, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,671 in Cham and $1,853 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $151 in Cham vs $148 in Lausanne. Groceries flip the comparison at $652 vs $653, 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 Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You'd need roughly $5,266 in Cham and $5,246 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: $1,671 in Cham versus $1,853 in Lausanne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lausanne runs roughly 1% less than in Cham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Cham pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lausanne is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Lausanne is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cham, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Lausanne wins on affordability, Cham on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.