Cost of Living Comparison Between Cham and Zurich Cost of Living Comparison Between Cham and Zurich

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,510 in Cham versus $4,347 in Zurich.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,437 in Cham versus $6,523 in Zurich.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,364 in Cham versus $8,699 in Zurich.

Living in Cham costs roughly 19% less than in Zurich, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cham 162% above, Zurich 224% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.40 CHF 23.83

$30.22 CHF 23.69

0.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$151 CHF 118

$149 CHF 116

1.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.86 CHF 15.57

$21.17 CHF 16.59

-6.19%

Cappuccino

$6.84 CHF 5.36

$6.97 CHF 5.47

-1.87%

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

$5.57 CHF 4.37

$5.78 CHF 4.53

-3.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 CHF 4.09

$5.40 CHF 4.24

-3.33%

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

$8.58 CHF 6.72

-13.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.74

$2.14 CHF 1.68

3.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 CHF 2.56

$3.31 CHF 2.60

-1.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 CHF 3.20

$4.07 CHF 3.19

0.25%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.66

$7.46 CHF 5.85

-3.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.15 CHF 22.07

$29.49 CHF 23.12

-4.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.89 CHF 26.57

$33.63 CHF 26.37

0.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.75 CHF 35.08

$49.90 CHF 39.12

-10.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 CHF 2.99

$4.02 CHF 3.16

-4.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 CHF 2.08

$2.83 CHF 2.22

-6.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 CHF 2.36

$3.00 CHF 2.35

0.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 CHF 4.10

$5.22 CHF 4.09

0.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CHF 2.14

$2.79 CHF 2.19

-2.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.78

$2.28 CHF 1.79

-0.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 1.95

$2.54 CHF 1.99

-1.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CHF 1.22

$1.65 CHF 1.30

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 CHF 8.58

$11.19 CHF 8.77

-2.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.44 CHF 12.10

$15.18 CHF 11.90

1.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 CHF 1.93

$2.60 CHF 2.04

-5.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 CHF 2.37

$3.37 CHF 2.64

-10.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.82 CHF 2.99

$5.01 CHF 3.93

-23.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.6 CHF 77.3

$110 CHF 86.1

-10.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.57 CHF 5.94

$7.60 CHF 5.96

-0.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.11 CHF 3.22

$4.25 CHF 3.33

-3.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.3

$88.4 CHF 69.3

-1.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 CHF 1.84

$2.22 CHF 1.74

5.41%

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

$39.6K CHF 31.1K

$39.9K CHF 31.3K

-0.64%

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

$38.7K CHF 30.4K

$39.3K CHF 30.8K

-1.37%

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

$258 CHF 202

$254 CHF 199

1.41%

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

$36.19 CHF 28.37

$35.48 CHF 27.81

2.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 CHF 46.55

$58.4 CHF 45.78

1.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.5 CHF 69.4

$90.7 CHF 71.1

-2.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.80 CHF 39.05

Cinema Ticket

$22.34 CHF 17.52

$24.62 CHF 19.30

-9.26%

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

$2,563 CHF 2,009

$3,356 CHF 2,631

-23.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 27.2K

$39.0K CHF 30.5K

-11.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 CHF 104

$138 CHF 108

-4.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 CHF 48.12

$61.7 CHF 48.37

-0.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 116

$151 CHF 119

-2.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 156

$205 CHF 161

-2.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 CHF 1,310

$2,780 CHF 2,180

-39.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 CHF 1,144

$2,227 CHF 1,746

-34.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,857 CHF 2,240

$4,989 CHF 3,911

-42.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 CHF 1,962

$3,800 CHF 2,979

-34.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.1K CHF 9,524

$25.3K CHF 19.8K

-51.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.0K CHF 9,428

$16.0K CHF 12.5K

-24.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,622 CHF 6,760

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

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

Last update for Cham: April 22, 2026

Last update for Zurich: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,671 in Cham and $2,780 in Zurich. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $151 in Cham vs $149 in Zurich. Groceries flip the comparison at $652 vs $675, 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 Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cham is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,266 in Cham and $6,521 in Zurich 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 $2,780 in Zurich. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,563 in Cham versus $3,356 in Zurich. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Zurich. 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 Zurich, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cham and Zurich 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 24% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.