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: $3,443 in Cham versus $4,264 in Zurich.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,403 in Cham versus $6,405 in Zurich.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,363 in Cham versus $8,546 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 156% above, Zurich 217% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.00 CHF 24.78

$30.59 CHF 24.45

1.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 119

$146 CHF 116

2.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.08 CHF 16.05

$20.52 CHF 16.41

-2.14%

Cappuccino

$6.92 CHF 5.53

$6.99 CHF 5.59

-1.00%

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

$5.69 CHF 4.55

$6.08 CHF 4.86

-6.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 CHF 4.07

$5.28 CHF 4.22

-3.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.67

$9.91 CHF 7.92

-3.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 CHF 5.84

$8.83 CHF 7.06

-17.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.80

$2.24 CHF 1.79

0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 CHF 2.69

$3.29 CHF 2.63

2.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 CHF 3.29

$3.95 CHF 3.15

4.05%

Eggs

$7.30 CHF 5.84

$7.39 CHF 5.90

-1.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.12 CHF 22.48

$30.07 CHF 24.03

-6.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.90 CHF 26.30

$34.13 CHF 27.28

-3.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.82 CHF 35.83

$50.9 CHF 40.71

-12.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CHF 3.12

$4.23 CHF 3.38

-7.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 CHF 2.20

$2.83 CHF 2.26

-2.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 CHF 2.48

$3.01 CHF 2.41

3.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 CHF 4.06

$5.27 CHF 4.21

-3.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 CHF 2.23

$2.82 CHF 2.25

-1.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 CHF 1.80

$2.34 CHF 1.87

-3.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 2.00

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CHF 1.20

$1.72 CHF 1.37

-12.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.88 CHF 8.69

$10.87 CHF 8.69

0.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.60 CHF 10.87

$15.00 CHF 11.99

-9.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 CHF 1.86

$2.71 CHF 2.17

-14.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 CHF 2.41

$3.24 CHF 2.59

-6.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 CHF 3.15

$5.06 CHF 4.04

-21.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.1 CHF 79.2

$109 CHF 87.4

-9.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 CHF 6.14

$7.88 CHF 6.30

-2.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.35 CHF 3.47

$4.30 CHF 3.43

1.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.0 CHF 67.9

$88.5 CHF 70.7

-3.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.84

$2.32 CHF 1.85

-0.86%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.4K

$41.1K CHF 32.9K

-1.34%

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

$38.7K CHF 31.0K

$39.1K CHF 31.2K

-0.90%

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

$254 CHF 203

$257 CHF 206

-1.24%

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

$36.17 CHF 28.91

$35.13 CHF 28.08

2.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 CHF 47.00

$59.1 CHF 47.26

-0.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.3 CHF 71.3

$89.0 CHF 71.2

0.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.88 CHF 39.87

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 18.16

$24.22 CHF 19.36

-6.19%

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

$2,568 CHF 2,053

$3,382 CHF 2,703

-24.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.2K CHF 27.3K

$38.9K CHF 31.1K

-12.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 CHF 106

$139 CHF 111

-5.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.5 CHF 49.95

$62.5 CHF 49.93

0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 119

$146 CHF 117

1.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 CHF 160

$198 CHF 159

1.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 CHF 1,338

$2,676 CHF 2,139

-37.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 CHF 1,160

$2,185 CHF 1,746

-33.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,848 CHF 2,277

$5,057 CHF 4,042

-43.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,461 CHF 1,967

$3,718 CHF 2,971

-33.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.9K CHF 11.9K

$26.5K CHF 21.2K

-43.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K CHF 9,482

$16.9K CHF 13.5K

-29.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,547 CHF 6,832

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Zurich: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,674 in Cham and $2,676 in Zurich. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $149 in Cham vs $146 in Zurich. Groceries flip the comparison at $645 vs $685, 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 $5,164 in Cham and $6,396 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: $1,674 in Cham versus $2,676 in Zurich. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,568 in Cham versus $3,382 in Zurich. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% 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.