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: $3,622 in Cham versus $4,715 in Zurich.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,410 in Cham versus $7,006 in Zurich.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,198 in Cham versus $9,297 in Zurich.

Living in Cham costs roughly 23% less than in Zurich, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cham 163% above, Zurich 242% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.40 CHF 25.63

$36.39 CHF 29.69

-13.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 103

$148 CHF 121

-15.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.26 CHF 14.91

$18.59 CHF 15.17

-1.78%

Cappuccino

$6.05 CHF 4.94

$7.14 CHF 5.83

-15.27%

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

$5.68 CHF 4.63

$5.83 CHF 4.76

-2.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 CHF 3.91

$5.34 CHF 4.36

-10.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.40 CHF 6.86

$9.98 CHF 8.14

-15.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 CHF 5.57

$8.68 CHF 7.09

-21.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.81

$2.21 CHF 1.81

0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 CHF 3.30

$3.96 CHF 3.23

2.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 CHF 3.13

$4.02 CHF 3.28

-4.73%

Eggs

$7.36 CHF 6.01

$8.46 CHF 6.91

-13.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.93 CHF 22.79

$27.66 CHF 22.57

0.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.68 CHF 22.59

$27.66 CHF 22.57

0.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.42 CHF 35.44

$61.1 CHF 49.82

-28.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 CHF 3.36

$4.15 CHF 3.39

-0.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 CHF 1.86

$2.89 CHF 2.35

-21.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 CHF 2.70

$3.57 CHF 2.91

-7.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 CHF 3.85

$4.81 CHF 3.93

-1.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.06

$2.69 CHF 2.20

-6.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.85

$2.19 CHF 1.79

3.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CHF 2.09

$2.59 CHF 2.11

-1.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 CHF 0.98

$1.33 CHF 1.09

-9.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.20 CHF 9.14

$11.24 CHF 9.17

-0.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.61 CHF 11.11

$13.77 CHF 11.24

-1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 CHF 2.34

$2.78 CHF 2.27

3.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CHF 2.62

$3.21 CHF 2.62

-0.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.00 CHF 4.08

$5.74 CHF 4.68

-12.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 CHF 124

$110 CHF 90.0

37.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.61 CHF 4.58

$8.58 CHF 7.00

-34.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.47 CHF 2.83

$4.58 CHF 3.74

-24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.9 CHF 50.5

$91.6 CHF 74.7

-32.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.86

$2.30 CHF 1.88

-0.87%

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

$40.6K CHF 33.2K

$40.9K CHF 33.4K

-0.70%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

$39.9K CHF 32.5K

0.20%

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

$288 CHF 235

$289 CHF 236

-0.52%

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

$32.30 CHF 26.36

$39.21 CHF 32.00

-17.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 CHF 46.65

$57.7 CHF 47.08

-0.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.4 CHF 75.4

$91.8 CHF 74.9

0.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.34 CHF 34.56

$63.0 CHF 51.4

-32.76%

Cinema Ticket

$25.03 CHF 20.43

$25.56 CHF 20.86

-2.07%

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

$1,818 CHF 1,484

$3,721 CHF 3,037

-51.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

$44.0K CHF 35.9K

-22.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$148 CHF 121

$144 CHF 118

2.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 CHF 49.56

$59.4 CHF 48.47

2.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$167 CHF 136

$170 CHF 138

-1.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$261 CHF 213

$267 CHF 218

-2.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 CHF 1,413

$3,117 CHF 2,543

-44.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 CHF 1,199

$2,438 CHF 1,989

-39.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,875 CHF 2,346

$6,299 CHF 5,141

-54.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 CHF 2,189

$4,288 CHF 3,499

-37.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.9K CHF 14.6K

$27.6K CHF 22.6K

-35.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.6K CHF 11.1K

$16.4K CHF 13.4K

-17.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,393 CHF 6,849

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

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

Last update for Cham: September 7, 2026

Last update for Zurich: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,732 in Cham and $3,117 in Zurich. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $126 in Cham vs $148 in Zurich for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $616 vs $679 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 Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cham is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,434 in Cham and $7,072 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: $1,732 in Cham versus $3,117 in Zurich. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,818 in Cham versus $3,721 in Zurich. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% 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 30% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.