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: $3,528 in Cham versus $4,229 in Zurich.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,360 in Cham versus $6,508 in Zurich.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,192 in Cham versus $8,786 in Zurich.

Living in Cham costs roughly 17% less than in Zurich, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cham 164% above, Zurich 217% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 CHF 25.23

$31.02 CHF 25.36

-0.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 121

$146 CHF 119

0.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.66 CHF 16.08

$20.79 CHF 17.00

-5.44%

Cappuccino

$6.74 CHF 5.51

$6.71 CHF 5.48

0.45%

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

$5.51 CHF 4.51

$6.13 CHF 5.01

-10.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 CHF 4.07

$5.29 CHF 4.33

-5.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.05 CHF 8.22

$10.00 CHF 8.18

0.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.68 CHF 6.28

$8.65 CHF 7.07

-11.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.83

$2.26 CHF 1.85

-0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 CHF 2.72

$3.41 CHF 2.79

-2.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.39

$3.92 CHF 3.20

5.87%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.91

$7.54 CHF 6.17

-4.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.77 CHF 23.52

$29.54 CHF 24.16

-2.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.10 CHF 27.07

$33.89 CHF 27.71

-2.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.54 CHF 36.42

$50.2 CHF 41.02

-11.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 CHF 3.29

$4.15 CHF 3.39

-3.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 CHF 2.22

$2.83 CHF 2.32

-3.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.44

$3.02 CHF 2.47

-1.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 CHF 4.13

$5.04 CHF 4.12

0.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 CHF 2.34

$2.74 CHF 2.24

4.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.88

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CHF 2.10

$2.45 CHF 2.00

4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CHF 1.24

$1.66 CHF 1.36

-8.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.20 CHF 9.16

$11.12 CHF 9.09

0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.01 CHF 10.64

$13.75 CHF 11.25

-5.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CHF 1.94

$2.74 CHF 2.24

-13.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 CHF 2.59

$3.31 CHF 2.71

-4.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.88 CHF 3.17

$4.84 CHF 3.96

-19.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.1 CHF 81.0

$109 CHF 89.4

-9.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 CHF 6.35

$7.64 CHF 6.25

1.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.15 CHF 3.40

$4.11 CHF 3.36

0.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.3 CHF 70.6

$87.4 CHF 71.4

-1.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

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

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

$40.3K CHF 33.0K

1.98%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

$38.8K CHF 31.7K

2.87%

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

$255 CHF 209

0.14%

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

$35.13 CHF 28.73

$35.92 CHF 29.37

-2.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 48.16

$59.7 CHF 48.83

-1.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.2 CHF 70.5

$89.3 CHF 73.0

-3.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.5 CHF 41.29

Cinema Ticket

$22.76 CHF 18.61

$24.36 CHF 19.92

-6.57%

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

$2,609 CHF 2,133

$3,397 CHF 2,778

-23.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

$39.5K CHF 32.3K

-13.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 CHF 108

$142 CHF 116

-7.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.6 CHF 49.57

$60.7 CHF 49.60

-0.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 121

$149 CHF 121

-0.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 CHF 167

$201 CHF 165

1.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,705 CHF 1,394

$2,698 CHF 2,206

-36.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 CHF 1,201

$2,208 CHF 1,805

-33.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 CHF 2,310

$4,893 CHF 4,001

-42.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,506 CHF 2,049

$3,760 CHF 3,074

-33.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.9K CHF 13.8K

$26.8K CHF 21.9K

-37.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.1K CHF 11.5K

$16.7K CHF 13.7K

-15.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,316 CHF 6,800

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Zurich: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,705 in Cham and $2,698 in Zurich. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $147 in Cham vs $146 in Zurich. Groceries flip the comparison at $646 vs $677, 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 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,293 in Cham and $6,343 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: $1,705 in Cham versus $2,698 in Zurich. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,609 in Cham versus $3,397 in Zurich. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% 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 20% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.