Cost of Living Comparison Between Geneva and Cham Cost of Living Comparison Between Geneva and Cham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,164 in Geneva versus $3,443 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,467 in Geneva versus $5,403 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,770 in Geneva versus $7,363 in Cham.

Living in Geneva is roughly 21% more expensive than Cham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Geneva 210% above, Cham 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$36.87 CHF 29.47

$31.00 CHF 24.78

18.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$145 CHF 116

$149 CHF 119

-2.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.57 CHF 14.84

$20.08 CHF 16.05

-7.52%

Cappuccino

$6.02 CHF 4.81

$6.92 CHF 5.53

-13.01%

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

$5.34 CHF 4.27

$5.69 CHF 4.55

-6.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 CHF 3.88

$5.09 CHF 4.07

-4.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.58 CHF 7.66

$9.60 CHF 7.67

-0.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 CHF 6.69

$7.30 CHF 5.84

14.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.77

$2.26 CHF 1.80

-2.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 CHF 3.15

$3.36 CHF 2.69

17.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 CHF 3.42

$4.11 CHF 3.29

4.14%

Eggs

$7.50 CHF 6.00

$7.30 CHF 5.84

2.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.37 CHF 21.87

$28.12 CHF 22.48

-2.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.50 CHF 25.98

$32.90 CHF 26.30

-1.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$53.2 CHF 42.50

$44.82 CHF 35.83

18.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 CHF 2.78

$3.91 CHF 3.12

-11.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 CHF 2.04

$2.76 CHF 2.20

-7.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 CHF 2.48

Tomato (1kg)

$6.20 CHF 4.96

$5.07 CHF 4.06

22.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 CHF 2.10

$2.79 CHF 2.23

-5.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 CHF 1.87

$2.26 CHF 1.80

3.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CHF 1.98

$2.51 CHF 2.00

-1.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 CHF 1.07

$1.50 CHF 1.20

-10.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.96 CHF 8.76

$10.88 CHF 8.69

0.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.44 CHF 9.95

$13.60 CHF 10.87

-8.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 CHF 2.57

$2.33 CHF 1.86

37.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 CHF 3.01

$3.02 CHF 2.41

24.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 CHF 3.04

$3.95 CHF 3.15

-3.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.1 CHF 68.8

$99.1 CHF 79.2

-13.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 CHF 6.14

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.64 CHF 2.91

$4.35 CHF 3.47

-16.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.9 CHF 51.1

$85.0 CHF 67.9

-24.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.82

$2.30 CHF 1.84

-0.87%

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

$40.8K CHF 32.6K

$40.6K CHF 32.4K

0.43%

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

$49.7K CHF 39.7K

$38.7K CHF 31.0K

28.35%

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

$259 CHF 207

$254 CHF 203

1.80%

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

$48.72 CHF 38.94

$36.17 CHF 28.91

34.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 CHF 49.90

$58.8 CHF 47.00

6.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.4 CHF 64.3

$89.3 CHF 71.3

-9.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.17 CHF 28.91

Cinema Ticket

$24.70 CHF 19.75

$22.72 CHF 18.16

8.71%

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

$3,414 CHF 2,728

$2,568 CHF 2,053

32.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.7K CHF 26.1K

$34.2K CHF 27.3K

-4.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$136 CHF 109

$132 CHF 106

3.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.2 CHF 64.1

$62.5 CHF 49.95

28.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 CHF 133

$149 CHF 119

11.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$207 CHF 166

$201 CHF 160

3.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,339 CHF 1,870

$1,674 CHF 1,338

39.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 CHF 1,613

$1,451 CHF 1,160

39.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,705 CHF 3,760

$2,848 CHF 2,277

65.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,900 CHF 3,117

$2,461 CHF 1,967

58.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.1K CHF 18.5K

$14.9K CHF 11.9K

55.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K CHF 13.2K

$11.9K CHF 9,482

38.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,654 CHF 6,117

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.46

2.09

17.70%

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

Last update for Geneva: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cham: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,339 in Geneva and $1,674 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $145 in Geneva vs $149 in Cham. Groceries flip the comparison at $676 vs $645, 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

Geneva vs Cham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cham is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $6,245 in Geneva and $5,164 in Cham 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: $2,339 in Geneva versus $1,674 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,414 in Geneva versus $2,568 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Geneva. 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 Geneva, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Geneva and Cham 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 21% less than in Geneva. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.