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: $4,215 in Geneva versus $3,528 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,620 in Geneva versus $5,360 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,024 in Geneva versus $7,192 in Cham.

Living in Geneva is roughly 19% more expensive than in Cham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Geneva 216% above, Cham 164% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$37.08 CHF 30.32

$30.86 CHF 25.23

20.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 122

$147 CHF 121

1.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.74 CHF 15.32

$19.66 CHF 16.08

-4.68%

Cappuccino

$5.89 CHF 4.82

$6.74 CHF 5.51

-12.61%

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

$5.42 CHF 4.43

$5.51 CHF 4.51

-1.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 CHF 4.00

$4.98 CHF 4.07

-1.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 8.25

$10.05 CHF 8.22

0.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.79 CHF 7.19

$7.68 CHF 6.28

14.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.81

$2.24 CHF 1.83

-0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.81 CHF 3.12

$3.33 CHF 2.72

14.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.40 CHF 3.60

$4.15 CHF 3.39

6.02%

Eggs

$7.60 CHF 6.22

$7.22 CHF 5.91

5.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.21 CHF 22.25

$28.77 CHF 23.52

-5.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.60 CHF 26.65

$33.10 CHF 27.07

-1.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$53.0 CHF 43.34

$44.54 CHF 36.42

19.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 CHF 2.78

$4.02 CHF 3.29

-15.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 2.00

$2.72 CHF 2.22

-10.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 CHF 2.46

$2.98 CHF 2.44

1.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.47 CHF 5.29

$5.05 CHF 4.13

28.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 CHF 2.08

$2.87 CHF 2.34

-11.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 CHF 1.93

$2.30 CHF 1.88

2.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

$2.57 CHF 2.10

-3.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 CHF 1.08

$1.52 CHF 1.24

-13.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.93 CHF 8.94

$11.20 CHF 9.16

-2.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.29 CHF 10.05

$13.01 CHF 10.64

-5.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 CHF 2.68

$2.38 CHF 1.94

37.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 CHF 2.97

$3.17 CHF 2.59

14.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.61 CHF 2.95

$3.88 CHF 3.17

-6.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.2 CHF 70.5

$99.1 CHF 81.0

-13.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.50 CHF 6.14

$7.77 CHF 6.35

-3.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.54 CHF 2.89

$4.15 CHF 3.40

-14.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.3 CHF 52.6

$86.3 CHF 70.6

-25.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.80

$2.25 CHF 1.84

-1.78%

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

$40.7K CHF 33.3K

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

-1.03%

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

$49.3K CHF 40.3K

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

23.61%

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

$257 CHF 210

$255 CHF 209

0.66%

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

$47.97 CHF 39.23

$35.13 CHF 28.73

36.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 CHF 52.6

$58.9 CHF 48.16

9.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.3 CHF 66.5

$86.2 CHF 70.5

-5.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.03 CHF 29.46

Cinema Ticket

$24.23 CHF 19.82

$22.76 CHF 18.61

6.46%

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

$3,422 CHF 2,798

$2,609 CHF 2,133

31.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.5K CHF 27.4K

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

-1.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 113

$132 CHF 108

5.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.7 CHF 65.1

$60.6 CHF 49.57

31.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 CHF 136

$148 CHF 121

12.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$214 CHF 175

$204 CHF 167

4.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 CHF 1,949

$1,705 CHF 1,394

39.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 CHF 1,652

$1,469 CHF 1,201

37.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,642 CHF 3,796

$2,825 CHF 2,310

64.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,834 CHF 3,135

$2,506 CHF 2,049

52.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$22.7K CHF 18.5K

$16.9K CHF 13.8K

34.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.8K CHF 12.9K

$14.1K CHF 11.5K

12.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,409 CHF 6,058

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Cham: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,383 in Geneva and $1,705 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $149 in Geneva vs $147 in Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $674 vs $646 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

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 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $6,323 in Geneva and $5,293 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: $2,383 in Geneva versus $1,705 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,422 in Geneva versus $2,609 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% 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 19% less than in Geneva. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.