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: $4,065 in Geneva versus $3,510 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,486 in Geneva versus $5,437 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,908 in Geneva versus $7,364 in Cham.

Living in Geneva is roughly 16% more expensive than Cham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Geneva 203% above, Cham 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$36.37 CHF 28.51

$30.40 CHF 23.83

19.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 116

$151 CHF 118

-2.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.44 CHF 14.46

$19.86 CHF 15.57

-7.15%

Cappuccino

$5.98 CHF 4.69

$6.84 CHF 5.36

-12.57%

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

$5.47 CHF 4.29

$5.57 CHF 4.37

-1.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 CHF 3.82

$5.22 CHF 4.09

-6.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.82 CHF 7.70

$10.09 CHF 7.91

-2.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.65 CHF 6.78

$7.45 CHF 5.84

16.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.79

$2.22 CHF 1.74

3.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 CHF 2.98

$3.26 CHF 2.56

16.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.40 CHF 3.45

$4.08 CHF 3.20

7.84%

Eggs

$7.34 CHF 5.76

$7.22 CHF 5.66

1.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.18 CHF 21.31

$28.15 CHF 22.07

-3.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.05 CHF 25.91

$33.89 CHF 26.57

-2.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.7 CHF 40.54

$44.75 CHF 35.08

15.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 CHF 2.71

$3.82 CHF 2.99

-9.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.89

$2.65 CHF 2.08

-9.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CHF 2.35

$3.02 CHF 2.36

-0.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.38 CHF 5.01

$5.23 CHF 4.10

21.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 CHF 2.08

$2.73 CHF 2.14

-2.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 CHF 1.90

$2.27 CHF 1.78

6.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CHF 1.96

$2.49 CHF 1.95

0.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CHF 1.09

$1.56 CHF 1.22

-10.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.96 CHF 8.59

$10.94 CHF 8.58

0.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.88 CHF 10.09

$15.44 CHF 12.10

-16.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 CHF 2.53

$2.46 CHF 1.93

31.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 CHF 2.88

$3.02 CHF 2.37

21.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.66 CHF 2.87

$3.82 CHF 2.99

-4.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.6 CHF 67.1

$98.6 CHF 77.3

-13.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.43 CHF 5.82

$7.57 CHF 5.94

-1.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.66 CHF 2.87

$4.11 CHF 3.22

-10.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.4 CHF 50.5

$87.2 CHF 68.3

-26.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.81

$2.34 CHF 1.84

-1.28%

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

$41.2K CHF 32.3K

$39.6K CHF 31.1K

3.90%

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

$49.8K CHF 39.0K

$38.7K CHF 30.4K

28.52%

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

$258 CHF 202

0.17%

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

$48.14 CHF 37.74

$36.19 CHF 28.37

33.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.7 CHF 49.93

$59.4 CHF 46.55

7.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.9 CHF 63.4

$88.5 CHF 69.4

-8.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.39 CHF 29.32

Cinema Ticket

$24.66 CHF 19.33

$22.34 CHF 17.52

10.38%

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

$3,395 CHF 2,662

$2,563 CHF 2,009

32.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.0K CHF 25.9K

$34.6K CHF 27.2K

-4.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 107

$132 CHF 104

3.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$82.4 CHF 64.6

$61.4 CHF 48.12

34.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 CHF 131

$148 CHF 116

12.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$215 CHF 168

$199 CHF 156

7.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 CHF 1,810

$1,671 CHF 1,310

38.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,016 CHF 1,581

$1,459 CHF 1,144

38.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,626 CHF 3,627

$2,857 CHF 2,240

61.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,904 CHF 3,061

$2,503 CHF 1,962

55.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.2K CHF 18.2K

$12.1K CHF 9,524

90.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.7K CHF 13.9K

$12.0K CHF 9,428

47.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,773 CHF 6,094

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Cham: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,308 in Geneva and $1,671 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $147 in Geneva vs $151 in Cham. Groceries flip the comparison at $674 vs $652, 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 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $6,097 in Geneva and $5,266 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: $2,308 in Geneva versus $1,671 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,395 in Geneva versus $2,563 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% 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 16% less than in Geneva. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.