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: $4,202 in Geneva versus $3,622 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,374 in Geneva versus $5,410 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,546 in Geneva versus $7,198 in Cham.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Geneva 205% above, Cham 163% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.87 CHF 25.19

$31.40 CHF 25.63

-1.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$136 CHF 111

$126 CHF 103

8.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.85 CHF 15.38

$18.26 CHF 14.91

3.23%

Cappuccino

$6.65 CHF 5.43

$6.05 CHF 4.94

9.92%

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

$5.00 CHF 4.08

$5.68 CHF 4.63

-11.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 CHF 3.41

$4.79 CHF 3.91

-12.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.02 CHF 8.18

$8.40 CHF 6.86

19.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.77 CHF 7.97

$6.82 CHF 5.57

43.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 CHF 1.94

$2.22 CHF 1.81

7.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 CHF 2.85

$4.05 CHF 3.30

-13.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.66

$3.83 CHF 3.13

-14.88%

Eggs

$8.25 CHF 6.74

$7.36 CHF 6.01

12.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.28 CHF 20.63

$27.93 CHF 22.79

-9.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$30.09 CHF 24.56

$27.68 CHF 22.59

8.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.71 CHF 35.67

$43.42 CHF 35.44

0.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 CHF 2.93

$4.12 CHF 3.36

-12.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 CHF 1.37

$2.28 CHF 1.86

-26.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 CHF 2.23

$3.30 CHF 2.70

-17.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 CHF 3.93

$4.72 CHF 3.85

1.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 CHF 1.29

$2.52 CHF 2.06

-36.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 CHF 1.74

$2.27 CHF 1.85

-6.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 CHF 1.71

$2.56 CHF 2.09

-17.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 CHF 1.39

$1.20 CHF 0.98

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.27 CHF 9.20

$11.20 CHF 9.14

0.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 CHF 9.95

$13.61 CHF 11.11

-10.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 CHF 2.67

$2.87 CHF 2.34

13.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 CHF 2.92

$3.20 CHF 2.62

11.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.69 CHF 3.01

$5.00 CHF 4.08

-26.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.8 CHF 74.1

$152 CHF 124

-40.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 CHF 6.39

$5.61 CHF 4.58

39.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.91 CHF 3.19

$3.47 CHF 2.83

12.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.7 CHF 53.6

$61.9 CHF 50.5

6.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 CHF 1.95

$2.28 CHF 1.86

4.39%

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

$39.1K CHF 31.9K

$40.6K CHF 33.2K

-3.72%

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

$40.1K CHF 32.8K

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

0.51%

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

$287 CHF 234

$288 CHF 235

-0.40%

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

$39.09 CHF 31.91

$32.30 CHF 26.36

21.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 CHF 47.39

$57.2 CHF 46.65

1.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 CHF 62.2

$92.4 CHF 75.4

-17.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.89 CHF 38.26

$42.34 CHF 34.56

10.75%

Cinema Ticket

$24.65 CHF 20.12

$25.03 CHF 20.43

-1.52%

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

$2,449 CHF 1,999

$1,818 CHF 1,484

34.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.8K CHF 30.0K

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

8.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$136 CHF 111

$148 CHF 121

-7.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.8 CHF 66.7

$60.7 CHF 49.56

34.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$169 CHF 138

$167 CHF 136

1.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 CHF 154

$261 CHF 213

-27.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,843 CHF 2,320

$1,732 CHF 1,413

64.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 CHF 1,749

$1,469 CHF 1,199

45.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,690 CHF 3,827

$2,875 CHF 2,346

63.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,651 CHF 2,979

$2,682 CHF 2,189

36.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$22.5K CHF 18.3K

$17.9K CHF 14.6K

25.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.0K CHF 13.0K

$13.6K CHF 11.1K

17.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,229 CHF 5,900

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.98

2.07

-4.35%

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

Last update for Geneva: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cham: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,843 in Geneva and $1,732 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $136 in Geneva vs $126 in Cham. Groceries flip the comparison at $611 vs $616, with Geneva 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 Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $6,303 in Geneva and $5,434 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: $2,843 in Geneva versus $1,732 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,449 in Geneva versus $1,818 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Geneva pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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.