Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Cham Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Cham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,563 in Lausanne versus $3,528 in Cham.

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

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,677 in Lausanne versus $7,192 in Cham.

Living in Lausanne is roughly 1% more expensive than in Cham, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 167% above, Cham 164% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.01 CHF 26.99

$30.86 CHF 25.23

6.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 121

$147 CHF 121

0.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.84 CHF 15.41

$19.66 CHF 16.08

-4.17%

Cappuccino

$5.85 CHF 4.79

$6.74 CHF 5.51

-13.20%

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

$5.35 CHF 4.38

$5.51 CHF 4.51

-2.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 CHF 3.93

$4.98 CHF 4.07

-3.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.64 CHF 7.88

$10.05 CHF 8.22

-4.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.51 CHF 6.96

$7.68 CHF 6.28

10.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.78

$2.24 CHF 1.83

-2.68%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 CHF 3.44

$3.33 CHF 2.72

26.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 CHF 3.53

$4.15 CHF 3.39

4.10%

Eggs

$7.24 CHF 5.92

$7.22 CHF 5.91

0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.30 CHF 21.50

$28.77 CHF 23.52

-8.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.79 CHF 23.54

$33.10 CHF 27.07

-13.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$53.5 CHF 43.74

$44.54 CHF 36.42

20.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 CHF 3.05

$4.02 CHF 3.29

-7.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 CHF 1.78

$2.72 CHF 2.22

-20.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.38

$2.98 CHF 2.44

-2.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.62 CHF 5.41

$5.05 CHF 4.13

31.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 2.00

$2.87 CHF 2.34

-14.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.97

$2.30 CHF 1.88

4.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CHF 2.14

$2.57 CHF 2.10

1.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 CHF 1.14

$1.52 CHF 1.24

-7.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 CHF 8.95

$11.20 CHF 9.16

-2.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.85 CHF 12.96

$13.01 CHF 10.64

21.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 CHF 1.67

$2.38 CHF 1.94

-13.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CHF 2.62

$3.17 CHF 2.59

0.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.86 CHF 3.97

$3.88 CHF 3.17

25.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.5 CHF 78.1

$99.1 CHF 81.0

-3.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.82 CHF 6.39

$7.77 CHF 6.35

0.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.39 CHF 2.77

$4.15 CHF 3.40

-18.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.5 CHF 53.6

$86.3 CHF 70.6

-24.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.75

$2.25 CHF 1.84

-5.33%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

0.01%

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

$41.8K CHF 34.2K

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

4.78%

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

$327 CHF 267

$255 CHF 209

28.00%

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

$50.2 CHF 41.06

$35.13 CHF 28.73

42.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 CHF 47.66

$58.9 CHF 48.16

-1.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.0 CHF 63.8

$86.2 CHF 70.5

-9.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.32 CHF 39.51

Cinema Ticket

$26.86 CHF 21.97

$22.76 CHF 18.61

18.01%

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

$2,764 CHF 2,260

$2,609 CHF 2,133

5.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 28.3K

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

1.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CHF 87.7

$132 CHF 108

-18.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.7 CHF 56.2

$60.6 CHF 49.57

13.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 CHF 123

$148 CHF 121

1.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 CHF 152

$204 CHF 167

-9.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 CHF 1,539

$1,705 CHF 1,394

10.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 CHF 1,178

$1,469 CHF 1,201

-1.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 CHF 2,975

$2,825 CHF 2,310

28.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,977 CHF 2,435

$2,506 CHF 2,049

18.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.5K CHF 15.1K

$16.9K CHF 13.8K

9.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.3K CHF 11.7K

$14.1K CHF 11.5K

1.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,398 CHF 5,232

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

2.09

19.62%

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

Last update for Lausanne: July 19, 2026

Last update for Cham: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,882 in Lausanne and $1,705 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $148 in Lausanne vs $147 in Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $657 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

Lausanne vs Cham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cham is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,345 in Lausanne 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: $1,882 in Lausanne versus $1,705 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,764 in Lausanne 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 2% higher in Lausanne. 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 Lausanne, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lausanne 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 1% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.