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: $3,595 in Lausanne versus $3,443 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,762 in Lausanne versus $5,403 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,930 in Lausanne versus $7,363 in Cham.

Living in Lausanne is roughly 4% more expensive than Cham, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 167% above, Cham 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.90 CHF 26.29

$31.00 CHF 24.78

6.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 118

$149 CHF 119

-1.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.29 CHF 15.42

$20.08 CHF 16.05

-3.93%

Cappuccino

$5.98 CHF 4.78

$6.92 CHF 5.53

-13.58%

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

$5.33 CHF 4.26

$5.69 CHF 4.55

-6.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 CHF 3.95

$5.09 CHF 4.07

-2.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.67

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.72 CHF 6.97

$7.30 CHF 5.84

19.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.75

$2.26 CHF 1.80

-3.54%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 CHF 3.30

$3.36 CHF 2.69

22.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 CHF 3.44

$4.11 CHF 3.29

4.62%

Eggs

$7.03 CHF 5.62

$7.30 CHF 5.84

-3.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.28 CHF 21.01

$28.12 CHF 22.48

-6.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.86 CHF 23.07

$32.90 CHF 26.30

-12.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.6 CHF 41.28

$44.82 CHF 35.83

15.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CHF 2.89

$3.91 CHF 3.12

-7.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.68

$2.76 CHF 2.20

-23.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.35

$3.11 CHF 2.48

-5.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.67 CHF 5.33

$5.07 CHF 4.06

31.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.01

$2.79 CHF 2.23

-9.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 1.94

$2.26 CHF 1.80

7.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 2.03

$2.51 CHF 2.00

1.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CHF 1.18

$1.50 CHF 1.20

-2.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.16 CHF 8.92

$10.88 CHF 8.69

2.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 CHF 12.97

$13.60 CHF 10.87

19.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 CHF 1.69

$2.33 CHF 1.86

-9.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CHF 2.49

$3.02 CHF 2.41

2.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.92 CHF 3.93

$3.95 CHF 3.15

24.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.3 CHF 75.3

$99.1 CHF 79.2

-4.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 CHF 6.31

$7.68 CHF 6.14

2.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.28 CHF 2.62

$4.35 CHF 3.47

-24.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.0 CHF 53.5

$85.0 CHF 67.9

-21.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.80

$2.30 CHF 1.84

-2.17%

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

$40.4K CHF 32.3K

$40.6K CHF 32.4K

-0.51%

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

$41.8K CHF 33.4K

$38.7K CHF 31.0K

7.97%

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

$325 CHF 260

$254 CHF 203

27.84%

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

$50.8 CHF 40.61

$36.17 CHF 28.91

40.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 CHF 46.17

$58.8 CHF 47.00

-1.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.6 CHF 62.8

$89.3 CHF 71.3

-11.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.52 CHF 37.98

Cinema Ticket

$26.56 CHF 21.23

$22.72 CHF 18.16

16.90%

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

$2,833 CHF 2,264

$2,568 CHF 2,053

10.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.0K

$34.2K CHF 27.3K

-1.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 CHF 86.1

$132 CHF 106

-18.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.5 CHF 56.4

$62.5 CHF 49.95

12.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 118

$149 CHF 119

-0.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 147

$201 CHF 160

-8.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 CHF 1,469

$1,674 CHF 1,338

9.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 CHF 1,155

$1,451 CHF 1,160

-0.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,615 CHF 2,889

$2,848 CHF 2,277

26.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,906 CHF 2,322

$2,461 CHF 1,967

18.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.8K CHF 15.8K

$14.9K CHF 11.9K

32.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.3K CHF 11.4K

$11.9K CHF 9,482

20.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,240 CHF 5,787

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Cham: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,837 in Lausanne and $1,674 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $147 in Lausanne vs $149 in Cham. Groceries flip the comparison at $652 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

Lausanne vs Cham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cham is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,392 in Lausanne 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: $1,837 in Lausanne versus $1,674 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,833 in Lausanne 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 1% 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 4% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.