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: $3,497 in Lausanne versus $3,510 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,694 in Lausanne versus $5,437 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,890 in Lausanne versus $7,364 in Cham.

Monthly costs are close between Lausanne and Cham; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 161% above, Cham 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.20 CHF 26.03

$30.40 CHF 23.83

9.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 116

$151 CHF 118

-1.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.38 CHF 15.19

$19.86 CHF 15.57

-2.42%

Cappuccino

$5.99 CHF 4.69

$6.84 CHF 5.36

-12.43%

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

$5.58 CHF 4.38

$5.57 CHF 4.37

0.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 CHF 3.79

$5.22 CHF 4.09

-7.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.03 CHF 7.87

$10.09 CHF 7.91

-0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.43 CHF 6.61

$7.45 CHF 5.84

13.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.70

$2.22 CHF 1.74

-2.25%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 CHF 3.22

$3.26 CHF 2.56

26.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 CHF 3.49

$4.08 CHF 3.20

9.07%

Eggs

$7.27 CHF 5.70

$7.22 CHF 5.66

0.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.33 CHF 20.64

$28.15 CHF 22.07

-6.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.92 CHF 22.67

$33.89 CHF 26.57

-14.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$52.0 CHF 40.77

$44.75 CHF 35.08

16.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 CHF 2.97

$3.82 CHF 2.99

-0.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.65

$2.65 CHF 2.08

-20.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.26

$3.02 CHF 2.36

-4.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.68 CHF 5.23

$5.23 CHF 4.10

27.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 CHF 2.00

$2.73 CHF 2.14

-6.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 CHF 1.84

$2.27 CHF 1.78

3.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CHF 2.04

$2.49 CHF 1.95

4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CHF 1.09

$1.56 CHF 1.22

-10.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CHF 8.72

$10.94 CHF 8.58

1.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 CHF 12.36

$15.44 CHF 12.10

2.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 CHF 1.61

$2.46 CHF 1.93

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 CHF 2.49

$3.02 CHF 2.37

4.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.72 CHF 3.70

$3.82 CHF 2.99

23.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.3 CHF 76.3

$98.6 CHF 77.3

-1.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.82 CHF 6.13

$7.57 CHF 5.94

3.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.41 CHF 2.67

$4.11 CHF 3.22

-17.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.8 CHF 53.1

$87.2 CHF 68.3

-22.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.76

$2.34 CHF 1.84

-4.27%

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

$40.8K CHF 32.0K

$39.6K CHF 31.1K

2.85%

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

$41.6K CHF 32.6K

$38.7K CHF 30.4K

7.47%

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

$330 CHF 259

$258 CHF 202

28.11%

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

$49.88 CHF 39.11

$36.19 CHF 28.37

37.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 CHF 45.44

$59.4 CHF 46.55

-2.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.1 CHF 59.7

$88.5 CHF 69.4

-14.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.53 CHF 37.26

Cinema Ticket

$26.14 CHF 20.50

$22.34 CHF 17.52

17.01%

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

$2,812 CHF 2,205

$2,563 CHF 2,009

9.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.5K CHF 27.1K

$34.6K CHF 27.2K

-0.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 CHF 86.2

$132 CHF 104

-16.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.9 CHF 54.0

$61.4 CHF 48.12

12.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 CHF 118

$148 CHF 116

1.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 CHF 147

$199 CHF 156

-5.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,853 CHF 1,453

$1,671 CHF 1,310

10.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 CHF 1,173

$1,459 CHF 1,144

2.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,576 CHF 2,803

$2,857 CHF 2,240

25.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,917 CHF 2,287

$2,503 CHF 1,962

16.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.0K CHF 15.7K

$12.1K CHF 9,524

64.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.3K CHF 12.0K

$12.0K CHF 9,428

27.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,994 CHF 6,267

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Cham: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,853 in Lausanne and $1,671 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $148 in Lausanne vs $151 in Cham. Groceries flip the comparison at $653 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

Lausanne vs Cham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You'd need roughly $5,246 in Lausanne 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: $1,853 in Lausanne versus $1,671 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lausanne runs roughly 1% less than in Cham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Cham pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lausanne is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Lausanne is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cham, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Lausanne wins on affordability, Cham on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.