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: $3,900 in Lausanne versus $3,622 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,943 in Lausanne versus $5,410 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,986 in Lausanne versus $7,198 in Cham.

Living in Lausanne is roughly 8% more expensive than in Cham, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 183% above, Cham 163% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.85 CHF 25.18

$31.40 CHF 25.63

-1.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 CHF 97.9

$126 CHF 103

-4.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.94 CHF 15.45

$18.26 CHF 14.91

3.72%

Cappuccino

$6.21 CHF 5.07

$6.05 CHF 4.94

2.64%

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

$5.26 CHF 4.30

$5.68 CHF 4.63

-7.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 CHF 3.53

$4.79 CHF 3.91

-9.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.68 CHF 8.72

$8.40 CHF 6.86

27.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.99 CHF 8.15

$6.82 CHF 5.57

46.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

$2.22 CHF 1.81

1.35%

White Bread (500g)

$4.07 CHF 3.32

$4.05 CHF 3.30

0.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 CHF 2.71

$3.83 CHF 3.13

-13.32%

Eggs

$7.13 CHF 5.82

$7.36 CHF 6.01

-3.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.97 CHF 20.38

$27.93 CHF 22.79

-10.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.48 CHF 23.25

$27.68 CHF 22.59

2.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.00 CHF 32.65

$43.42 CHF 35.44

-7.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 CHF 3.04

$4.12 CHF 3.36

-9.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 CHF 1.77

$2.28 CHF 1.86

-4.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 CHF 2.14

$3.30 CHF 2.70

-20.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 CHF 3.88

$4.72 CHF 3.85

0.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 CHF 1.48

$2.52 CHF 2.06

-28.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 CHF 1.62

$2.27 CHF 1.85

-12.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 CHF 1.68

$2.56 CHF 2.09

-19.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 CHF 1.39

$1.20 CHF 0.98

42.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.90 CHF 8.90

$11.20 CHF 9.14

-2.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.21 CHF 12.42

$13.61 CHF 11.11

11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 CHF 2.23

$2.87 CHF 2.34

-4.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 CHF 2.72

$3.20 CHF 2.62

4.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 CHF 3.72

$5.00 CHF 4.08

-9.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.4 CHF 77.8

$152 CHF 124

-37.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.80 CHF 6.36

$5.61 CHF 4.58

39.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.71 CHF 3.85

$3.47 CHF 2.83

35.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.7 CHF 69.9

$61.9 CHF 50.5

38.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.85

$2.28 CHF 1.86

-0.44%

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

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

$40.6K CHF 33.2K

8.68%

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

$40.0K CHF 32.7K

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

0.19%

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

$295 CHF 240

$288 CHF 235

2.35%

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

$37.56 CHF 30.65

$32.30 CHF 26.36

16.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 CHF 41.78

$57.2 CHF 46.65

-10.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.5 CHF 59.2

$92.4 CHF 75.4

-21.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.4 CHF 41.15

$42.34 CHF 34.56

19.08%

Cinema Ticket

$24.31 CHF 19.84

$25.03 CHF 20.43

-2.88%

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

$3,018 CHF 2,463

$1,818 CHF 1,484

66.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.2K CHF 30.3K

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

9.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 118

$148 CHF 121

-1.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.1 CHF 63.8

$60.7 CHF 49.56

28.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 CHF 118

$167 CHF 136

-13.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$217 CHF 177

$261 CHF 213

-16.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,280 CHF 1,861

$1,732 CHF 1,413

31.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,848 CHF 1,508

$1,469 CHF 1,199

25.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,387 CHF 3,580

$2,875 CHF 2,346

52.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,275 CHF 2,672

$2,682 CHF 2,189

22.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.8K CHF 15.3K

$17.9K CHF 14.6K

4.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

$13.6K CHF 11.1K

6.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,014 CHF 5,724

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

2.07

-5.80%

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

Last update for Lausanne: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cham: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,280 in Lausanne and $1,732 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $120 in Lausanne vs $126 in Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $597 vs $616 per month, with Lausanne 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 Eating Out. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,850 in Lausanne 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: $2,280 in Lausanne versus $1,732 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,018 in Lausanne versus $1,818 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lausanne pay roughly 3% 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 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 8% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.