Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Cham Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Cham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,264 in Zurich versus $3,443 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,405 in Zurich versus $5,403 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,546 in Zurich versus $7,363 in Cham.

Living in Zurich is roughly 24% more expensive than Cham, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 217% above, Cham 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 CHF 24.45

$31.00 CHF 24.78

-1.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 116

$149 CHF 119

-2.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.52 CHF 16.41

$20.08 CHF 16.05

2.19%

Cappuccino

$6.99 CHF 5.59

$6.92 CHF 5.53

1.01%

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

$6.08 CHF 4.86

$5.69 CHF 4.55

6.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 CHF 4.22

$5.09 CHF 4.07

3.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.91 CHF 7.92

$9.60 CHF 7.67

3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 CHF 7.06

$7.30 CHF 5.84

20.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.79

$2.26 CHF 1.80

-0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 CHF 2.63

$3.36 CHF 2.69

-2.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.95 CHF 3.15

$4.11 CHF 3.29

-3.89%

Eggs

$7.39 CHF 5.90

$7.30 CHF 5.84

1.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.07 CHF 24.03

$28.12 CHF 22.48

6.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$34.13 CHF 27.28

$32.90 CHF 26.30

3.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.9 CHF 40.71

$44.82 CHF 35.83

13.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.23 CHF 3.38

$3.91 CHF 3.12

8.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 CHF 2.26

$2.76 CHF 2.20

2.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 CHF 2.41

$3.11 CHF 2.48

-3.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.27 CHF 4.21

$5.07 CHF 4.06

3.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 CHF 2.25

$2.79 CHF 2.23

1.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.87

$2.26 CHF 1.80

3.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 2.00

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CHF 1.37

$1.50 CHF 1.20

14.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.87 CHF 8.69

$10.88 CHF 8.69

-0.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.00 CHF 11.99

$13.60 CHF 10.87

10.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 CHF 2.17

$2.33 CHF 1.86

16.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 CHF 2.59

$3.02 CHF 2.41

7.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.06 CHF 4.04

$3.95 CHF 3.15

28.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 CHF 87.4

$99.1 CHF 79.2

10.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.88 CHF 6.30

$7.68 CHF 6.14

2.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.30 CHF 3.43

$4.35 CHF 3.47

-1.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.5 CHF 70.7

$85.0 CHF 67.9

4.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.85

$2.30 CHF 1.84

0.87%

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

$41.1K CHF 32.9K

$40.6K CHF 32.4K

1.36%

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

$39.1K CHF 31.2K

$38.7K CHF 31.0K

0.90%

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

$257 CHF 206

$254 CHF 203

1.26%

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

$35.13 CHF 28.08

$36.17 CHF 28.91

-2.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 CHF 47.26

$58.8 CHF 47.00

0.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.0 CHF 71.2

$89.3 CHF 71.3

-0.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.88 CHF 39.87

Cinema Ticket

$24.22 CHF 19.36

$22.72 CHF 18.16

6.60%

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

$3,382 CHF 2,703

$2,568 CHF 2,053

31.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$38.9K CHF 31.1K

$34.2K CHF 27.3K

13.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 111

$132 CHF 106

5.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.5 CHF 49.93

$62.5 CHF 49.95

-0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 CHF 117

$149 CHF 119

-1.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 159

$201 CHF 160

-1.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,676 CHF 2,139

$1,674 CHF 1,338

59.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,185 CHF 1,746

$1,451 CHF 1,160

50.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,057 CHF 4,042

$2,848 CHF 2,277

77.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,718 CHF 2,971

$2,461 CHF 1,967

51.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$26.5K CHF 21.2K

$14.9K CHF 11.9K

77.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.9K CHF 13.5K

$11.9K CHF 9,482

42.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,547 CHF 6,832

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

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

Last update for Zurich: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cham: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,676 in Zurich and $1,674 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $146 in Zurich vs $149 in Cham. Groceries flip the comparison at $685 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

Zurich vs Cham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cham is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $6,396 in Zurich 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: $2,676 in Zurich versus $1,674 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,382 in Zurich 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 6% higher in Zurich. 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 Zurich, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Zurich 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 24% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.