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: $4,715 in Zurich versus $3,622 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,006 in Zurich versus $5,410 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,297 in Zurich versus $7,198 in Cham.

Living in Zurich is roughly 30% more expensive than in Cham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 242% above, Cham 163% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$36.39 CHF 29.69

$31.40 CHF 25.63

15.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 121

$126 CHF 103

17.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.59 CHF 15.17

$18.26 CHF 14.91

1.81%

Cappuccino

$7.14 CHF 5.83

$6.05 CHF 4.94

18.02%

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

$5.83 CHF 4.76

$5.68 CHF 4.63

2.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.34 CHF 4.36

$4.79 CHF 3.91

11.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.98 CHF 8.14

$8.40 CHF 6.86

18.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.68 CHF 7.09

$6.82 CHF 5.57

27.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.81

$2.22 CHF 1.81

-0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.96 CHF 3.23

$4.05 CHF 3.30

-2.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.02 CHF 3.28

$3.83 CHF 3.13

4.96%

Eggs

$8.46 CHF 6.91

$7.36 CHF 6.01

14.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.66 CHF 22.57

$27.93 CHF 22.79

-0.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.66 CHF 22.57

$27.68 CHF 22.59

-0.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$61.1 CHF 49.82

$43.42 CHF 35.44

40.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.39

$4.12 CHF 3.36

0.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.35

$2.28 CHF 1.86

26.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 CHF 2.91

$3.30 CHF 2.70

8.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 CHF 3.93

$4.72 CHF 3.85

1.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CHF 2.20

$2.52 CHF 2.06

6.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CHF 1.79

$2.27 CHF 1.85

-3.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CHF 2.11

$2.56 CHF 2.09

1.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 CHF 1.09

$1.20 CHF 0.98

10.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.24 CHF 9.17

$11.20 CHF 9.14

0.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 CHF 11.24

$13.61 CHF 11.11

1.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 CHF 2.27

$2.87 CHF 2.34

-3.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 CHF 2.62

$3.20 CHF 2.62

0.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.74 CHF 4.68

$5.00 CHF 4.08

14.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 CHF 90.0

$152 CHF 124

-27.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.58 CHF 7.00

$5.61 CHF 4.58

52.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.58 CHF 3.74

$3.47 CHF 2.83

31.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$91.6 CHF 74.7

$61.9 CHF 50.5

47.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.88

$2.28 CHF 1.86

0.88%

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

$40.9K CHF 33.4K

$40.6K CHF 33.2K

0.70%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.5K

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

-0.20%

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

$289 CHF 236

$288 CHF 235

0.52%

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

$39.21 CHF 32.00

$32.30 CHF 26.36

21.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 CHF 47.08

$57.2 CHF 46.65

0.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.8 CHF 74.9

$92.4 CHF 75.4

-0.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$63.0 CHF 51.4

$42.34 CHF 34.56

48.72%

Cinema Ticket

$25.56 CHF 20.86

$25.03 CHF 20.43

2.12%

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

$3,721 CHF 3,037

$1,818 CHF 1,484

104.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.0K CHF 35.9K

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

29.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$144 CHF 118

$148 CHF 121

-2.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 CHF 48.47

$60.7 CHF 49.56

-2.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$170 CHF 138

$167 CHF 136

1.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$267 CHF 218

$261 CHF 213

2.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 CHF 2,543

$1,732 CHF 1,413

79.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,438 CHF 1,989

$1,469 CHF 1,199

65.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,299 CHF 5,141

$2,875 CHF 2,346

119.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,288 CHF 3,499

$2,682 CHF 2,189

59.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.6K CHF 22.6K

$17.9K CHF 14.6K

54.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.4K CHF 13.4K

$13.6K CHF 11.1K

21.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,393 CHF 6,849

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

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

Last update for Zurich: September 5, 2026

Last update for Cham: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,117 in Zurich and $1,732 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $148 in Zurich vs $126 in Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $679 vs $616 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

Zurich vs Cham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cham is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $7,072 in Zurich 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: $3,117 in Zurich versus $1,732 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,721 in Zurich versus $1,818 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% 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 30% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.