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: $4,229 in Zurich versus $3,528 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,508 in Zurich versus $5,360 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,786 in Zurich versus $7,192 in Cham.

Living in Zurich is roughly 20% more expensive than in Cham, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 217% above, Cham 164% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.02 CHF 25.36

$30.86 CHF 25.23

0.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 119

$147 CHF 121

-0.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.79 CHF 17.00

$19.66 CHF 16.08

5.75%

Cappuccino

$6.71 CHF 5.48

$6.74 CHF 5.51

-0.45%

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

$6.13 CHF 5.01

$5.51 CHF 4.51

11.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 CHF 4.33

$4.98 CHF 4.07

6.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.00 CHF 8.18

$10.05 CHF 8.22

-0.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.65 CHF 7.07

$7.68 CHF 6.28

12.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.85

$2.24 CHF 1.83

0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 CHF 2.79

$3.33 CHF 2.72

2.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.92 CHF 3.20

$4.15 CHF 3.39

-5.54%

Eggs

$7.54 CHF 6.17

$7.22 CHF 5.91

4.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.54 CHF 24.16

$28.77 CHF 23.52

2.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.89 CHF 27.71

$33.10 CHF 27.07

2.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.2 CHF 41.02

$44.54 CHF 36.42

12.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.39

$4.02 CHF 3.29

3.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 CHF 2.32

$2.72 CHF 2.22

4.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 CHF 2.47

$2.98 CHF 2.44

1.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 CHF 4.12

$5.05 CHF 4.13

-0.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.24

$2.87 CHF 2.34

-4.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.88

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 CHF 2.00

$2.57 CHF 2.10

-4.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.36

$1.52 CHF 1.24

9.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CHF 9.09

$11.20 CHF 9.16

-0.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 CHF 11.25

$13.01 CHF 10.64

5.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 CHF 2.24

$2.38 CHF 1.94

15.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 CHF 2.71

$3.17 CHF 2.59

4.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.84 CHF 3.96

$3.88 CHF 3.17

24.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 CHF 89.4

$99.1 CHF 81.0

10.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.64 CHF 6.25

$7.77 CHF 6.35

-1.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.11 CHF 3.36

$4.15 CHF 3.40

-0.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 71.4

$86.3 CHF 70.6

1.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

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

$40.3K CHF 33.0K

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

-1.94%

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

$38.8K CHF 31.7K

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

-2.79%

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

$255 CHF 209

-0.14%

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

$35.92 CHF 29.37

$35.13 CHF 28.73

2.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 CHF 48.83

$58.9 CHF 48.16

1.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.3 CHF 73.0

$86.2 CHF 70.5

3.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.5 CHF 41.29

Cinema Ticket

$24.36 CHF 19.92

$22.76 CHF 18.61

7.03%

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

$3,397 CHF 2,778

$2,609 CHF 2,133

30.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.5K CHF 32.3K

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

16.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 116

$132 CHF 108

7.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 CHF 49.60

$60.6 CHF 49.57

0.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 121

$148 CHF 121

0.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 CHF 165

$204 CHF 167

-1.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,698 CHF 2,206

$1,705 CHF 1,394

58.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,208 CHF 1,805

$1,469 CHF 1,201

50.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,893 CHF 4,001

$2,825 CHF 2,310

73.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,760 CHF 3,074

$2,506 CHF 2,049

50.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$26.8K CHF 21.9K

$16.9K CHF 13.8K

58.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.7K CHF 13.7K

$14.1K CHF 11.5K

19.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,316 CHF 6,800

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Cham: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,698 in Zurich and $1,705 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $146 in Zurich vs $147 in Cham. Groceries flip the comparison at $677 vs $646, 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 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $6,343 in Zurich and $5,293 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: $2,698 in Zurich versus $1,705 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,397 in Zurich versus $2,609 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% 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 20% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.