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: $4,347 in Zurich versus $3,510 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,523 in Zurich versus $5,437 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,699 in Zurich versus $7,364 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 224% above, Cham 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.22 CHF 23.69

$30.40 CHF 23.83

-0.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 116

$151 CHF 118

-1.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.17 CHF 16.59

$19.86 CHF 15.57

6.60%

Cappuccino

$6.97 CHF 5.47

$6.84 CHF 5.36

1.90%

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

$5.78 CHF 4.53

$5.57 CHF 4.37

3.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 CHF 4.24

$5.22 CHF 4.09

3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.03 CHF 7.87

$10.09 CHF 7.91

-0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.58 CHF 6.72

$7.45 CHF 5.84

15.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.68

$2.22 CHF 1.74

-3.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 CHF 2.60

$3.26 CHF 2.56

1.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 CHF 3.19

$4.08 CHF 3.20

-0.25%

Eggs

$7.46 CHF 5.85

$7.22 CHF 5.66

3.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.49 CHF 23.12

$28.15 CHF 22.07

4.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.63 CHF 26.37

$33.89 CHF 26.57

-0.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$49.90 CHF 39.12

$44.75 CHF 35.08

11.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 CHF 3.16

$3.82 CHF 2.99

5.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 CHF 2.22

$2.65 CHF 2.08

6.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CHF 2.35

$3.02 CHF 2.36

-0.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 CHF 4.09

$5.23 CHF 4.10

-0.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 CHF 2.19

$2.73 CHF 2.14

2.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 CHF 1.79

$2.27 CHF 1.78

0.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 1.99

$2.49 CHF 1.95

2.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 CHF 1.30

$1.56 CHF 1.22

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.19 CHF 8.77

$10.94 CHF 8.58

2.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.18 CHF 11.90

$15.44 CHF 12.10

-1.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 CHF 2.04

$2.46 CHF 1.93

5.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 CHF 2.64

$3.02 CHF 2.37

11.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.01 CHF 3.93

$3.82 CHF 2.99

31.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 CHF 86.1

$98.6 CHF 77.3

11.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.60 CHF 5.96

$7.57 CHF 5.94

0.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.25 CHF 3.33

$4.11 CHF 3.22

3.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.4 CHF 69.3

$87.2 CHF 68.3

1.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.74

$2.34 CHF 1.84

-5.13%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.3K

$39.6K CHF 31.1K

0.64%

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

$39.3K CHF 30.8K

$38.7K CHF 30.4K

1.39%

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

$254 CHF 199

$258 CHF 202

-1.39%

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

$35.48 CHF 27.81

$36.19 CHF 28.37

-1.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 CHF 45.78

$59.4 CHF 46.55

-1.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.7 CHF 71.1

$88.5 CHF 69.4

2.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.80 CHF 39.05

Cinema Ticket

$24.62 CHF 19.30

$22.34 CHF 17.52

10.21%

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

$3,356 CHF 2,631

$2,563 CHF 2,009

30.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.0K CHF 30.5K

$34.6K CHF 27.2K

12.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 CHF 108

$132 CHF 104

4.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.7 CHF 48.37

$61.4 CHF 48.12

0.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 CHF 119

$148 CHF 116

2.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$205 CHF 161

$199 CHF 156

2.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,780 CHF 2,180

$1,671 CHF 1,310

66.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 CHF 1,746

$1,459 CHF 1,144

52.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,989 CHF 3,911

$2,857 CHF 2,240

74.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,800 CHF 2,979

$2,503 CHF 1,962

51.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$25.3K CHF 19.8K

$12.1K CHF 9,524

108.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.0K CHF 12.5K

$12.0K CHF 9,428

32.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,622 CHF 6,760

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Cham: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,780 in Zurich and $1,671 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $149 in Zurich vs $151 in Cham. Groceries flip the comparison at $675 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

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 $6,521 in Zurich 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: $2,780 in Zurich versus $1,671 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,356 in Zurich versus $2,563 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% 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.