Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bern and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,806 a month against $3,361 in Bern, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

163

Cost of Living Index in Bern
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Bern Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Bern

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,361

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bern and in Athens

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bern and in Athens actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,361 in Bern versus $1,806 in Athens.

Bern $3,361
Athens $1,806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,127 in Bern versus $2,731 in Athens.

Bern $5,127
Athens $2,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,894 in Bern versus $3,656 in Athens.

Bern $6,894
Athens $3,656

Living in Bern is roughly 86% more expensive than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bern 151% above, Athens 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.65 CHF 23.78

$16.66 €14.87

71.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 CHF 99.9

$66.2 €59.1

81.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.95 CHF 13.23

$11.06 €9.87

44.21%

Cappuccino

$6.61 CHF 5.49

$4.14 €3.69

59.66%

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

$6.16 CHF 5.11

$2.80 €2.50

120.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 CHF 5.79

$0.57 €0.51

1122.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.14 CHF 7.59

$5.64 €5.03

62.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 CHF 6.60

$5.46 €4.87

45.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.82

$1.96 €1.75

11.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 CHF 2.42

$1.41 €1.26

106.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 CHF 2.70

$2.83 €2.53

14.84%

Eggs

$7.57 CHF 6.29

$5.04 €4.50

50.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.53 CHF 20.36

$15.35 €13.70

59.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.76 CHF 23.87

$10.34 €9.23

178.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.92 CHF 32.30

$18.97 €16.93

105.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 CHF 3.27

$2.17 €1.93

81.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 CHF 1.62

$1.91 €1.70

2.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 CHF 2.19

$1.38 €1.23

91.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 CHF 3.91

$2.20 €1.96

114.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 CHF 1.34

$1.10 €0.98

46.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 CHF 1.63

$1.13 €1.00

74.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 CHF 1.90

$1.10 €0.99

108.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 CHF 1.12

$0.83 €0.74

62.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.08 CHF 9.20

$5.60 €4.99

97.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.00 CHF 9.96

$10.19 €9.09

17.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 CHF 1.85

$2.18 €1.95

2.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CHF 2.42

$2.45 €2.19

18.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.31 CHF 5.24

$1.38 €1.23

357.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 CHF 83.2

$30.87 €27.55

224.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.04 CHF 6.68

$4.37 €3.90

83.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.52 CHF 3.76

$1.04 €0.93

334.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$107 CHF 88.8

$17.11 €15.27

525.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.92

$2.31 €2.07

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

$43.0K CHF 35.7K

$28.0K €25.0K

53.74%

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

$39.2K CHF 32.5K

$28.0K €25.0K

39.99%

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

$267 CHF 222

$210 €187

27.34%

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

$27.95 CHF 23.20

$26.70 €23.83

4.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 CHF 45.51

$30.13 €26.89

81.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.9 CHF 72.2

$54.6 €48.72

59.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.30 CHF 38.43

$26.03 €23.23

77.87%

Cinema Ticket

$23.85 CHF 19.79

$10.78 €9.62

121.24%

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

$3,148 CHF 2,612

$575 €513

447.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.7K CHF 25.5K

$13.1K €11.7K

133.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 118

$93.2 €83.1

52.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 CHF 51.0

$40.68 €36.30

50.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$157 CHF 130

$104 €92.9

50.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$195 CHF 162

$128 €115

51.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,900 CHF 1,577

$756 €674

151.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 CHF 1,151

$652 €582

112.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,555 CHF 2,951

$1,294 €1,154

174.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,455 CHF 2,037

$1,163 €1,038

111.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 15.3K

$4,008 €3,577

360.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 12.1K

$3,452 €3,081

323.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,782 CHF 5,629

$1,243 €1,110

445.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.46

4.48

-45.09%

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

Last update for Bern: October 5, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bern

$1.4K 41.8%

Athens

$652 36.5% 52.9% $734

Groceries & Markets

Bern

$569 17.2%

Athens

$315 17.6% 44.7% $254

Eating Out

Bern

$470 14.2%

Athens

$269 15% 42.9% $202

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bern

$350 10.6%

Athens

$267 14.9% 23.8% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Bern

$250 7.5%

Athens

$165 9.2% 34.1% $85

Getting Around

Bern

$156 4.7%

Athens

$46 2.6% 70.6% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Bern

$135 4.1%

Athens

$76 4.3% 43.4% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,900 in Bern and $756 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 445% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $120 in Bern vs $66.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $569 vs $315 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Bern

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

07:22 7:22 AM

08:22 8:22 AM

1 h ahead of Bern

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

128,848 Capital

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.2 USD

1 CHF = 1.07 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 0.931 CHF (1 CHF = 1.07 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CHF in detail →

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Bern Athens 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bern vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in Bern. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 445% higher in Bern, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,900 in Bern versus $756 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $120 in Bern. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,361 per month in Bern versus $1,806 in Athens – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,806 in Athens versus $3,361 in Bern, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Bern. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,806 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bern and Athens 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 Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Bern. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.