Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bern and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,704 a month against $3,361 in Bern, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

163

Cost of Living Index in Bern
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Bern Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Bern

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,361

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bern and in Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,361 in Bern versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Bern $3,361
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,127 in Bern versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Bern $5,127
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,894 in Bern versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Bern $6,894
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Bern is roughly 24% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bern 151% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.65 CHF 23.78

$20.22 $20.22

41.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 CHF 99.9

$85.0 $85.0

41.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.95 CHF 13.23

$12.35 $12.35

29.15%

Cappuccino

$6.61 CHF 5.49

$5.47 $5.47

20.84%

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

$6.16 CHF 5.11

$3.82 $3.82

61.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 CHF 5.79

$2.50 $2.50

178.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.14 CHF 7.59

$8.06 $8.06

13.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 CHF 6.60

$8.99 $8.99

-11.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.82

$1.13 $1.13

93.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 CHF 2.42

$3.78 $3.78

-23.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 CHF 2.70

$3.25 $3.25

Eggs

$7.57 CHF 6.29

$4.14 $4.14

82.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.53 CHF 20.36

$13.08 $13.08

87.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.76 CHF 23.87

$14.31 $14.31

100.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.92 CHF 32.30

$15.96 $15.96

143.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 CHF 3.27

$4.38 $4.38

-10.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 CHF 1.62

$1.45 $1.45

34.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 CHF 2.19

$4.54 $4.54

-41.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 CHF 3.91

$4.19 $4.19

12.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 CHF 1.34

$2.63 $2.63

-38.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 CHF 1.63

$2.36 $2.36

-16.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 CHF 1.90

$1.76 $1.76

30.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 CHF 1.12

$2.16 $2.16

-37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.08 CHF 9.20

$9.81 $9.81

12.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.00 CHF 9.96

$14.72 $14.72

-18.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 CHF 1.85

$2.78 $2.78

-19.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CHF 2.42

$3.48 $3.48

-16.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.31 CHF 5.24

$1.49 $1.49

323.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 CHF 83.2

$40.51 $40.51

147.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.04 CHF 6.68

$2.67 $2.67

201.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.52 CHF 3.76

$1.58 $1.58

186.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$107 CHF 88.8

$35.29 $35.29

203.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.92

$0.99 $0.99

133.33%

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

$43.0K CHF 35.7K

$35.8K $35.8K

20.16%

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

$39.2K CHF 32.5K

$27.2K $27.2K

44.31%

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

$267 CHF 222

$219 $219

21.81%

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

$27.95 CHF 23.20

$58.0 $58.0

-51.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 CHF 45.51

$68.4 $68.4

-19.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.9 CHF 72.2

$57.9 $57.9

50.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.30 CHF 38.43

$14.82 $14.82

212.42%

Cinema Ticket

$23.85 CHF 19.79

$14.13 $14.13

68.79%

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

$3,148 CHF 2,612

$1,509 $1,509

108.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.7K CHF 25.5K

$21.5K $21.5K

43.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 118

$51.7 $51.7

175.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 CHF 51.0

$44.05 $44.05

39.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$157 CHF 130

$85.1 $85.1

84.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$195 CHF 162

$105 $105

85.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,900 CHF 1,577

$1,932 $1,932

-1.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 CHF 1,151

$1,272 $1,272

8.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,555 CHF 2,951

$3,670 $3,670

-3.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,455 CHF 2,037

$2,525 $2,525

-2.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 15.3K

$7,617 $7,617

142.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 12.1K

$3,199 $3,199

356.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,782 CHF 5,629

$5,105 $5,105

32.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.46

6.79

-63.77%

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

Last update for Bern: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bern

$1.4K 41.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 8.2% $114

Groceries & Markets

Bern

$569 17.2%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 29.2% $166

Eating Out

Bern

$470 14.2%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 26% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bern

$350 10.6%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 1.2% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

Bern

$250 7.5%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 48.5% $121

Getting Around

Bern

$156 4.7%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 63.5% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Bern

$135 4.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 36% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,900 in Bern and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 33% 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 $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $569 vs $403 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Bern

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

20:37 8:37 PM

7 h behind Bern

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

128,848 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.2 USD

1 CHF = 1.07 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR 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).

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

USD to CHF in detail →

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Between locations

Bern Austin, TX 8,630 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Bern
Austin, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Bern vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Bern. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 33% 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 $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,361 per month in Bern versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 147% less than in Bern. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,704 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bern and Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Bern. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.