Cost of Living Comparison Between Bern and George Town Cost of Living Comparison Between Bern and George Town

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,409 in Bern versus $4,618 in George Town.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,182 in Bern versus $7,071 in George Town.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,955 in Bern versus $9,524 in George Town.

Living in Bern costs roughly 26% less than in George Town, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bern 155% above, George Town 246% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.49 CHF 23.03

$30.65 KYD 25.13

-7.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 CHF 87.2

$144 KYD 118

-24.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.15 CHF 13.86

$15.94 KYD 13.07

7.59%

Cappuccino

$5.75 CHF 4.65

$6.90 KYD 5.65

-16.67%

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

$4.76 CHF 3.85

$3.36 KYD 2.76

41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 CHF 3.86

$2.72 KYD 2.23

75.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 CHF 6.61

$9.27 KYD 7.60

-11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.21 CHF 5.02

$8.18 KYD 6.71

-24.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.80

$3.02 KYD 2.48

-26.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 CHF 2.69

$5.30 KYD 4.35

-37.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.26 CHF 3.45

$5.75 KYD 4.72

-25.91%

Eggs

$7.09 CHF 5.73

$9.84 KYD 8.07

-27.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 23.18

$11.71 KYD 9.60

144.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.86 CHF 28.99

$16.01 KYD 13.13

123.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.00 CHF 33.15

$16.24 KYD 13.32

152.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 CHF 2.73

$10.67 KYD 8.75

-68.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$4.66 KYD 3.82

-51.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 CHF 2.23

$7.91 KYD 6.49

-65.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.87 CHF 5.55

$7.64 KYD 6.27

-10.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 CHF 1.76

$5.34 KYD 4.38

-59.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 CHF 1.73

$5.50 KYD 4.51

-61.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CHF 1.97

$6.09 KYD 5.00

-60.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CHF 0.93

$3.00 KYD 2.46

-61.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.52 CHF 9.32

$14.61 KYD 11.98

-21.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 CHF 9.86

$25.67 KYD 21.05

-52.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CHF 1.59

$3.92 KYD 3.21

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 CHF 1.84

$5.16 KYD 4.23

-55.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 CHF 3.03

$2.45 KYD 2.01

52.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.5 CHF 79.6

$30.28 KYD 24.83

225.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.04 CHF 6.50

$18.28 KYD 14.99

-56.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.44 CHF 3.59

$4.82 KYD 3.95

-7.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$91.5 CHF 74.0

$59.4 KYD 48.69

54.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.79

$1.71 KYD 1.40

29.82%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.2K

$39.2K KYD 32.1K

4.88%

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

$58.3K CHF 47.1K

$34.0K KYD 27.9K

71.35%

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

$367 CHF 297

$385 KYD 316

-4.77%

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

$58.3 CHF 47.15

$97.8 KYD 80.2

-40.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 CHF 46.95

$110 KYD 90.4

-47.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.1 CHF 65.6

$106 KYD 86.9

-23.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.39 CHF 37.51

$40.38 KYD 33.11

14.88%

Cinema Ticket

$24.71 CHF 19.98

$18.17 KYD 14.90

35.99%

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

$3,315 CHF 2,680

$1,744 KYD 1,430

90.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.1K CHF 32.4K

$24.3K KYD 19.9K

64.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$154 CHF 125

$91.7 KYD 75.2

68.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.1 CHF 55.9

$70.8 KYD 58.1

-2.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 141

$147 KYD 121

18.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 CHF 153

$149 KYD 122

27.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 CHF 1,513

$2,806 KYD 2,301

-33.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 CHF 1,038

$2,485 KYD 2,038

-48.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,197 CHF 2,585

$5,558 KYD 4,557

-42.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,412 CHF 1,950

$4,697 KYD 3,851

-48.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.2K CHF 15.5K

$8,809 KYD 7,223

117.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.4K CHF 12.4K

$2,303 KYD 1,889

566.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,080 CHF 5,725

$7,125 KYD 5,842

-0.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.52

8.25

-69.45%

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

Last update for Bern: July 14, 2026

Last update for George Town: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,871 in Bern and $2,806 in George Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 1% 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: $108 in Bern vs $144 in George Town. Groceries flip the comparison at $638 vs $629, with George Town 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

Bern vs George Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bern wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in George Town. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bern the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in George Town. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,871 in Bern versus $2,806 in George Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bern – a meal for two runs $108 versus $144 in George Town. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,409 per month in Bern versus $4,618 in George Town – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Bern 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 Bern delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,409 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bern hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bern and George Town 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 Bern gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in George Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.