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: $3,430 in Bern versus $4,602 in George Town.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,248 in Bern versus $7,054 in George Town.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,066 in Bern versus $9,505 in George Town.

Living in Bern costs roughly 25% less than in George Town, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bern 156% above, George Town 243% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.70 CHF 21.86

$30.62 KYD 25.11

-9.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 CHF 84.6

$144 KYD 118

-25.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.47 CHF 13.79

$15.85 KYD 13.00

10.22%

Cappuccino

$5.86 CHF 4.63

$6.91 KYD 5.66

-15.20%

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

$4.83 CHF 3.81

$3.52 KYD 2.88

37.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 CHF 3.66

$2.72 KYD 2.23

70.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.38 CHF 6.62

$9.05 KYD 7.42

-7.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 CHF 4.94

$8.60 KYD 7.05

-27.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.75

$3.05 KYD 2.50

-27.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 CHF 2.58

$5.26 KYD 4.32

-37.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.27

$5.83 KYD 4.78

-28.82%

Eggs

$7.10 CHF 5.60

$9.98 KYD 8.19

-28.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.95 CHF 22.06

$11.82 KYD 9.70

136.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.50 CHF 28.01

$15.84 KYD 12.99

124.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.05 CHF 32.39

$16.30 KYD 13.37

151.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.80

$10.46 KYD 8.58

-66.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 CHF 1.74

$4.55 KYD 3.73

-51.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.16

$7.82 KYD 6.41

-64.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.51

$7.78 KYD 6.38

-10.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$5.30 KYD 4.35

-57.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$5.41 KYD 4.44

-60.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 CHF 1.91

$6.37 KYD 5.22

-62.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 CHF 0.90

$2.92 KYD 2.39

-60.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.39 CHF 8.99

$14.42 KYD 11.82

-21.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.80 CHF 10.10

$25.05 KYD 20.54

-48.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CHF 1.55

$4.03 KYD 3.30

-51.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$5.18 KYD 4.25

-54.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.59 CHF 2.83

$2.39 KYD 1.96

50.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 CHF 78.1

$30.50 KYD 25.01

224.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.86 CHF 6.20

$18.37 KYD 15.06

-57.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.47 CHF 3.52

$4.89 KYD 4.01

-8.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$90.9 CHF 71.7

$60.6 KYD 49.65

50.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.69

$1.76 KYD 1.44

21.59%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.0K

$39.3K KYD 32.2K

3.23%

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

$56.6K CHF 44.7K

$33.7K KYD 27.6K

67.97%

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

$367 CHF 290

$398 KYD 326

-7.77%

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

$59.9 CHF 47.27

$97.7 KYD 80.1

-38.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 CHF 46.55

$109 KYD 89.0

-45.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.5 CHF 65.1

$105 KYD 86.0

-21.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.41 CHF 37.42

$40.53 KYD 33.24

16.98%

Cinema Ticket

$24.55 CHF 19.38

$17.74 KYD 14.55

38.39%

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

$3,417 CHF 2,697

$1,747 KYD 1,433

95.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.8K CHF 31.4K

$25.0K KYD 20.5K

59.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 CHF 118

$91.8 KYD 75.2

62.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.9 CHF 53.6

$71.9 KYD 59.0

-5.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$177 CHF 140

$150 KYD 123

18.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 CHF 147

$149 KYD 122

25.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,853 CHF 1,463

$2,839 KYD 2,328

-34.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 CHF 997

$2,527 KYD 2,072

-49.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,301 CHF 2,606

$5,662 KYD 4,643

-41.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,367 CHF 1,868

$4,683 KYD 3,840

-49.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 12.8K

$8,623 KYD 7,071

88.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.8K CHF 10.1K

$2,256 KYD 1,850

469.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,193 CHF 5,676

$7,737 KYD 6,344

-7.03%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for George Town: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,853 in Bern and $2,839 in George Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 8% 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: $107 in Bern vs $144 in George Town. Groceries flip the comparison at $636 vs $628, 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 34% 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, George Town earns 8% less. 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: $1,853 in Bern versus $2,839 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 $107 versus $144 in George Town. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,430 per month in Bern versus $4,602 in George Town – a 34% 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 $3,430 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 34% less than in George Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.