Cost of Living Comparison Between Bern and Lausanne Cost of Living Comparison Between Bern and Lausanne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,409 in Bern versus $3,619 in Lausanne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,182 in Bern versus $5,781 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,955 in Bern versus $7,944 in Lausanne.

Living in Bern costs roughly 6% less than in Lausanne, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bern 155% above, Lausanne 171% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.49 CHF 23.08

$32.44 CHF 26.28

-12.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 CHF 87.4

$148 CHF 120

-26.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.15 CHF 13.89

$19.05 CHF 15.43

-9.97%

Cappuccino

$5.75 CHF 4.65

$5.90 CHF 4.78

-2.54%

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

$4.76 CHF 3.85

$5.41 CHF 4.38

-12.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 CHF 3.87

$4.92 CHF 3.98

-2.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 CHF 6.62

$10.12 CHF 8.19

-19.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.21 CHF 5.03

$8.85 CHF 7.17

-29.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.80

$2.24 CHF 1.82

-0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 CHF 2.69

$4.09 CHF 3.31

-18.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.26 CHF 3.45

$4.37 CHF 3.54

-2.52%

Eggs

$7.09 CHF 5.74

$7.37 CHF 5.97

-3.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 23.22

$26.35 CHF 21.35

8.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.86 CHF 29.04

$28.58 CHF 23.15

25.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.00 CHF 33.21

$53.2 CHF 43.07

-22.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 CHF 2.73

$3.80 CHF 3.08

-11.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$2.15 CHF 1.74

4.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 CHF 2.23

$2.89 CHF 2.34

-4.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.87 CHF 5.56

$6.62 CHF 5.36

3.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 CHF 1.76

$2.43 CHF 1.97

-10.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 CHF 1.73

$2.41 CHF 1.95

-11.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CHF 1.97

$2.53 CHF 2.05

-3.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CHF 0.93

$1.40 CHF 1.14

-17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.52 CHF 9.33

$11.03 CHF 8.94

4.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 CHF 9.88

$15.39 CHF 12.47

-20.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CHF 1.59

$2.10 CHF 1.70

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 CHF 1.85

$3.27 CHF 2.65

-30.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 CHF 3.03

$4.83 CHF 3.91

-22.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.5 CHF 79.8

$96.1 CHF 77.8

2.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.04 CHF 6.51

$7.67 CHF 6.21

4.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.44 CHF 3.60

$3.42 CHF 2.77

29.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$91.5 CHF 74.1

$66.1 CHF 53.6

38.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.79

$2.18 CHF 1.76

1.83%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.3K

$39.6K CHF 32.1K

3.77%

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

$58.3K CHF 47.2K

$40.6K CHF 32.9K

43.40%

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

$367 CHF 297

$331 CHF 268

11.02%

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

$58.3 CHF 47.24

$50.0 CHF 40.52

16.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 CHF 47.04

$57.7 CHF 46.77

0.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.1 CHF 65.7

$78.4 CHF 63.5

3.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.39 CHF 37.58

$48.46 CHF 39.25

-4.27%

Cinema Ticket

$24.71 CHF 20.02

$26.35 CHF 21.35

-6.22%

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

$3,315 CHF 2,685

$2,843 CHF 2,303

16.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.1K CHF 32.5K

$34.6K CHF 28.0K

15.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$154 CHF 125

$110 CHF 89.1

40.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.1 CHF 56.0

$69.2 CHF 56.0

-0.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 141

$153 CHF 124

13.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 CHF 153

$184 CHF 149

2.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 CHF 1,516

$1,834 CHF 1,486

2.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 CHF 1,040

$1,476 CHF 1,195

-12.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,197 CHF 2,589

$3,654 CHF 2,960

-12.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,412 CHF 1,954

$2,979 CHF 2,413

-19.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.2K CHF 15.5K

$18.6K CHF 15.1K

3.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.4K CHF 12.4K

$14.2K CHF 11.5K

7.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,080 CHF 5,735

$6,512 CHF 5,275

8.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.52

2.5

0.80%

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

Last update for Bern: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,871 in Bern and $1,834 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $108 in Bern vs $148 in Lausanne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $638 vs $655 per month, with Bern cheaper across the board.

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 Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bern wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Lausanne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bern the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $1,871 in Bern versus $1,834 in Lausanne. 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 $148 in Lausanne. 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 $3,619 in Lausanne – a 6% 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 Lausanne 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 6% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.