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: $3,477 in Bern versus $3,824 in Lausanne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,394 in Bern versus $5,908 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,311 in Bern versus $7,993 in Lausanne.

Living in Bern costs roughly 9% less than in Lausanne, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bern 153% above, Lausanne 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.98 CHF 23.44

$31.49 CHF 25.48

-7.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 102

$119 CHF 96.2

6.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.17 CHF 13.08

$19.27 CHF 15.59

-16.09%

Cappuccino

$7.01 CHF 5.67

$6.32 CHF 5.12

10.92%

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

$6.23 CHF 5.04

$5.28 CHF 4.28

17.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 CHF 5.69

$4.09 CHF 3.31

72.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.48 CHF 7.67

$10.47 CHF 8.47

-9.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 CHF 6.62

$9.93 CHF 8.03

-17.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.82

$2.28 CHF 1.85

-1.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 CHF 2.40

$3.97 CHF 3.21

-25.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 CHF 2.63

$3.28 CHF 2.65

-0.91%

Eggs

$8.08 CHF 6.54

$7.55 CHF 6.11

7.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.49 CHF 19.81

$24.73 CHF 20.00

-0.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.84 CHF 24.14

$28.61 CHF 23.15

4.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.30 CHF 32.60

$40.20 CHF 32.52

0.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CHF 3.20

$3.68 CHF 2.98

7.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.65

$2.10 CHF 1.70

-2.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 CHF 2.25

$2.53 CHF 2.05

9.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 CHF 3.89

$4.55 CHF 3.68

5.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 CHF 1.39

$1.82 CHF 1.47

-5.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.70

$1.98 CHF 1.60

6.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CHF 1.84

$2.03 CHF 1.64

12.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 CHF 1.08

$1.80 CHF 1.46

-25.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CHF 9.41

$11.19 CHF 9.05

3.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.52 CHF 10.13

$15.68 CHF 12.69

-20.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 CHF 1.88

$2.69 CHF 2.18

-13.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 CHF 2.49

$3.22 CHF 2.61

-4.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.37 CHF 5.15

$4.55 CHF 3.68

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 CHF 81.7

$97.5 CHF 78.8

3.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 CHF 6.73

$7.82 CHF 6.33

6.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.71 CHF 3.81

$4.74 CHF 3.83

-0.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$110 CHF 88.7

$88.4 CHF 71.5

23.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.83

$2.36 CHF 1.91

-3.81%

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

$43.9K CHF 35.5K

$44.6K CHF 36.1K

-1.68%

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

$39.4K CHF 31.9K

$40.1K CHF 32.4K

-1.68%

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

$279 CHF 225

$305 CHF 247

-8.63%

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

$28.97 CHF 23.43

$38.30 CHF 30.99

-24.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.3 CHF 44.75

$51.6 CHF 41.70

7.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.1 CHF 74.5

$74.1 CHF 60.0

24.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.53 CHF 38.45

$50.8 CHF 41.07

-6.36%

Cinema Ticket

$25.08 CHF 20.29

$24.97 CHF 20.20

0.44%

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

$3,158 CHF 2,555

$3,045 CHF 2,463

3.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K CHF 25.8K

$38.2K CHF 30.9K

-16.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 119

$144 CHF 116

1.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.5 CHF 51.4

$77.9 CHF 63.0

-18.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 129

$141 CHF 114

13.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 160

$224 CHF 181

-11.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,890 CHF 1,529

$2,339 CHF 1,892

-19.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 CHF 1,160

$1,827 CHF 1,478

-21.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,564 CHF 2,884

$4,456 CHF 3,605

-20.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,539 CHF 2,054

$3,317 CHF 2,683

-23.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.2K CHF 15.5K

$18.5K CHF 15.0K

3.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.4K CHF 12.4K

$14.4K CHF 11.7K

6.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,921 CHF 5,599

$6,938 CHF 5,613

-0.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.46

1.95

26.15%

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

Last update for Bern: September 1, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,890 in Bern and $2,339 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lausanne pays 0% 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: $126 in Bern vs $119 in Lausanne. Groceries flip the comparison at $586 vs $598, with Bern 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 Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bern wins on cost – living expenses run 10% 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.

On paper, salaries run 0% lower in Lausanne. 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: $1,890 in Bern versus $2,339 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 $126 versus $119 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,477 per month in Bern versus $3,824 in Lausanne – a 10% 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 $3,477 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 10% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.