Cost of Living Comparison Between Bern and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Bern and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,430 in Bern versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,248 in Bern versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,066 in Bern versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Bern is roughly 55% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bern 156% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.70 CHF 21.86

$15.91 €13.70

74.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 CHF 84.6

$64.8 €55.8

65.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.47 CHF 13.79

$10.51 €9.05

66.22%

Cappuccino

$5.86 CHF 4.63

$2.87 €2.47

104.18%

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

$4.83 CHF 3.81

$2.24 €1.93

115.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 CHF 3.66

$1.50 €1.29

209.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.38 CHF 6.62

$3.49 €3.01

140.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 CHF 4.94

$3.88 €3.34

61.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.75

$1.14 €0.98

94.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 CHF 2.58

$1.75 €1.51

86.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.27

$1.76 €1.51

135.80%

Eggs

$7.10 CHF 5.60

$3.22 €2.77

120.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.95 CHF 22.06

$13.49 €11.61

107.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.50 CHF 28.01

$7.91 €6.81

348.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.05 CHF 32.39

$15.87 €13.67

158.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.80

$2.31 €1.99

53.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 CHF 1.74

$1.70 €1.46

29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.16

$2.01 €1.73

36.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.51

$2.46 €2.12

184.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$1.84 €1.59

21.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$2.00 €1.72

7.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 CHF 1.91

$1.93 €1.66

25.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 CHF 0.90

$0.79 €0.68

44.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.39 CHF 8.99

$6.61 €5.69

72.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.80 CHF 10.10

$5.72 €4.93

123.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CHF 1.55

$1.37 €1.18

43.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$2.97 €2.56

-20.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.59 CHF 2.83

$2.37 €2.04

51.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 CHF 78.1

$45.56 €39.22

117.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.86 CHF 6.20

$4.29 €3.69

83.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.47 CHF 3.52

$0.82 €0.70

445.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$90.9 CHF 71.7

$18.30 €15.76

396.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.69

$2.06 €1.78

3.88%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.0K

$34.3K €29.5K

18.37%

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

$56.6K CHF 44.7K

$39.3K €33.8K

44.10%

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

$367 CHF 290

$148 €127

148.08%

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

$59.9 CHF 47.27

$20.52 €17.67

191.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 CHF 46.55

$39.61 €34.10

48.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.5 CHF 65.1

$47.85 €41.19

72.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.41 CHF 37.42

$18.92 €16.29

150.58%

Cinema Ticket

$24.55 CHF 19.38

$9.18 €7.91

167.43%

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

$3,417 CHF 2,697

$614 €529

456.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.8K CHF 31.4K

$16.0K €13.8K

147.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 CHF 118

$105 €90.1

42.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.9 CHF 53.6

$42.06 €36.21

61.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$177 CHF 140

$94.0 €80.9

88.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 CHF 147

$120 €103

55.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,853 CHF 1,463

$1,628 €1,401

13.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 CHF 997

$1,255 €1,081

0.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,301 CHF 2,606

$3,030 €2,609

8.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,367 CHF 1,868

$2,020 €1,739

17.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 12.8K

$7,800 €6,715

108.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.8K CHF 10.1K

$4,273 €3,678

200.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,193 CHF 5,676

$1,603 €1,380

348.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.52

3.81

-33.86%

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

Last update for Bern: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,853 in Bern and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 349% 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 $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $636 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon 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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Bern. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Bern pays 349% more on average, 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: $1,853 in Bern versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $107 in Bern. 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 $2,210 in Lisbon – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon 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 Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,210 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bern and Lisbon 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Bern. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.