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: $3,409 in Bern versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,182 in Bern versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,955 in Bern versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Bern is roughly 49% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bern 155% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.49 CHF 23.08

$16.19 €14.18

75.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 CHF 87.4

$63.3 €55.5

70.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.15 CHF 13.89

$10.32 €9.04

66.18%

Cappuccino

$5.75 CHF 4.65

$2.83 €2.48

103.18%

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

$4.76 CHF 3.85

$2.29 €2.01

107.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 CHF 3.87

$1.58 €1.38

202.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 CHF 6.62

$3.40 €2.98

140.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.21 CHF 5.03

$4.03 €3.53

54.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.80

$1.09 €0.96

103.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 CHF 2.69

$1.75 €1.53

90.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.26 CHF 3.45

$1.76 €1.54

142.05%

Eggs

$7.09 CHF 5.74

$3.17 €2.77

123.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 23.22

$13.19 €11.56

117.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.86 CHF 29.04

$7.97 €6.98

349.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.00 CHF 33.21

$15.53 €13.60

164.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 CHF 2.73

$2.37 €2.07

42.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$1.71 €1.49

30.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 CHF 2.23

$2.01 €1.76

37.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.87 CHF 5.56

$2.43 €2.13

182.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 CHF 1.76

$1.76 €1.54

23.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 CHF 1.73

$2.03 €1.78

4.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CHF 1.97

$1.92 €1.68

26.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CHF 0.93

$0.85 €0.74

35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.52 CHF 9.33

$6.58 €5.76

75.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 CHF 9.88

$5.58 €4.89

118.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CHF 1.59

$1.33 €1.17

47.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 CHF 1.85

$2.97 €2.60

-23.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 CHF 3.03

$2.28 €1.99

64.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.5 CHF 79.8

$45.79 €40.10

115.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.04 CHF 6.51

$4.23 €3.70

90.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.44 CHF 3.60

$0.81 €0.71

448.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$91.5 CHF 74.1

$18.44 €16.15

396.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.79

$2.08 €1.82

6.73%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.3K

$34.7K €30.4K

18.55%

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

$58.3K CHF 47.2K

$39.2K €34.3K

48.86%

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

$367 CHF 297

$148 €130

147.86%

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

$58.3 CHF 47.24

$20.46 €17.92

185.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 CHF 47.04

$39.56 €34.64

46.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.1 CHF 65.7

$47.99 €42.03

69.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.39 CHF 37.58

$18.60 €16.29

149.41%

Cinema Ticket

$24.71 CHF 20.02

$9.22 €8.08

168.00%

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

$3,315 CHF 2,685

$616 €540

438.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.1K CHF 32.5K

$16.4K €14.4K

143.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$154 CHF 125

$103 €90.0

50.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.1 CHF 56.0

$41.74 €36.55

65.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 141

$94.8 €83.0

83.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 CHF 153

$122 €107

54.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 CHF 1,516

$1,633 €1,430

14.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 CHF 1,040

$1,232 €1,079

4.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,197 CHF 2,589

$3,098 €2,713

3.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,412 CHF 1,954

$2,031 €1,779

18.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.2K CHF 15.5K

$7,831 €6,858

144.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.4K CHF 12.4K

$4,389 €3,844

249.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,080 CHF 5,735

$1,607 €1,408

340.52%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,871 in Bern and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 341% 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 $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $638 vs $267 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 49% 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.

Average pay runs 341% 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 $1,633 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 $63.0 versus $108 in Bern. 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 $2,291 in Lisbon – a 49% 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 $2,291 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 49% less than in Bern. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.