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: $3,477 in Bern versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,394 in Bern versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,311 in Bern versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Bern is roughly 50% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bern 153% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.98 CHF 23.40

$17.30 €14.87

67.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 102

$63.3 €54.4

99.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.17 CHF 13.06

$11.39 €9.79

41.97%

Cappuccino

$7.01 CHF 5.66

$3.19 €2.74

119.75%

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

$6.23 CHF 5.03

$2.45 €2.10

154.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 CHF 5.68

$1.76 €1.52

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.48 CHF 7.65

$3.59 €3.09

164.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 CHF 6.61

$3.39 €2.92

141.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.82

$1.24 €1.06

81.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 CHF 2.40

$1.98 €1.71

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 CHF 2.63

$1.52 €1.31

113.82%

Eggs

$8.08 CHF 6.52

$4.04 €3.47

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.49 CHF 19.78

$13.54 €11.64

80.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.84 CHF 24.09

$8.39 €7.21

255.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.30 CHF 32.54

$18.25 €15.69

120.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CHF 3.19

$2.29 €1.97

72.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.64

$1.74 €1.50

17.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 CHF 2.25

$1.86 €1.60

49.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 CHF 3.89

$2.63 €2.26

82.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 CHF 1.39

$1.92 €1.65

-10.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.69

$2.09 €1.80

0.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CHF 1.84

$1.44 €1.24

58.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 CHF 1.08

$0.84 €0.72

59.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CHF 9.39

$6.78 €5.83

71.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.52 CHF 10.11

$5.71 €4.91

119.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 CHF 1.88

$1.38 €1.18

68.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 CHF 2.49

$2.22 €1.91

38.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.37 CHF 5.14

$2.40 €2.06

165.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 CHF 81.6

$46.78 €40.22

115.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 CHF 6.72

$4.17 €3.59

99.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.71 CHF 3.81

$1.14 €0.98

313.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$110 CHF 88.5

$17.68 €15.20

519.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.83

$2.32 €2.00

-2.16%

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

$43.9K CHF 35.4K

$35.3K €30.4K

24.22%

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

$39.4K CHF 31.8K

$41.4K €35.6K

-4.91%

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

$279 CHF 225

$170 €146

63.52%

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

$28.97 CHF 23.39

$19.34 €16.62

49.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.3 CHF 44.67

$33.64 €28.92

64.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.1 CHF 74.4

$48.10 €41.35

91.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.53 CHF 38.38

$19.90 €17.11

138.84%

Cinema Ticket

$25.08 CHF 20.25

$9.92 €8.53

152.82%

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

$3,158 CHF 2,550

$717 €617

340.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K CHF 25.7K

$17.5K €15.0K

82.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 118

$105 €90.1

39.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.5 CHF 51.3

$46.95 €40.36

35.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 129

$103 €88.9

53.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 160

$124 €107

60.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,890 CHF 1,526

$1,677 €1,441

12.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 CHF 1,157

$1,271 €1,093

12.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,564 CHF 2,878

$2,985 €2,566

19.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,539 CHF 2,050

$1,992 €1,713

27.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.2K CHF 15.5K

$7,826 €6,728

144.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.4K CHF 12.4K

$4,658 €4,004

230.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,921 CHF 5,588

$1,583 €1,361

337.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.46

3.79

-35.09%

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

Last update for Bern: September 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,890 in Bern and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 337% 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 $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $586 vs $283 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 50% 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 337% 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: $1,890 in Bern versus $1,677 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 $126 in Bern. 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 $2,316 in Lisbon – a 50% 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 $2,316 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 50% less than in Bern. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.