Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bern and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $3,337 in Bern, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

162

Cost of Living Index in Bern
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Bern Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Bern

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,337

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bern and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bern and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,337 in Bern versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Bern $3,337
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,148 in Bern versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Bern $5,148
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,958 in Bern versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Bern $6,958
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Bern is roughly 113% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bern 147% above, Mexico City 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.53 CHF 23.50

$10.75 MX$199

165.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 CHF 98.3

$50.3 MX$929

137.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.35 CHF 12.64

$11.10 MX$205

38.29%

Cappuccino

$6.90 CHF 5.68

$3.68 MX$68.1

87.50%

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

$6.13 CHF 5.05

$1.65 MX$30.42

271.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 CHF 5.59

$1.30 MX$24.08

422.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.89 CHF 7.32

$3.32 MX$61.3

167.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 CHF 6.36

$5.54 MX$102

39.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.79

$1.77 MX$32.68

22.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 CHF 2.49

$3.05 MX$56.4

-0.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 CHF 2.67

$2.01 MX$37.20

61.69%

Eggs

$7.79 CHF 6.42

$2.77 MX$51.1

181.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.73 CHF 19.54

$11.91 MX$220

99.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.58 CHF 23.54

$9.33 MX$172

206.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.02 CHF 31.31

$15.02 MX$278

153.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.93 CHF 3.23

$3.08 MX$56.8

27.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 CHF 1.63

$1.95 MX$35.97

1.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 CHF 2.22

$2.03 MX$37.54

33.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 CHF 3.76

$2.21 MX$40.92

106.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 CHF 1.33

$2.02 MX$37.41

-20.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.68

$1.82 MX$33.67

12.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CHF 1.87

$1.52 MX$28.07

49.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CHF 1.05

$1.28 MX$23.65

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.37 CHF 9.37

$5.27 MX$97.4

115.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 CHF 9.98

$16.12 MX$298

-24.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 CHF 1.80

$1.95 MX$36.05

12.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 CHF 2.45

$4.25 MX$78.6

-30.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.11 CHF 5.03

$0.31 MX$5.82

1870.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.4 CHF 81.0

$19.85 MX$367

395.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.19 CHF 6.75

$2.00 MX$36.93

309.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.61 CHF 3.79

$0.53 MX$9.86

769.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$106 CHF 87.3

$5.62 MX$104

1786.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 CHF 1.93

$1.52 MX$28.07

54.61%

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

$42.0K CHF 34.6K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

99.46%

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

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

54.97%

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

$275 CHF 227

$62.5 MX$1,155

340.82%

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

$28.22 CHF 23.24

$28.77 MX$532

-1.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 CHF 44.43

$34.45 MX$637

56.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.2 CHF 73.4

$57.1 MX$1,055

56.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.49 CHF 38.29

$24.81 MX$458

87.38%

Cinema Ticket

$23.80 CHF 19.60

$6.67 MX$123

256.82%

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

$3,103 CHF 2,556

$431 MX$7,964

620.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.9K CHF 25.4K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

163.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 113

$70.8 MX$1,308

94.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 CHF 50.0

$51.8 MX$958

17.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$156 CHF 128

$109 MX$2,011

43.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$192 CHF 158

$112 MX$2,076

70.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 CHF 1,516

$1,051 MX$19.4K

75.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 CHF 1,162

$665 MX$12.3K

112.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,449 CHF 2,841

$2,346 MX$43.3K

47.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 CHF 2,066

$1,227 MX$22.7K

104.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K CHF 15.0K

$3,554 MX$65.7K

413.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.1K CHF 12.4K

$1,977 MX$36.5K

662.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,708 CHF 5,525

$975 MX$18.0K

588.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.46

11.3

-78.23%

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

Last update for Bern: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bern

$1.4K 42.3%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 52.9% $746

Groceries & Markets

Bern

$564 16.9%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 42.8% $241

Eating Out

Bern

$469 14%

Mexico City

$203 13% 56.7% $266

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bern

$358 10.7%

Mexico City

$126 8% 64.9% $232

Clothing & Footwear

Bern

$246 7.4%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 37% $91

Getting Around

Bern

$154 4.6%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 83.3% $128

Sport & Entertainment

Bern

$137 4.1%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 48.5% $66

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,841 in Bern and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 588% 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: $119 in Bern vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $564 vs $323 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Bern

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

06:19 6:19 AM

22:19 10:19 PM

8 h behind Bern

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

128,848 Capital

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

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Between locations

Bern Mexico City 9,630 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Bern
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 113% lower than in Bern. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 588% 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: $1,841 in Bern versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $119 in Bern. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,337 per month in Bern versus $1,567 in Mexico City – a 113% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,567 in Mexico City versus $3,337 in Bern, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Bern. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,567 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bern and Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Bern. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.