Cost of Living Comparison Between Bern and Montreux Cost of Living Comparison Between Bern and Montreux

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,477 in Bern versus $3,490 in Montreux.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,394 in Bern versus $5,372 in Montreux.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,311 in Bern versus $7,254 in Montreux.

Monthly costs are close between Bern and Montreux; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bern 153% above, Montreux 154% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.98 CHF 23.56

$31.64 CHF 25.72

-8.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 103

$139 CHF 113

-9.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.17 CHF 13.15

$18.45 CHF 15.00

-12.36%

Cappuccino

$7.01 CHF 5.70

$6.08 CHF 4.95

15.30%

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

$6.23 CHF 5.06

$5.21 CHF 4.24

19.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 CHF 5.72

$4.22 CHF 3.43

66.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.48 CHF 7.71

$10.10 CHF 8.21

-6.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 CHF 6.66

$10.13 CHF 8.23

-19.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.83

$2.24 CHF 1.82

0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 CHF 2.42

$3.03 CHF 2.46

-1.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 CHF 2.64

$3.26 CHF 2.65

-0.31%

Eggs

$8.08 CHF 6.57

$7.08 CHF 5.75

14.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.49 CHF 19.91

$25.31 CHF 20.58

-3.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.84 CHF 24.26

$28.79 CHF 23.40

3.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.30 CHF 32.76

$40.42 CHF 32.86

-0.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CHF 3.21

$3.74 CHF 3.04

5.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.66

$1.76 CHF 1.43

15.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 CHF 2.26

$2.66 CHF 2.17

4.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 CHF 3.91

$4.73 CHF 3.85

1.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 CHF 1.40

$1.87 CHF 1.52

-8.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.71

$2.01 CHF 1.63

4.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CHF 1.85

$2.14 CHF 1.74

6.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 CHF 1.09

$1.85 CHF 1.50

-27.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CHF 9.46

$11.39 CHF 9.26

2.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.52 CHF 10.18

$12.49 CHF 10.16

0.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 CHF 1.89

$2.86 CHF 2.32

-18.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 CHF 2.50

$3.34 CHF 2.72

-7.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.37 CHF 5.18

$4.32 CHF 3.51

47.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 CHF 82.1

$104 CHF 84.6

-2.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 CHF 6.77

$7.94 CHF 6.45

4.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.71 CHF 3.83

$4.10 CHF 3.33

14.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$110 CHF 89.1

$64.7 CHF 52.6

69.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.84

$2.30 CHF 1.87

-1.30%

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

$43.9K CHF 35.7K

$39.7K CHF 32.3K

10.60%

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

$39.4K CHF 32.0K

$41.0K CHF 33.3K

-3.92%

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

$279 CHF 226

$292 CHF 238

-4.75%

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

$28.97 CHF 23.55

$37.14 CHF 30.19

-22.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.3 CHF 44.97

$51.5 CHF 41.85

7.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.1 CHF 74.9

$93.2 CHF 75.8

-1.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.53 CHF 38.64

$47.83 CHF 38.89

-0.63%

Cinema Ticket

$25.08 CHF 20.39

$24.60 CHF 20.00

1.95%

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

$3,158 CHF 2,567

$2,425 CHF 1,972

30.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K CHF 25.9K

$36.9K CHF 30.0K

-13.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 119

$137 CHF 112

6.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.5 CHF 51.6

$79.0 CHF 64.3

-19.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 129

$172 CHF 140

-7.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 161

$195 CHF 158

1.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,890 CHF 1,536

$1,845 CHF 1,500

2.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 CHF 1,165

$1,509 CHF 1,227

-4.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,564 CHF 2,898

$2,890 CHF 2,350

23.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,539 CHF 2,064

$2,503 CHF 2,035

1.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.2K CHF 15.6K

$16.3K CHF 13.3K

17.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.4K CHF 12.5K

$12.4K CHF 10.1K

23.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,921 CHF 5,626

$8,329 CHF 6,771

-16.91%

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 Montreux: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,890 in Bern and $1,845 in Montreux. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreux pays 20% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $126 in Bern vs $139 in Montreux. Groceries flip the comparison at $586 vs $585, with Montreux 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 Montreux: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Montreux. 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 $1,845 in Montreux. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,158 in Bern versus $2,425 in Montreux. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bern – a meal for two runs $126 versus $139 in Montreux. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Montreux are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Bern wins on affordability, Montreux on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.