Cost of Living Comparison Between Bern and St. Moritz Cost of Living Comparison Between Bern and St. Moritz

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,477 in Bern versus $3,713 in St. Moritz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,394 in Bern versus $6,750 in St. Moritz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,311 in Bern versus $9,787 in St. Moritz.

Living in Bern costs roughly 6% less than in St. Moritz, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bern 153% above, St. Moritz 170% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.98 CHF 23.40

$36.90 CHF 29.79

-21.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 102

$147 CHF 118

-13.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.17 CHF 13.06

$14.60 CHF 11.79

10.75%

Cappuccino

$7.01 CHF 5.66

$6.27 CHF 5.06

11.80%

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

$6.23 CHF 5.03

$5.64 CHF 4.55

10.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 CHF 5.68

$4.58 CHF 3.69

53.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.48 CHF 7.65

$10.09 CHF 8.15

-6.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 CHF 6.61

$6.12 CHF 4.94

33.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.82

$1.80 CHF 1.45

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 CHF 2.40

$3.92 CHF 3.17

-24.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 CHF 2.63

$4.01 CHF 3.23

-18.95%

Eggs

$8.08 CHF 6.52

$7.86 CHF 6.34

2.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.49 CHF 19.78

$27.56 CHF 22.26

-11.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.84 CHF 24.09

$27.04 CHF 21.84

10.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.30 CHF 32.54

$61.5 CHF 49.67

-34.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CHF 3.19

$4.25 CHF 3.43

-7.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.64

$2.88 CHF 2.33

-29.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 CHF 2.25

$3.60 CHF 2.91

-22.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 CHF 3.89

$5.00 CHF 4.04

-3.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 CHF 1.39

$2.58 CHF 2.09

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.69

$2.20 CHF 1.77

-4.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CHF 1.84

$2.60 CHF 2.10

-12.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 CHF 1.08

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CHF 9.39

$11.05 CHF 8.93

5.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.52 CHF 10.11

$13.83 CHF 11.17

-9.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 CHF 1.88

$2.90 CHF 2.34

-19.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 CHF 2.49

$3.28 CHF 2.65

-6.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.37 CHF 5.14

$4.02 CHF 3.25

58.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 CHF 81.6

$98.2 CHF 79.3

2.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 CHF 6.72

$8.46 CHF 6.83

-1.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.71 CHF 3.81

$4.65 CHF 3.76

1.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$110 CHF 88.5

$90.1 CHF 72.8

21.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.83

$2.24 CHF 1.81

1.34%

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

$43.9K CHF 35.4K

$41.2K CHF 33.2K

6.63%

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

$39.4K CHF 31.8K

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

-3.43%

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

$279 CHF 225

$97.9 CHF 79.1

184.49%

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

$28.97 CHF 23.39

$38.86 CHF 31.38

-25.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.3 CHF 44.67

$57.0 CHF 46.04

-2.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.1 CHF 74.4

$75.3 CHF 60.8

22.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.53 CHF 38.38

Cinema Ticket

$25.08 CHF 20.25

$18.98 CHF 15.33

32.14%

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

$3,158 CHF 2,550

$3,652 CHF 2,949

-13.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K CHF 25.7K

$42.9K CHF 34.7K

-25.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 118

$145 CHF 117

1.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.5 CHF 51.3

$60.9 CHF 49.14

4.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 129

$167 CHF 135

-4.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 160

$260 CHF 210

-23.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,890 CHF 1,526

$1,830 CHF 1,477

3.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 CHF 1,157

$1,769 CHF 1,428

-18.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,564 CHF 2,878

$5,554 CHF 4,485

-35.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,539 CHF 2,050

$4,756 CHF 3,840

-46.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.2K CHF 15.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.4K CHF 12.4K

$12.4K CHF 10.0K

23.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,921 CHF 5,588

$4,901 CHF 3,957

41.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.46

1.8

36.67%

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

Last update for Bern: September 1, 2026

Last update for St. Moritz: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,890 in Bern and $1,830 in St. Moritz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $126 in Bern vs $147 in St. Moritz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $586 vs $672 per month, with Bern 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 St. Moritz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bern wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in St. Moritz. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bern the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 41% 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 $1,830 in St. Moritz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bern – a meal for two runs $126 versus $147 in St. Moritz. 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 $3,713 in St. Moritz – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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 St. Moritz 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 Bern gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in St. Moritz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.