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: $3,430 in Bern versus $3,860 in St. Moritz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,248 in Bern versus $6,585 in St. Moritz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,066 in Bern versus $9,310 in St. Moritz.

Living in Bern costs roughly 11% less than in St. Moritz, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bern 156% above, St. Moritz 188% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.70 CHF 21.86

$31.07 CHF 24.52

-10.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 CHF 84.6

$145 CHF 115

-26.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.47 CHF 13.79

$14.97 CHF 11.81

16.70%

Cappuccino

$5.86 CHF 4.63

$6.23 CHF 4.91

-5.94%

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

$4.83 CHF 3.81

$5.39 CHF 4.26

-10.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 CHF 3.66

$4.74 CHF 3.74

-2.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.38 CHF 6.62

$10.06 CHF 7.94

-16.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 CHF 4.94

$6.24 CHF 4.92

0.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.75

$1.34 CHF 1.06

65.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 CHF 2.58

$3.43 CHF 2.71

-4.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.27

$4.13 CHF 3.26

0.48%

Eggs

$7.10 CHF 5.60

$7.30 CHF 5.76

-2.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.95 CHF 22.06

$29.69 CHF 23.43

-5.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.50 CHF 28.01

$32.98 CHF 26.03

7.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.05 CHF 32.39

$50.8 CHF 40.09

-19.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.80

$4.17 CHF 3.29

-14.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 CHF 1.74

$2.88 CHF 2.28

-23.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.16

$3.01 CHF 2.38

-8.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.51

$5.02 CHF 3.96

39.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$2.75 CHF 2.17

-18.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$2.37 CHF 1.87

-9.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 CHF 1.91

$2.54 CHF 2.01

-4.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 CHF 0.90

$1.66 CHF 1.31

-31.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.39 CHF 8.99

$11.13 CHF 8.78

2.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.80 CHF 10.10

$15.23 CHF 12.02

-15.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CHF 1.55

$2.66 CHF 2.10

-26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$3.23 CHF 2.55

-27.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.59 CHF 2.83

$4.06 CHF 3.20

-11.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 CHF 78.1

$97.5 CHF 77.0

1.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.86 CHF 6.20

$7.88 CHF 6.22

-0.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.47 CHF 3.52

$4.42 CHF 3.48

1.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$90.9 CHF 71.7

$89.4 CHF 70.5

1.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.69

$2.16 CHF 1.70

-0.93%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.0K

$40.3K CHF 31.8K

0.65%

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

$56.6K CHF 44.7K

$38.8K CHF 30.6K

45.95%

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

$367 CHF 290

$99.4 CHF 78.5

268.90%

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

$59.9 CHF 47.27

$35.27 CHF 27.83

69.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 CHF 46.55

$59.8 CHF 47.23

-1.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.5 CHF 65.1

$72.9 CHF 57.5

13.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.41 CHF 37.42

Cinema Ticket

$24.55 CHF 19.38

$18.72 CHF 14.77

31.14%

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

$3,417 CHF 2,697

$3,475 CHF 2,743

-1.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.8K CHF 31.4K

-0.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 CHF 118

$141 CHF 112

5.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.9 CHF 53.6

$61.5 CHF 48.55

10.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$177 CHF 140

$149 CHF 117

19.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 CHF 147

$202 CHF 159

-7.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,853 CHF 1,463

$1,719 CHF 1,356

7.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 CHF 997

$1,943 CHF 1,533

-34.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,301 CHF 2,606

$2,799 CHF 2,209

17.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,367 CHF 1,868

$4,676 CHF 3,690

-49.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 12.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.8K CHF 10.1K

$12.9K CHF 10.2K

-0.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,193 CHF 5,676

$5,022 CHF 3,963

43.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.52

1.8

40.00%

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

Last update for Bern: May 31, 2026

Last update for St. Moritz: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,853 in Bern and $1,719 in St. Moritz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $107 in Bern vs $145 in St. Moritz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $636 vs $668 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 13% 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.

Bern pays 43% more on average, 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: $1,853 in Bern versus $1,719 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 $107 versus $145 in St. Moritz. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,430 per month in Bern versus $3,860 in St. Moritz – a 13% 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 $3,430 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 13% less than in St. Moritz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.