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: $3,409 in Bern versus $3,869 in St. Moritz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,182 in Bern versus $6,602 in St. Moritz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,955 in Bern versus $9,335 in St. Moritz.

Living in Bern costs roughly 12% less than in St. Moritz, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bern 155% above, St. Moritz 190% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.49 CHF 23.08

$31.35 CHF 25.39

-9.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 CHF 87.4

$148 CHF 120

-27.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.15 CHF 13.89

$14.73 CHF 11.93

16.43%

Cappuccino

$5.75 CHF 4.65

$6.21 CHF 5.03

-7.41%

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

$4.76 CHF 3.85

$5.53 CHF 4.48

-13.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 CHF 3.87

$4.69 CHF 3.80

1.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 CHF 6.62

$10.11 CHF 8.19

-19.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.21 CHF 5.03

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.80

$1.39 CHF 1.13

59.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 CHF 2.69

$3.40 CHF 2.75

-2.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.26 CHF 3.45

$4.08 CHF 3.31

4.41%

Eggs

$7.09 CHF 5.74

$7.36 CHF 5.97

-3.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 23.22

$29.37 CHF 23.79

-2.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.86 CHF 29.04

$33.87 CHF 27.44

5.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.00 CHF 33.21

$50.2 CHF 40.69

-18.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 CHF 2.73

$4.15 CHF 3.36

-18.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$2.91 CHF 2.36

-23.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 CHF 2.23

$3.14 CHF 2.54

-12.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.87 CHF 5.56

$5.09 CHF 4.13

34.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 CHF 1.76

$2.84 CHF 2.30

-23.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 CHF 1.73

$2.31 CHF 1.87

-7.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CHF 1.97

$2.58 CHF 2.09

-5.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CHF 0.93

$1.64 CHF 1.33

-29.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.52 CHF 9.33

$11.29 CHF 9.14

2.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 CHF 9.88

$13.54 CHF 10.97

-9.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CHF 1.59

$2.60 CHF 2.11

-24.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 CHF 1.85

$3.34 CHF 2.71

-31.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 CHF 3.03

$3.83 CHF 3.10

-2.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.5 CHF 79.8

$97.6 CHF 79.0

0.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.04 CHF 6.51

$7.84 CHF 6.35

2.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.44 CHF 3.60

$4.47 CHF 3.62

-0.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$91.5 CHF 74.1

$87.4 CHF 70.8

4.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.79

$2.19 CHF 1.78

1.37%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.3K

$40.1K CHF 32.5K

2.44%

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

$58.3K CHF 47.2K

$39.0K CHF 31.6K

49.41%

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

$367 CHF 297

$96.8 CHF 78.4

278.97%

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

$58.3 CHF 47.24

$35.28 CHF 28.58

65.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 CHF 47.04

$57.7 CHF 46.70

0.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.1 CHF 65.7

$72.8 CHF 59.0

11.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.39 CHF 37.58

Cinema Ticket

$24.71 CHF 20.02

$18.82 CHF 15.24

31.30%

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

$3,315 CHF 2,685

$3,442 CHF 2,788

-3.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.1K CHF 32.5K

$39.5K CHF 32.0K

1.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$154 CHF 125

$139 CHF 113

10.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.1 CHF 56.0

$62.2 CHF 50.4

11.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 141

$150 CHF 121

16.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 CHF 153

$202 CHF 164

-6.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 CHF 1,516

$1,710 CHF 1,385

9.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 CHF 1,040

$1,979 CHF 1,603

-35.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,197 CHF 2,589

$2,857 CHF 2,314

11.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,412 CHF 1,954

$4,612 CHF 3,735

-47.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.2K CHF 15.5K

$16.1K CHF 13.0K

19.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.4K CHF 12.4K

$12.2K CHF 9,894

25.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,080 CHF 5,735

$4,985 CHF 4,038

42.04%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for St. Moritz: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,871 in Bern and $1,710 in St. Moritz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $108 in Bern vs $148 in St. Moritz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $638 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.

Average pay runs 42% 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: $1,871 in Bern versus $1,710 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 $108 versus $148 in St. Moritz. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,409 per month in Bern versus $3,869 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 $3,409 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.