Cost of Living Comparison Between George Town and Bern Cost of Living Comparison Between George Town and Bern

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,602 in George Town versus $3,430 in Bern.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,054 in George Town versus $5,248 in Bern.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,505 in George Town versus $7,066 in Bern.

Living in George Town is roughly 34% more expensive than Bern, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: George Town 243% above, Bern 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.62 KYD 25.11

$27.70 CHF 21.86

10.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$144 KYD 118

$107 CHF 84.6

34.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.85 KYD 13.00

$17.47 CHF 13.79

-9.27%

Cappuccino

$6.91 KYD 5.66

$5.86 CHF 4.63

17.92%

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

$3.52 KYD 2.88

$4.83 CHF 3.81

-27.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 KYD 2.23

$4.64 CHF 3.66

-41.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.05 KYD 7.42

$8.38 CHF 6.62

8.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.60 KYD 7.05

$6.26 CHF 4.94

37.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.05 KYD 2.50

$2.22 CHF 1.75

37.39%

White Bread (500g)

$5.26 KYD 4.32

$3.27 CHF 2.58

60.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.83 KYD 4.78

$4.15 CHF 3.27

40.48%

Eggs

$9.98 KYD 8.19

$7.10 CHF 5.60

40.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.82 KYD 9.70

$27.95 CHF 22.06

-57.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.84 KYD 12.99

$35.50 CHF 28.01

-55.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.30 KYD 13.37

$41.05 CHF 32.39

-60.29%

Apples (1kg)

$10.46 KYD 8.58

$3.55 CHF 2.80

194.65%

Banana (1kg)

$4.55 KYD 3.73

$2.20 CHF 1.74

106.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.82 KYD 6.41

$2.74 CHF 2.16

185.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.78 KYD 6.38

$6.99 CHF 5.51

11.30%

Potato (1kg)

$5.30 KYD 4.35

$2.24 CHF 1.77

136.61%

Onion (1kg)

$5.41 KYD 4.44

$2.15 CHF 1.70

151.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$6.37 KYD 5.22

$2.42 CHF 1.91

163.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 KYD 2.39

$1.14 CHF 0.90

156.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.42 KYD 11.82

$11.39 CHF 8.99

26.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.05 KYD 20.54

$12.80 CHF 10.10

95.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.03 KYD 3.30

$1.96 CHF 1.55

105.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 KYD 4.25

$2.35 CHF 1.86

120.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 KYD 1.96

$3.59 CHF 2.83

-33.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.50 KYD 25.01

$99.0 CHF 78.1

-69.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$18.37 KYD 15.06

$7.86 CHF 6.20

133.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.89 KYD 4.01

$4.47 CHF 3.52

9.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.6 KYD 49.65

$90.9 CHF 71.7

-33.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 KYD 1.44

$2.14 CHF 1.69

-17.76%

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

$39.3K KYD 32.2K

$40.6K CHF 32.0K

-3.12%

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

$33.7K KYD 27.6K

$56.6K CHF 44.7K

-40.47%

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

$398 KYD 326

$367 CHF 290

8.42%

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

$97.7 KYD 80.1

$59.9 CHF 47.27

63.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$109 KYD 89.0

$59.0 CHF 46.55

83.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 KYD 86.0

$82.5 CHF 65.1

27.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.53 KYD 33.24

$47.41 CHF 37.42

-14.51%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 KYD 14.55

$24.55 CHF 19.38

-27.74%

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

$1,747 KYD 1,433

$3,417 CHF 2,697

-48.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K KYD 20.5K

$39.8K CHF 31.4K

-37.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 KYD 75.2

$149 CHF 118

-38.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.9 KYD 59.0

$67.9 CHF 53.6

5.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 KYD 123

$177 CHF 140

-15.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 KYD 122

$186 CHF 147

-20.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 KYD 2,328

$1,853 CHF 1,463

53.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 KYD 2,072

$1,264 CHF 997

99.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,662 KYD 4,643

$3,301 CHF 2,606

71.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,683 KYD 3,840

$2,367 CHF 1,868

97.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,623 KYD 7,071

$16.3K CHF 12.8K

-47.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,256 KYD 1,850

$12.8K CHF 10.1K

-82.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,737 KYD 6,344

$7,193 CHF 5,676

7.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.25

2.52

227.38%

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

Last update for George Town: May 30, 2026

Last update for Bern: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,839 in George Town and $1,853 in Bern. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 8% 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: $144 in George Town vs $107 in Bern. Groceries flip the comparison at $628 vs $636, with George Town 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

George Town vs Bern: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bern wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in George Town. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bern the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

George Town pays 8% 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: $2,839 in George Town versus $1,853 in Bern. 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 $144 in George Town. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $4,602 per month in George Town versus $3,430 in Bern – a 34% 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, George Town and Bern 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 34% less than in George Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.