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: $4,826 in George Town versus $3,425 in Bern.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,311 in George Town versus $5,268 in Bern.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,797 in George Town versus $7,111 in Bern.

Living in George Town is roughly 41% more expensive than in Bern, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: George Town 250% above, Bern 148% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.33 KYD 24.87

$28.53 CHF 23.28

6.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 KYD 92.1

$122 CHF 99.7

-8.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.85 KYD 13.82

$16.03 CHF 13.08

5.12%

Cappuccino

$7.10 KYD 5.82

$7.11 CHF 5.80

-0.14%

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

$3.07 KYD 2.52

$6.27 CHF 5.11

-51.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 KYD 2.37

$7.22 CHF 5.89

-59.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 KYD 6.02

$9.04 CHF 7.38

-18.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.66 KYD 7.92

$8.11 CHF 6.62

19.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.60 KYD 3.77

$2.19 CHF 1.78

110.05%

White Bread (500g)

$4.32 KYD 3.54

$3.09 CHF 2.52

39.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.17 KYD 3.42

$3.37 CHF 2.75

23.74%

Eggs

$7.13 KYD 5.85

$8.26 CHF 6.74

-13.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$56.7 KYD 46.52

$24.95 CHF 20.36

127.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.82 KYD 15.43

$30.27 CHF 24.70

-37.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.06 KYD 16.45

$40.33 CHF 32.92

-50.26%

Apples (1kg)

$7.33 KYD 6.01

$3.89 CHF 3.18

88.43%

Banana (1kg)

$3.58 KYD 2.94

$2.10 CHF 1.71

70.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.32 KYD 5.18

$2.66 CHF 2.17

137.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.91 KYD 6.48

$4.56 CHF 3.72

73.46%

Potato (1kg)

$4.11 KYD 3.37

$1.64 CHF 1.34

150.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.89 KYD 3.19

$2.04 CHF 1.66

90.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.24 KYD 2.66

$2.23 CHF 1.82

45.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 KYD 1.80

$1.37 CHF 1.12

60.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.21 KYD 11.65

$11.60 CHF 9.47

22.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.77 KYD 20.31

$12.43 CHF 10.15

99.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.08 KYD 3.34

$2.34 CHF 1.91

74.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.47 KYD 4.48

$3.09 CHF 2.52

77.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 KYD 1.91

$6.58 CHF 5.37

-64.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.4 KYD 66.8

$103 CHF 83.8

-20.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$18.95 KYD 15.54

$8.34 CHF 6.81

127.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.90 KYD 3.20

$4.65 CHF 3.79

-16.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.06 KYD 36.95

$111 CHF 90.3

-59.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KYD 1.28

$2.29 CHF 1.87

-31.88%

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

$42.5K KYD 34.9K

$44.0K CHF 35.9K

-3.37%

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

$43.4K KYD 35.6K

$40.3K CHF 32.9K

7.70%

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

$463 KYD 380

$283 CHF 231

63.76%

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

$119 KYD 97.4

$28.16 CHF 22.98

321.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$112 KYD 91.6

$55.7 CHF 45.47

100.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$214 KYD 176

$90.6 CHF 74.0

136.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.59 KYD 28.37

$48.75 CHF 39.79

-29.05%

Cinema Ticket

$18.57 KYD 15.23

$25.02 CHF 20.42

-25.78%

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

$1,788 KYD 1,466

$3,217 CHF 2,625

-44.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.5K KYD 21.8K

$30.8K CHF 25.1K

-13.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 KYD 70.9

$147 CHF 120

-41.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.6 KYD 61.2

$62.2 CHF 50.7

20.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 KYD 113

$163 CHF 133

-15.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 KYD 121

$200 CHF 163

-26.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 KYD 2,390

$1,879 CHF 1,534

55.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,424 KYD 1,988

$1,478 CHF 1,206

64.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,606 KYD 4,597

$3,570 CHF 2,914

57.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,769 KYD 3,911

$2,604 CHF 2,125

83.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,716 KYD 7,148

$19.5K CHF 15.9K

-55.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,257 KYD 1,850

$15.4K CHF 12.6K

-85.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,145 KYD 5,859

$6,794 CHF 5,545

5.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.46

225.20%

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

Last update for George Town: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bern: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,915 in George Town and $1,879 in Bern. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 5% 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: $112 in George Town vs $122 in Bern. Groceries flip the comparison at $722 vs $589, with Bern 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 41% 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.

Average pay runs 5% higher in George Town, 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: $2,915 in George Town versus $1,879 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 $122 versus $112 in George Town. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $4,826 per month in George Town versus $3,425 in Bern – a 41% 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 $3,425 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 41% less than in George Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.