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: $4,618 in George Town versus $3,409 in Bern.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,071 in George Town versus $5,182 in Bern.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,524 in George Town versus $6,955 in Bern.

Living in George Town is roughly 35% more expensive than in Bern, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: George Town 246% above, Bern 155% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.65 KYD 25.13

$28.49 CHF 23.08

7.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$144 KYD 118

$108 CHF 87.4

33.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.94 KYD 13.07

$17.15 CHF 13.89

-7.06%

Cappuccino

$6.90 KYD 5.65

$5.75 CHF 4.65

20.00%

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

$3.36 KYD 2.76

$4.76 CHF 3.85

-29.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 KYD 2.23

$4.78 CHF 3.87

-43.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.27 KYD 7.60

$8.18 CHF 6.62

13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.18 KYD 6.71

$6.21 CHF 5.03

31.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 KYD 2.48

$2.22 CHF 1.80

36.04%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 KYD 4.35

$3.33 CHF 2.69

59.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.75 KYD 4.72

$4.26 CHF 3.45

34.98%

Eggs

$9.84 KYD 8.07

$7.09 CHF 5.74

38.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 KYD 9.60

$28.67 CHF 23.22

-59.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.01 KYD 13.13

$35.86 CHF 29.04

-55.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.24 KYD 13.32

$41.00 CHF 33.21

-60.39%

Apples (1kg)

$10.67 KYD 8.75

$3.38 CHF 2.73

215.68%

Banana (1kg)

$4.66 KYD 3.82

$2.24 CHF 1.81

108.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.91 KYD 6.49

$2.76 CHF 2.23

186.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.64 KYD 6.27

$6.87 CHF 5.56

11.21%

Potato (1kg)

$5.34 KYD 4.38

$2.17 CHF 1.76

146.08%

Onion (1kg)

$5.50 KYD 4.51

$2.13 CHF 1.73

158.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$6.09 KYD 5.00

$2.43 CHF 1.97

150.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 KYD 2.46

$1.15 CHF 0.93

160.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.61 KYD 11.98

$11.52 CHF 9.33

26.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.67 KYD 21.05

$12.19 CHF 9.88

110.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.92 KYD 3.21

$1.96 CHF 1.59

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 KYD 4.23

$2.28 CHF 1.85

126.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 KYD 2.01

$3.74 CHF 3.03

-34.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.28 KYD 24.83

$98.5 CHF 79.8

-69.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 KYD 14.99

$8.04 CHF 6.51

127.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.82 KYD 3.95

$4.44 CHF 3.60

8.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.4 KYD 48.69

$91.5 CHF 74.1

-35.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 KYD 1.40

$2.22 CHF 1.79

-22.97%

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

$39.2K KYD 32.1K

$41.1K CHF 33.3K

-4.65%

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

$34.0K KYD 27.9K

$58.3K CHF 47.2K

-41.64%

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

$385 KYD 316

$367 CHF 297

5.01%

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

$97.8 KYD 80.2

$58.3 CHF 47.24

67.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$110 KYD 90.4

$58.1 CHF 47.04

89.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$106 KYD 86.9

$81.1 CHF 65.7

30.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.38 KYD 33.11

$46.39 CHF 37.58

-12.96%

Cinema Ticket

$18.17 KYD 14.90

$24.71 CHF 20.02

-26.47%

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

$1,744 KYD 1,430

$3,315 CHF 2,685

-47.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K KYD 19.9K

$40.1K CHF 32.5K

-39.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 KYD 75.2

$154 CHF 125

-40.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.8 KYD 58.1

$69.1 CHF 56.0

2.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 KYD 121

$174 CHF 141

-15.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 KYD 122

$189 CHF 153

-21.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,806 KYD 2,301

$1,871 CHF 1,516

49.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 KYD 2,038

$1,284 CHF 1,040

93.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,558 KYD 4,557

$3,197 CHF 2,589

73.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,697 KYD 3,851

$2,412 CHF 1,954

94.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,809 KYD 7,223

$19.2K CHF 15.5K

-54.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,303 KYD 1,889

$15.4K CHF 12.4K

-85.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,125 KYD 5,842

$7,080 CHF 5,735

0.63%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bern: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,806 in George Town and $1,871 in Bern. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 1% 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 $108 in Bern. Groceries flip the comparison at $629 vs $638, 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 35% 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 1% 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: $2,806 in George Town versus $1,871 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 $108 versus $144 in George Town. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $4,618 per month in George Town versus $3,409 in Bern – a 35% 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, 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 35% less than in George Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.