Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Bern Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Bern

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,619 in Lausanne versus $3,409 in Bern.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,781 in Lausanne versus $5,182 in Bern.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,944 in Lausanne versus $6,955 in Bern.

Living in Lausanne is roughly 6% more expensive than in Bern, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 171% above, Bern 155% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.44 CHF 26.28

$28.49 CHF 23.08

13.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 120

$108 CHF 87.4

36.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.05 CHF 15.43

$17.15 CHF 13.89

11.08%

Cappuccino

$5.90 CHF 4.78

$5.75 CHF 4.65

2.61%

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

$5.41 CHF 4.38

$4.76 CHF 3.85

13.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 CHF 3.98

$4.78 CHF 3.87

2.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.12 CHF 8.19

$8.18 CHF 6.62

23.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.85 CHF 7.17

$6.21 CHF 5.03

42.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.82

$2.22 CHF 1.80

0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 CHF 3.31

$3.33 CHF 2.69

22.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 CHF 3.54

$4.26 CHF 3.45

2.58%

Eggs

$7.37 CHF 5.97

$7.09 CHF 5.74

3.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.35 CHF 21.35

$28.67 CHF 23.22

-8.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.58 CHF 23.15

$35.86 CHF 29.04

-20.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$53.2 CHF 43.07

$41.00 CHF 33.21

29.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 CHF 3.08

$3.38 CHF 2.73

12.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.74

$2.24 CHF 1.81

-4.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.34

$2.76 CHF 2.23

4.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.62 CHF 5.36

$6.87 CHF 5.56

-3.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 1.97

$2.17 CHF 1.76

11.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.95

$2.13 CHF 1.73

13.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CHF 2.05

$2.43 CHF 1.97

4.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 CHF 1.14

$1.15 CHF 0.93

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.03 CHF 8.94

$11.52 CHF 9.33

-4.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.39 CHF 12.47

$12.19 CHF 9.88

26.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 CHF 1.70

$1.96 CHF 1.59

7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 CHF 2.65

$2.28 CHF 1.85

43.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.83 CHF 3.91

$3.74 CHF 3.03

29.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.1 CHF 77.8

$98.5 CHF 79.8

-2.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 CHF 6.21

$8.04 CHF 6.51

-4.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 CHF 2.77

$4.44 CHF 3.60

-22.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.1 CHF 53.6

$91.5 CHF 74.1

-27.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.76

$2.22 CHF 1.79

-1.80%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.1K

$41.1K CHF 33.3K

-3.64%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.9K

$58.3K CHF 47.2K

-30.27%

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

$331 CHF 268

$367 CHF 297

-9.93%

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

$50.0 CHF 40.52

$58.3 CHF 47.24

-14.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 CHF 46.77

$58.1 CHF 47.04

-0.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.4 CHF 63.5

$81.1 CHF 65.7

-3.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.46 CHF 39.25

$46.39 CHF 37.58

4.46%

Cinema Ticket

$26.35 CHF 21.35

$24.71 CHF 20.02

6.64%

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

$2,843 CHF 2,303

$3,315 CHF 2,685

-14.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 28.0K

$40.1K CHF 32.5K

-13.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 CHF 89.1

$154 CHF 125

-28.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.2 CHF 56.0

$69.1 CHF 56.0

0.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 CHF 124

$174 CHF 141

-12.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 149

$189 CHF 153

-2.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CHF 1,486

$1,871 CHF 1,516

-1.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 CHF 1,195

$1,284 CHF 1,040

14.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,654 CHF 2,960

$3,197 CHF 2,589

14.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,979 CHF 2,413

$2,412 CHF 1,954

23.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.6K CHF 15.1K

$19.2K CHF 15.5K

-3.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.5K

$15.4K CHF 12.4K

-7.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,512 CHF 5,275

$7,080 CHF 5,735

-8.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

2.52

-0.79%

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

Last update for Lausanne: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bern: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,834 in Lausanne and $1,871 in Bern. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $148 in Lausanne vs $108 in Bern for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $655 vs $638 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

Lausanne vs Bern: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bern wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Lausanne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bern the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Bern. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,834 in Lausanne 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 $148 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,619 per month in Lausanne versus $3,409 in Bern – a 6% 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, Lausanne 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 6% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.