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: $3,565 in Lausanne versus $3,430 in Bern.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,676 in Lausanne versus $5,248 in Bern.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,788 in Lausanne versus $7,066 in Bern.

Living in Lausanne is roughly 4% more expensive than Bern, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 166% above, Bern 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.84 CHF 25.92

$27.70 CHF 21.86

18.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$145 CHF 115

$107 CHF 84.6

35.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.73 CHF 14.78

$17.47 CHF 13.79

7.21%

Cappuccino

$6.07 CHF 4.79

$5.86 CHF 4.63

3.58%

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

$5.59 CHF 4.41

$4.83 CHF 3.81

15.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 CHF 3.71

$4.64 CHF 3.66

1.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.64 CHF 7.60

$8.38 CHF 6.62

15.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.41 CHF 6.64

$6.26 CHF 4.94

34.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.73

$2.22 CHF 1.75

-1.35%

White Bread (500g)

$4.17 CHF 3.29

$3.27 CHF 2.58

27.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 CHF 3.54

$4.15 CHF 3.27

7.95%

Eggs

$7.01 CHF 5.53

$7.10 CHF 5.60

-1.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.22 CHF 20.69

$27.95 CHF 22.06

-6.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.78 CHF 22.71

$35.50 CHF 28.01

-18.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$52.0 CHF 41.01

$41.05 CHF 32.39

26.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 CHF 2.84

$3.55 CHF 2.80

1.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 CHF 1.73

$2.20 CHF 1.74

-0.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.33

$2.74 CHF 2.16

7.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.43 CHF 5.08

$6.99 CHF 5.51

-8.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$2.24 CHF 1.77

12.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$2.15 CHF 1.70

9.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 1.96

$2.42 CHF 1.91

2.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CHF 1.10

$1.14 CHF 0.90

21.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.93 CHF 8.63

$11.39 CHF 8.99

-4.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 CHF 12.72

$12.80 CHF 10.10

25.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 CHF 1.59

$1.96 CHF 1.55

2.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CHF 2.53

$2.35 CHF 1.86

36.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.74 CHF 3.74

$3.59 CHF 2.83

32.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.6 CHF 77.0

$99.0 CHF 78.1

-1.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.98 CHF 6.30

$7.86 CHF 6.20

1.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 CHF 2.57

$4.47 CHF 3.52

-27.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.6 CHF 53.3

$90.9 CHF 71.7

-25.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$2.14 CHF 1.69

0.47%

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

$41.1K CHF 32.4K

$40.6K CHF 32.0K

1.24%

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

$41.7K CHF 32.9K

$56.6K CHF 44.7K

-26.35%

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

$322 CHF 254

$367 CHF 290

-12.20%

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

$50.3 CHF 39.70

$59.9 CHF 47.27

-16.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 CHF 45.46

$59.0 CHF 46.55

-2.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 CHF 60.0

$82.5 CHF 65.1

-7.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.71 CHF 37.65

$47.41 CHF 37.42

0.63%

Cinema Ticket

$26.56 CHF 20.96

$24.55 CHF 19.38

8.19%

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

$2,763 CHF 2,180

$3,417 CHF 2,697

-19.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K CHF 27.1K

$39.8K CHF 31.4K

-13.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 CHF 87.0

$149 CHF 118

-26.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.2 CHF 55.4

$67.9 CHF 53.6

3.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 117

$177 CHF 140

-16.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 146

$186 CHF 147

-0.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CHF 1,448

$1,853 CHF 1,463

-1.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 CHF 1,173

$1,264 CHF 997

17.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,523 CHF 2,780

$3,301 CHF 2,606

6.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,944 CHF 2,323

$2,367 CHF 1,868

24.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.6K CHF 15.4K

$16.3K CHF 12.8K

20.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.4K CHF 11.4K

$12.8K CHF 10.1K

12.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,571 CHF 5,975

$7,193 CHF 5,676

5.26%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Bern: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,834 in Lausanne and $1,853 in Bern. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lausanne 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: $145 in Lausanne vs $107 in Bern for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $651 vs $636 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 4% 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.

Lausanne pays 5% 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: $1,834 in Lausanne 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 $145 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,565 per month in Lausanne versus $3,430 in Bern – a 4% 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, 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 4% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.