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: $3,824 in Lausanne versus $3,477 in Bern.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,908 in Lausanne versus $5,394 in Bern.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,993 in Lausanne versus $7,311 in Bern.

Living in Lausanne is roughly 10% more expensive than in Bern, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 178% above, Bern 153% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.49 CHF 25.48

$28.98 CHF 23.44

8.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 CHF 96.2

$126 CHF 102

-5.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.27 CHF 15.59

$16.17 CHF 13.08

19.17%

Cappuccino

$6.32 CHF 5.12

$7.01 CHF 5.67

-9.84%

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

$5.28 CHF 4.28

$6.23 CHF 5.04

-15.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 CHF 3.31

$7.04 CHF 5.69

-41.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.47 CHF 8.47

$9.48 CHF 7.67

10.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.93 CHF 8.03

$8.19 CHF 6.62

21.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.85

$2.25 CHF 1.82

1.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.97 CHF 3.21

$2.97 CHF 2.40

33.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 CHF 2.65

$3.25 CHF 2.63

0.92%

Eggs

$7.55 CHF 6.11

$8.08 CHF 6.54

-6.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.73 CHF 20.00

$24.49 CHF 19.81

0.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.61 CHF 23.15

$29.84 CHF 24.14

-4.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.20 CHF 32.52

$40.30 CHF 32.60

-0.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 2.98

$3.95 CHF 3.20

-6.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.70

$2.04 CHF 1.65

2.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 2.05

$2.78 CHF 2.25

-8.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 CHF 3.68

$4.81 CHF 3.89

-5.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 CHF 1.47

$1.72 CHF 1.39

5.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 CHF 1.60

$2.10 CHF 1.70

-5.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 CHF 1.64

$2.28 CHF 1.84

-10.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 CHF 1.46

$1.34 CHF 1.08

34.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.19 CHF 9.05

$11.63 CHF 9.41

-3.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.68 CHF 12.69

$12.52 CHF 10.13

25.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CHF 2.18

$2.33 CHF 1.88

15.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 CHF 2.61

$3.08 CHF 2.49

4.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 CHF 3.68

$6.37 CHF 5.15

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.5 CHF 78.8

$101 CHF 81.7

-3.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.82 CHF 6.33

$8.32 CHF 6.73

-6.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.74 CHF 3.83

$4.71 CHF 3.81

0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.4 CHF 71.5

$110 CHF 88.7

-19.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 CHF 1.91

$2.27 CHF 1.83

3.96%

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

$44.6K CHF 36.1K

$43.9K CHF 35.5K

1.71%

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

$40.1K CHF 32.4K

$39.4K CHF 31.9K

1.71%

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

$305 CHF 247

$279 CHF 225

9.45%

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

$38.30 CHF 30.99

$28.97 CHF 23.43

32.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 CHF 41.70

$55.3 CHF 44.75

-6.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.1 CHF 60.0

$92.1 CHF 74.5

-19.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.8 CHF 41.07

$47.53 CHF 38.45

6.80%

Cinema Ticket

$24.97 CHF 20.20

$25.08 CHF 20.29

-0.44%

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

$3,045 CHF 2,463

$3,158 CHF 2,555

-3.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$38.2K CHF 30.9K

$31.9K CHF 25.8K

19.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$144 CHF 116

$147 CHF 119

-1.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.9 CHF 63.0

$63.5 CHF 51.4

22.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 CHF 114

$159 CHF 129

-11.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$224 CHF 181

$198 CHF 160

13.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,339 CHF 1,892

$1,890 CHF 1,529

23.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 CHF 1,478

$1,433 CHF 1,160

27.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,456 CHF 3,605

$3,564 CHF 2,884

25.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,317 CHF 2,683

$2,539 CHF 2,054

30.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.5K CHF 15.0K

$19.2K CHF 15.5K

-3.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.4K CHF 11.7K

$15.4K CHF 12.4K

-6.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,938 CHF 5,613

$6,921 CHF 5,599

0.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

2.46

-20.73%

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

Last update for Lausanne: August 30, 2026

Last update for Bern: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,339 in Lausanne and $1,890 in Bern. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lausanne pays 0% 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: $119 in Lausanne vs $126 in Bern. Groceries flip the comparison at $598 vs $586, 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

Lausanne vs Bern: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bern wins on cost – living expenses run 10% 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.

Average pay runs 0% higher in Lausanne, 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: $2,339 in Lausanne versus $1,890 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 $126 versus $119 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,824 per month in Lausanne versus $3,477 in Bern – a 10% 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 $3,477 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 10% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.