Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreux and Bern Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreux and Bern

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,490 in Montreux versus $3,477 in Bern.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,372 in Montreux versus $5,394 in Bern.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,254 in Montreux versus $7,311 in Bern.

Monthly costs are close between Montreux and Bern; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreux 154% above, Bern 153% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.64 CHF 25.72

$28.98 CHF 23.56

9.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 CHF 113

$126 CHF 103

10.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.45 CHF 15.00

$16.17 CHF 13.15

14.10%

Cappuccino

$6.08 CHF 4.95

$7.01 CHF 5.70

-13.27%

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

$5.21 CHF 4.24

$6.23 CHF 5.06

-16.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 CHF 3.43

$7.04 CHF 5.72

-40.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.10 CHF 8.21

$9.48 CHF 7.71

6.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.13 CHF 8.23

$8.19 CHF 6.66

23.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.82

$2.25 CHF 1.83

-0.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 CHF 2.46

$2.97 CHF 2.42

2.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.65

$3.25 CHF 2.64

0.31%

Eggs

$7.08 CHF 5.75

$8.08 CHF 6.57

-12.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.31 CHF 20.58

$24.49 CHF 19.91

3.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.79 CHF 23.40

$29.84 CHF 24.26

-3.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.42 CHF 32.86

$40.30 CHF 32.76

0.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CHF 3.04

$3.95 CHF 3.21

-5.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 CHF 1.43

$2.04 CHF 1.66

-13.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 CHF 2.17

$2.78 CHF 2.26

-4.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 CHF 3.85

$4.81 CHF 3.91

-1.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 CHF 1.52

$1.72 CHF 1.40

8.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 CHF 1.63

$2.10 CHF 1.71

-4.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 CHF 1.74

$2.28 CHF 1.85

-6.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 CHF 1.50

$1.34 CHF 1.09

38.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.39 CHF 9.26

$11.63 CHF 9.46

-2.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.49 CHF 10.16

$12.52 CHF 10.18

-0.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 CHF 2.32

$2.33 CHF 1.89

22.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 CHF 2.72

$3.08 CHF 2.50

8.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.32 CHF 3.51

$6.37 CHF 5.18

-32.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 CHF 84.6

$101 CHF 82.1

3.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.94 CHF 6.45

$8.32 CHF 6.77

-4.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.10 CHF 3.33

$4.71 CHF 3.83

-12.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.7 CHF 52.6

$110 CHF 89.1

-40.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.87

$2.27 CHF 1.84

1.32%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.3K

$43.9K CHF 35.7K

-9.58%

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

$41.0K CHF 33.3K

$39.4K CHF 32.0K

4.08%

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

$292 CHF 238

$279 CHF 226

4.99%

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

$37.14 CHF 30.19

$28.97 CHF 23.55

28.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 CHF 41.85

$55.3 CHF 44.97

-6.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.2 CHF 75.8

$92.1 CHF 74.9

1.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.83 CHF 38.89

$47.53 CHF 38.64

0.63%

Cinema Ticket

$24.60 CHF 20.00

$25.08 CHF 20.39

-1.91%

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

$2,425 CHF 1,972

$3,158 CHF 2,567

-23.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K CHF 30.0K

$31.9K CHF 25.9K

15.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 112

$147 CHF 119

-6.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.0 CHF 64.3

$63.5 CHF 51.6

24.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$172 CHF 140

$159 CHF 129

7.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$195 CHF 158

$198 CHF 161

-1.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 CHF 1,500

$1,890 CHF 1,536

-2.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 CHF 1,227

$1,433 CHF 1,165

5.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,890 CHF 2,350

$3,564 CHF 2,898

-18.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 CHF 2,035

$2,539 CHF 2,064

-1.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 13.3K

$19.2K CHF 15.6K

-14.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 10.1K

$15.4K CHF 12.5K

-19.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,329 CHF 6,771

$6,921 CHF 5,626

20.35%

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 Montreux: August 30, 2026

Last update for Bern: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,845 in Montreux and $1,890 in Bern. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreux pays 20% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $139 in Montreux vs $126 in Bern. Groceries flip the comparison at $585 vs $586, with Montreux 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

Montreux vs Bern: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 20% higher in Montreux, 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: $1,845 in Montreux versus $1,890 in Bern. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,425 in Montreux versus $3,158 in Bern. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bern – a meal for two runs $126 versus $139 in Montreux. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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, Montreux 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.

It comes down to priorities – Bern wins on affordability, Montreux on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.