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: $3,993 in Montreux versus $3,409 in Bern.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,756 in Montreux versus $5,182 in Bern.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,519 in Montreux versus $6,955 in Bern.

Living in Montreux is roughly 17% more expensive than in Bern, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreux 199% above, Bern 155% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 CHF 24.90

$28.49 CHF 22.99

8.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 120

$108 CHF 87.1

37.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.76 CHF 15.14

$17.15 CHF 13.83

9.39%

Cappuccino

$6.09 CHF 4.91

$5.75 CHF 4.64

5.91%

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

$5.51 CHF 4.44

$4.76 CHF 3.84

15.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 CHF 3.96

$4.78 CHF 3.85

2.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.00 CHF 8.07

$8.18 CHF 6.60

22.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.49 CHF 6.85

$6.21 CHF 5.01

36.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.82

$2.22 CHF 1.79

1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.86 CHF 3.11

$3.33 CHF 2.68

15.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 CHF 3.54

$4.26 CHF 3.44

3.05%

Eggs

$7.29 CHF 5.89

$7.09 CHF 5.72

2.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.22 CHF 22.77

$28.67 CHF 23.13

-1.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.54 CHF 23.03

$35.86 CHF 28.93

-20.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.93 CHF 35.45

$41.00 CHF 33.08

7.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 CHF 3.24

$3.38 CHF 2.72

18.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.75

$2.24 CHF 1.80

-3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.35

$2.76 CHF 2.22

5.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.64 CHF 5.36

$6.87 CHF 5.54

-3.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.54

$2.17 CHF 1.75

45.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.94

$2.13 CHF 1.72

13.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CHF 2.04

$2.43 CHF 1.96

4.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CHF 1.27

$1.15 CHF 0.92

36.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.06 CHF 8.93

$11.52 CHF 9.30

-3.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 CHF 11.09

$12.19 CHF 9.84

12.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 CHF 1.64

$1.96 CHF 1.58

4.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CHF 2.51

$2.28 CHF 1.84

36.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.15 CHF 3.35

$3.74 CHF 3.02

10.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.3 CHF 73.7

$98.5 CHF 79.5

-7.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 CHF 6.43

$8.04 CHF 6.48

-0.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.13 CHF 3.33

$4.44 CHF 3.58

-6.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.8 CHF 53.9

$91.5 CHF 73.8

-27.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.80

$2.22 CHF 1.79

0.90%

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

$40.4K CHF 32.6K

$41.1K CHF 33.2K

-1.62%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.1K

$58.3K CHF 47.0K

-29.54%

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

$298 CHF 240

$367 CHF 296

-18.91%

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

$50.9 CHF 41.06

$58.3 CHF 47.06

-12.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 CHF 46.55

$58.1 CHF 46.86

-0.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.5 CHF 65.0

$81.1 CHF 65.5

-0.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.31 CHF 30.10

$46.39 CHF 37.43

-19.57%

Cinema Ticket

$22.78 CHF 18.38

$24.71 CHF 19.94

-7.81%

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

$2,625 CHF 2,118

$3,315 CHF 2,675

-20.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.5K CHF 27.8K

$40.1K CHF 32.3K

-13.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 CHF 88.9

$154 CHF 124

-28.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 CHF 57.1

$69.1 CHF 55.7

2.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$177 CHF 143

$174 CHF 141

1.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 148

$189 CHF 153

-2.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 CHF 1,760

$1,871 CHF 1,510

16.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,999 CHF 1,613

$1,284 CHF 1,036

55.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,322 CHF 2,680

$3,197 CHF 2,579

3.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,261

$2,412 CHF 1,946

16.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.0K

$19.2K CHF 15.5K

-15.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 9,882

$15.4K CHF 12.4K

-20.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,997 CHF 6,453

$7,080 CHF 5,713

12.95%

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 Montreux: July 14, 2026

Last update for Bern: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,182 in Montreux and $1,871 in Bern. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreux pays 13% 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: $148 in Montreux vs $108 in Bern. Groceries flip the comparison at $632 vs $638, 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

Bern wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Montreux. 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 13% 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: $2,182 in Montreux 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 Montreux. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,993 per month in Montreux versus $3,409 in Bern – a 17% 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, 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.

Expats usually find Bern gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Montreux. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.