Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Moritz and Bern Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Moritz and Bern

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,869 in St. Moritz versus $3,409 in Bern.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,602 in St. Moritz versus $5,182 in Bern.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,335 in St. Moritz versus $6,955 in Bern.

Living in St. Moritz is roughly 13% more expensive than in Bern, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Moritz 190% above, Bern 155% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.35 CHF 25.34

$28.49 CHF 23.03

10.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 120

$108 CHF 87.2

37.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.73 CHF 11.91

$17.15 CHF 13.86

-14.11%

Cappuccino

$6.21 CHF 5.02

$5.75 CHF 4.65

8.00%

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

$5.53 CHF 4.47

$4.76 CHF 3.85

16.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 CHF 3.79

$4.78 CHF 3.86

-1.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.11 CHF 8.18

$8.18 CHF 6.61

23.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.21 CHF 5.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 CHF 1.13

$2.22 CHF 1.80

-37.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 CHF 2.75

$3.33 CHF 2.69

2.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 CHF 3.30

$4.26 CHF 3.45

-4.23%

Eggs

$7.36 CHF 5.95

$7.09 CHF 5.73

3.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.37 CHF 23.75

$28.67 CHF 23.18

2.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.87 CHF 27.39

$35.86 CHF 28.99

-5.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.2 CHF 40.62

$41.00 CHF 33.15

22.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.36

$3.38 CHF 2.73

22.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.35

$2.24 CHF 1.81

29.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 CHF 2.54

$2.76 CHF 2.23

13.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.09 CHF 4.12

$6.87 CHF 5.55

-25.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 CHF 2.29

$2.17 CHF 1.76

30.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.87

$2.13 CHF 1.73

8.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CHF 2.09

$2.43 CHF 1.97

6.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 CHF 1.33

$1.15 CHF 0.93

42.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.29 CHF 9.13

$11.52 CHF 9.32

-2.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.54 CHF 10.95

$12.19 CHF 9.86

11.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 CHF 2.11

$1.96 CHF 1.59

32.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 CHF 2.70

$2.28 CHF 1.84

46.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 CHF 3.10

$3.74 CHF 3.03

2.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.6 CHF 78.9

$98.5 CHF 79.6

-0.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 CHF 6.34

$8.04 CHF 6.50

-2.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.47 CHF 3.62

$4.44 CHF 3.59

0.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 70.7

$91.5 CHF 74.0

-4.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.77

$2.22 CHF 1.79

-1.35%

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

$40.1K CHF 32.4K

$41.1K CHF 33.2K

-2.38%

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

$39.0K CHF 31.5K

$58.3K CHF 47.1K

-33.07%

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

$96.8 CHF 78.3

$367 CHF 297

-73.61%

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

$35.28 CHF 28.53

$58.3 CHF 47.15

-39.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 CHF 46.62

$58.1 CHF 46.95

-0.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.8 CHF 58.8

$81.1 CHF 65.6

-10.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.39 CHF 37.51

Cinema Ticket

$18.82 CHF 15.22

$24.71 CHF 19.98

-23.84%

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

$3,442 CHF 2,783

$3,315 CHF 2,680

3.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.5K CHF 31.9K

$40.1K CHF 32.4K

-1.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 112

$154 CHF 125

-9.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.2 CHF 50.3

$69.1 CHF 55.9

-9.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 CHF 121

$174 CHF 141

-14.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 CHF 164

$189 CHF 153

7.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 CHF 1,383

$1,871 CHF 1,513

-8.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,979 CHF 1,600

$1,284 CHF 1,038

54.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,857 CHF 2,310

$3,197 CHF 2,585

-10.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,612 CHF 3,728

$2,412 CHF 1,950

91.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.1K CHF 13.0K

$19.2K CHF 15.5K

-16.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 9,875

$15.4K CHF 12.4K

-20.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,985 CHF 4,030

$7,080 CHF 5,725

-29.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.8

2.52

-28.57%

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

Last update for St. Moritz: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bern: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,710 in St. Moritz and $1,871 in Bern. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 42% 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 St. Moritz vs $108 in Bern for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $668 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

St. Moritz vs Bern: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bern wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in St. Moritz. 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 42% 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: $1,710 in St. Moritz 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 St. Moritz. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,869 per month in St. Moritz versus $3,409 in Bern – a 13% 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, St. Moritz 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 13% less than in St. Moritz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.