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: $3,713 in St. Moritz versus $3,477 in Bern.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,750 in St. Moritz versus $5,394 in Bern.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,787 in St. Moritz versus $7,311 in Bern.

Living in St. Moritz is roughly 7% more expensive than in Bern, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Moritz 170% above, Bern 153% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$36.90 CHF 30.00

$28.98 CHF 23.56

27.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 119

$126 CHF 103

16.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 CHF 11.87

$16.17 CHF 13.15

-9.71%

Cappuccino

$6.27 CHF 5.10

$7.01 CHF 5.70

-10.56%

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

$5.64 CHF 4.58

$6.23 CHF 5.06

-9.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 CHF 3.72

$7.04 CHF 5.72

-34.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 8.20

$9.48 CHF 7.71

6.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 CHF 4.98

$8.19 CHF 6.66

-25.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 CHF 1.46

$2.25 CHF 1.83

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 CHF 3.19

$2.97 CHF 2.42

31.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 CHF 3.26

$3.25 CHF 2.64

23.38%

Eggs

$7.86 CHF 6.39

$8.08 CHF 6.57

-2.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.56 CHF 22.41

$24.49 CHF 19.91

12.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.04 CHF 21.98

$29.84 CHF 24.26

-9.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$61.5 CHF 50.0

$40.30 CHF 32.76

52.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.25 CHF 3.45

$3.95 CHF 3.21

7.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 CHF 2.34

$2.04 CHF 1.66

41.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CHF 2.93

$2.78 CHF 2.26

29.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.00 CHF 4.06

$4.81 CHF 3.91

3.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 CHF 2.10

$1.72 CHF 1.40

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CHF 1.79

$2.10 CHF 1.71

4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CHF 2.11

$2.28 CHF 1.85

14.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 CHF 1.09

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.05 CHF 8.99

$11.63 CHF 9.46

-4.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 CHF 11.24

$12.52 CHF 10.18

10.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 CHF 2.36

$2.33 CHF 1.89

24.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 CHF 2.66

$3.08 CHF 2.50

6.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.02 CHF 3.27

$6.37 CHF 5.18

-36.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.2 CHF 79.8

$101 CHF 82.1

-2.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 CHF 6.88

$8.32 CHF 6.77

1.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.65 CHF 3.78

$4.71 CHF 3.83

-1.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$90.1 CHF 73.3

$110 CHF 89.1

-17.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.82

$2.27 CHF 1.84

-1.32%

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

$41.2K CHF 33.5K

$43.9K CHF 35.7K

-6.22%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.2K

$39.4K CHF 32.0K

3.55%

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

$97.9 CHF 79.6

$279 CHF 226

-64.85%

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

$38.86 CHF 31.59

$28.97 CHF 23.55

34.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 CHF 46.35

$55.3 CHF 44.97

3.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.3 CHF 61.2

$92.1 CHF 74.9

-18.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.53 CHF 38.64

Cinema Ticket

$18.98 CHF 15.43

$25.08 CHF 20.39

-24.32%

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

$3,652 CHF 2,969

$3,158 CHF 2,567

15.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.9K CHF 34.9K

$31.9K CHF 25.9K

34.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 118

$147 CHF 119

-1.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 CHF 49.47

$63.5 CHF 51.6

-4.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$167 CHF 136

$159 CHF 129

4.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$260 CHF 211

$198 CHF 161

30.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 CHF 1,487

$1,890 CHF 1,536

-3.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,769 CHF 1,438

$1,433 CHF 1,165

23.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,554 CHF 4,516

$3,564 CHF 2,898

55.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,756 CHF 3,866

$2,539 CHF 2,064

87.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.2K CHF 15.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 10.1K

$15.4K CHF 12.5K

-19.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,901 CHF 3,984

$6,921 CHF 5,626

-29.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.8

2.46

-26.83%

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

Last update for St. Moritz: August 30, 2026

Last update for Bern: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,830 in St. Moritz and $1,890 in Bern. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $147 in St. Moritz vs $126 in Bern for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $672 vs $586 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 7% 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 41% 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: $1,830 in St. Moritz 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 $147 in St. Moritz. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,713 per month in St. Moritz versus $3,477 in Bern – a 7% 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, 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 7% less than in St. Moritz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.