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: $3,860 in St. Moritz versus $3,430 in Bern.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,585 in St. Moritz versus $5,248 in Bern.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,310 in St. Moritz versus $7,066 in Bern.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Moritz 188% above, Bern 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.07 CHF 24.52

$27.70 CHF 21.86

12.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$145 CHF 115

$107 CHF 84.6

35.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.97 CHF 11.81

$17.47 CHF 13.79

-14.31%

Cappuccino

$6.23 CHF 4.91

$5.86 CHF 4.63

6.31%

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

$5.39 CHF 4.26

$4.83 CHF 3.81

11.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 CHF 3.74

$4.64 CHF 3.66

2.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.06 CHF 7.94

$8.38 CHF 6.62

20.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 CHF 4.92

$6.26 CHF 4.94

-0.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 CHF 1.06

$2.22 CHF 1.75

-39.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 CHF 2.71

$3.27 CHF 2.58

4.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.13 CHF 3.26

$4.15 CHF 3.27

-0.48%

Eggs

$7.30 CHF 5.76

$7.10 CHF 5.60

2.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.69 CHF 23.43

$27.95 CHF 22.06

6.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.98 CHF 26.03

$35.50 CHF 28.01

-7.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.8 CHF 40.09

$41.05 CHF 32.39

23.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 CHF 3.29

$3.55 CHF 2.80

17.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 CHF 2.28

$2.20 CHF 1.74

30.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 CHF 2.38

$2.74 CHF 2.16

9.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.02 CHF 3.96

$6.99 CHF 5.51

-28.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 CHF 2.17

$2.24 CHF 1.77

22.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 CHF 1.87

$2.15 CHF 1.70

10.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 2.01

$2.42 CHF 1.91

4.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.31

$1.14 CHF 0.90

45.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.13 CHF 8.78

$11.39 CHF 8.99

-2.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 CHF 12.02

$12.80 CHF 10.10

18.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 CHF 2.10

$1.96 CHF 1.55

35.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$2.35 CHF 1.86

37.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.06 CHF 3.20

$3.59 CHF 2.83

13.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.5 CHF 77.0

$99.0 CHF 78.1

-1.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.88 CHF 6.22

$7.86 CHF 6.20

0.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.42 CHF 3.48

$4.47 CHF 3.52

-1.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.4 CHF 70.5

$90.9 CHF 71.7

-1.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.70

$2.14 CHF 1.69

0.93%

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

$40.3K CHF 31.8K

$40.6K CHF 32.0K

-0.65%

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

$38.8K CHF 30.6K

$56.6K CHF 44.7K

-31.48%

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

$99.4 CHF 78.5

$367 CHF 290

-72.89%

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

$35.27 CHF 27.83

$59.9 CHF 47.27

-41.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 CHF 47.23

$59.0 CHF 46.55

1.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.9 CHF 57.5

$82.5 CHF 65.1

-11.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.41 CHF 37.42

Cinema Ticket

$18.72 CHF 14.77

$24.55 CHF 19.38

-23.75%

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

$3,475 CHF 2,743

$3,417 CHF 2,697

1.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.8K CHF 31.4K

0.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 CHF 112

$149 CHF 118

-5.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.5 CHF 48.55

$67.9 CHF 53.6

-9.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 117

$177 CHF 140

-16.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 CHF 159

$186 CHF 147

8.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,719 CHF 1,356

$1,853 CHF 1,463

-7.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 CHF 1,533

$1,264 CHF 997

53.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 CHF 2,209

$3,301 CHF 2,606

-15.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,676 CHF 3,690

$2,367 CHF 1,868

97.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 12.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.9K CHF 10.2K

$12.8K CHF 10.1K

0.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,022 CHF 3,963

$7,193 CHF 5,676

-30.18%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bern: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,719 in St. Moritz and $1,853 in Bern. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $145 in St. Moritz vs $107 in Bern for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $668 vs $636 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, Bern earns 43% less. 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: $1,719 in St. Moritz versus $1,853 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 $107 versus $145 in St. Moritz. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,860 per month in St. Moritz versus $3,430 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 $3,430 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.