Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thun and Nanaimo, BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanaimo, BC: $2,383 a month against $3,587 in Thun, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

171

Cost of Living Index in Thun
Learn more

Thun Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Nanaimo, BC
Learn more

Nanaimo, BC Living Index

Jump to prices

Thun

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,587

/mo nomad

Nanaimo, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,383

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thun and in Nanaimo, BC

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Thun and in Nanaimo, BC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,587 in Thun versus $2,383 in Nanaimo, BC.

Thun $3,587
Nanaimo, BC $2,383

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,393 in Thun versus $3,379 in Nanaimo, BC.

Thun $5,393
Nanaimo, BC $3,379

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,200 in Thun versus $4,375 in Nanaimo, BC.

Thun $7,200
Nanaimo, BC $4,375

Living in Thun is roughly 51% more expensive than in Nanaimo, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thun 165% above, Nanaimo, BC 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.96 CHF 23.64

$17.55 CA$24.53

65.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 102

$77.9 CA$109

60.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.84 CHF 12.93

$11.35 CA$15.87

39.56%

Cappuccino

$6.42 CHF 5.24

$3.97 CA$5.54

61.71%

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

$6.52 CHF 5.32

$2.27 CA$3.17

187.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.25 CHF 5.10

$1.63 CA$2.27

283.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.03 CHF 7.37

$5.89 CA$8.23

53.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.08 CHF 6.60

$5.69 CA$7.95

42.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.87

$1.67 CA$2.33

36.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 CHF 2.39

$3.32 CA$4.63

-11.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CHF 2.61

$3.16 CA$4.41

0.95%

Eggs

$7.88 CHF 6.43

$4.24 CA$5.93

85.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.75 CHF 20.21

$11.51 CA$16.09

115.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.70 CHF 22.62

$13.86 CA$19.36

99.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.10 CHF 32.74

$17.38 CA$24.28

130.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.90

$4.30 CA$6.01

-17.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 CHF 1.63

$1.29 CA$1.81

54.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 CHF 2.27

$4.43 CA$6.20

-37.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 CHF 3.85

$5.78 CA$8.07

-18.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 CHF 1.12

$2.41 CA$3.36

-42.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 CHF 1.57

$2.85 CA$3.98

-32.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 CHF 1.80

$2.82 CA$3.95

-21.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 CHF 1.06

$2.31 CA$3.23

-43.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.21 CHF 9.15

$14.51 CA$20.27

-22.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 CHF 10.15

$14.04 CA$19.62

-11.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 CHF 1.85

$2.55 CA$3.57

-11.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 CHF 2.50

$2.64 CA$3.69

16.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.46 CHF 3.64

$1.95 CA$2.73

128.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 CHF 82.2

$46.89 CA$65.5

114.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.87 CHF 6.42

$2.83 CA$3.95

178.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.67 CHF 3.81

$1.94 CA$2.71

140.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.0 CHF 71.0

$36.00 CA$50.3

141.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 CHF 1.92

$1.34 CA$1.87

75.37%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.4K

$26.0K CA$36.3K

52.89%

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

$40.0K CHF 32.6K

$21.0K CA$29.3K

90.48%

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

$292 CHF 238

$149 CA$208

96.05%

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

$46.96 CHF 38.34

$40.43 CA$56.5

16.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.4 CHF 52.6

$66.5 CA$92.9

-3.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.8 CHF 75.7

$25.98 CA$36.30

257.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.93 CHF 35.86

$19.63 CA$27.43

123.79%

Cinema Ticket

$22.90 CHF 18.69

$10.98 CA$15.34

108.56%

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

$3,056 CHF 2,495

$699 CA$977

337.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.0K CHF 28.6K

$15.1K CA$21.1K

131.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$146 CHF 120

$50.2 CA$70.1

191.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.8 CHF 66.0

$33.30 CA$46.53

142.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$165 CHF 135

$99.5 CA$139

65.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 CHF 164

$113 CA$158

78.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 CHF 1,471

$1,445 CA$2,019

24.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 CHF 1,299

$1,191 CA$1,664

33.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,945 CHF 2,405

$2,060 CA$2,879

42.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,609 CHF 2,130

$1,639 CA$2,290

59.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.3K CHF 12.5K

$3,800 CA$5,310

302.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.7K CHF 9,524

$3,417 CA$4,774

241.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,925 CHF 4,838

$3,169 CA$4,428

86.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.42

4.72

-48.73%

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

Last update for Thun: October 31, 2026

Last update for Nanaimo, BC: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Thun

$1.6K 44.4%

Nanaimo, BC

$1.2K 50% 25.1% $400

Groceries & Markets

Thun

$569 15.9%

Nanaimo, BC

$409 17.2% 28% $159

Eating Out

Thun

$469 13.1%

Nanaimo, BC

$279 11.7% 40.6% $190

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thun

$403 11.2%

Nanaimo, BC

$256 10.7% 36.6% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Thun

$267 7.4%

Nanaimo, BC

$133 5.6% 50.1% $134

Getting Around

Thun

$150 4.2%

Nanaimo, BC

$67 2.8% 55.1% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Thun

$139 3.9%

Nanaimo, BC

$48 2% 65.4% $91

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,801 in Thun and $1,445 in Nanaimo, BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thun pays 87% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $125 in Thun vs $78 in Nanaimo, BC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $569 vs $409 per month, with Nanaimo, BC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Thun

🇨🇦 Nanaimo, BC

🕒 Local time

16:59 4:59 PM

08:59 8:59 AM

8 h behind Thun

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,905

90,504

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.637 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.816 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.917 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.637 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Thun Nanaimo, BC 8,370 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Thun
Nanaimo, BC

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Thun vs Nanaimo, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nanaimo, BC wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Thun. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Nanaimo, BC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Thun, 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: $1,801 in Thun versus $1,445 in Nanaimo, BC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nanaimo, BC runs roughly 53% less than in Thun. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $3,056 in Thun versus $699 in Nanaimo, BC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Nanaimo, BC is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Nanaimo, BC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Thun. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.