Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Bern Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Bern

😐 Solo nomad: Zurich is 4.4% more expensive than Bern without rent, and 28% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Zurich is 7.3% more expensive than Bern without rent, and 21.5% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zurich
Bern
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$31.39 CHF 24.49
$28.53 CHF 22.26
10.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$148 CHF 116
$108 CHF 84.6
36.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$20.60 CHF 16.06
$17.04 CHF 13.29
20.89%
Cappuccino
$6.90 CHF 5.38
$5.82 CHF 4.54
18.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.83 CHF 4.55
$4.96 CHF 3.87
17.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.30 CHF 4.13
$4.68 CHF 3.65
13.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.74 CHF 7.59
$8.25 CHF 6.44
18.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.44 CHF 6.58
$6.06 CHF 4.72
39.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zurich
Bern
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.16 CHF 1.69
$2.27 CHF 1.77
-4.85%
White Bread (500g)
$3.40 CHF 2.65
$3.34 CHF 2.60
1.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.94 CHF 3.07
$4.06 CHF 3.17
-2.96%
Eggs
$7.57 CHF 5.91
$7.11 CHF 5.55
6.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$29.08 CHF 22.68
$28.57 CHF 22.28
1.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$33.28 CHF 25.96
$35.59 CHF 27.76
-6.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$50.8 CHF 39.61
$40.29 CHF 31.42
26.04%
Apples (1kg)
$4.01 CHF 3.13
$3.53 CHF 2.76
13.60%
Banana (1kg)
$2.82 CHF 2.20
$2.22 CHF 1.73
27.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.04 CHF 2.37
$2.88 CHF 2.24
5.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.17 CHF 4.03
$6.96 CHF 5.43
-25.72%
Potato (1kg)
$2.73 CHF 2.13
$2.16 CHF 1.69
26.39%
Onion (1kg)
$2.37 CHF 1.85
$2.18 CHF 1.70
8.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.58 CHF 2.02
$2.42 CHF 1.89
6.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 CHF 1.30
$1.15 CHF 0.90
44.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.15 CHF 8.69
$11.46 CHF 8.94
-2.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.52 CHF 12.10
$13.03 CHF 10.16
19.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.75 CHF 2.14
$1.88 CHF 1.47
46.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.34 CHF 2.60
$2.32 CHF 1.81
43.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Zurich
Bern
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.96 CHF 3.87
$3.61 CHF 2.82
37.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$109 CHF 85.3
$98.2 CHF 76.6
11.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.63 CHF 5.95
$8.12 CHF 6.33
-6.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.13 CHF 3.22
$4.41 CHF 3.44
-6.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$89.0 CHF 69.4
$91.4 CHF 71.3
-2.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.24 CHF 1.75
$2.24 CHF 1.74
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.1K CHF 31.3K
$40.5K CHF 31.6K
-1.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.5K CHF 30.8K
$57.0K CHF 44.5K
-30.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zurich
Bern
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$253 CHF 198
$366 CHF 286
-30.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.07 CHF 27.35
$58.7 CHF 45.76
-40.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.2 CHF 45.36
$57.1 CHF 44.51
1.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zurich
Bern
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$90.5 CHF 70.6
$82.7 CHF 64.5
9.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$48.94 CHF 38.17
$47.96 CHF 37.41
2.04%
Cinema Ticket
$24.92 CHF 19.44
$24.94 CHF 19.45
-0.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zurich
Bern
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,471 CHF 2,707
$3,330 CHF 2,597
4.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.2K CHF 30.6K
$39.7K CHF 31.0K
-1.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zurich
Bern
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$137 CHF 107
$151 CHF 118
-9.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.1 CHF 47.63
$68.7 CHF 53.6
-11.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$149 CHF 117
$173 CHF 135
-13.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$201 CHF 157
$184 CHF 143
9.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zurich
Bern
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,726 CHF 2,126
$1,884 CHF 1,470
44.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,225 CHF 1,736
$1,248 CHF 973
78.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,974 CHF 3,879
$3,311 CHF 2,582
50.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,694 CHF 2,881
$2,409 CHF 1,879
53.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$24.7K CHF 19.3K
$15.6K CHF 12.2K
58.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$16.4K CHF 12.8K
$11.9K CHF 9,293
37.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zurich
Bern
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$8,573 CHF 6,687
$7,431 CHF 5,796
15.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.09
2.52
-17.06%

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

Last update for Zurich: February 28, 2026

Last update for Bern: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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