Cheapest priced cityBern$2,797 essentials/mo
Priciest priced cityZürich$3,949 essentials/mo
Average 1-bed outside centre$1,712across 5 priced cities
Bern vs the worldCheaper than 28 of the 535 priced cities we trackessentials, single person, USD
City-by-city monthly costs
Essentials are sourced rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining, and local transport. They are not a full lifestyle budget.
| Bern | $2,797 | 101.4 canton | $1,443 | $1,932 | $296 | $623 | $334 | $101 | $6,812 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basel | $2,911 | 98.7 canton | $1,515 | $2,171 | $295 | $633 | $362 | $106 | $7,299 |
| Lugano | $2,912 | 104.7 canton | $1,352 | $1,794 | $304 | $830 | $347 | $79 | $6,844 |
| Lausanne | $3,205 | 103.7 canton | $1,827 | $2,313 | $299 | $644 | $339 | $96 | $6,651 |
| Zürich | $3,949 | 104.8 canton | $2,425 | $3,060 | $299 | $774 | $343 | $108 | $8,336 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
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Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 de.