Bern at a glance
- Bern is the cheapest of Switzerland's 5 priced cities: $2,797 a month in essentials, 29% below Zürich at $3,949.
- The average net salary of $6,812 covers that 2.4×.
- 101.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at canton level.
- PM2.5 averages 7.6 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 5 Switzerland cities we track, so every row says whether Bern is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $2,797 | $2,912 | $115 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,443 | $1,515 | $72 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,932 | $2,171 | $239 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $296 | $299 | $3 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $623 | $644 | $21 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $334 | $343 | $9 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $101 | $101 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $6,812 | $6,844 | $32 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $2,551 | $2,859 | $308 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $3,593 | $3,593 | same |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Bern, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $29.16 | $30.74 | $1.58 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $123.56 | $126.64 | $3.08 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $15.98 | $19.06 | $3.08 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $6.97 | $6.45 | $0.52 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $9.53 | $9.84 | $0.31 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $9.22 | $9.22 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $6.39 | $6.03 | $0.36 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $7.68 | $5.40 | 1.42× as much |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $2.21 | $2.25 | $0.04 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $3.02 | $3.72 | $0.70 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $3.26 | $3.32 | $0.06 |
| Eggs, 12 | $7.93 | $7.82 | $0.11 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $25.31 | $26.09 | $0.78 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $29.81 | $27.82 | $1.99 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $3.98 | $3.67 | $0.31 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.27 | $2.27 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $4.88 | $4.83 | $0.05 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.86 | $1.86 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $2.03 | $2.04 | $0.01 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.33 | $1.33 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $6.39 | $4.55 | 1.40× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $100.82 | $100.82 | same |
| Taxi start | $8.36 | $7.99 | $0.37 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $4.67 | $4.67 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $2.31 | $2.31 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $278.34 | $287.42 | $9.08 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $55.94 | $55.94 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $28.50 | $37.89 | 1.33× as much |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $90.55 | $90.55 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $25.76 | $24.59 | $1.17 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Bern has 101.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (canton level). That is the 4th-highest of 6 Switzerland cities we track. Switzerland's national figure is 104.2, so Bern runs 3 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Bern ranks against every city we track
Bern sits ahead of 99% of the 545 cities we track on local salary. On salary against local costs it is ahead of 97% of 534. Its weakest measure is cost of living, ahead of only 6% of 542.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Bern sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
