Cost of Living in Bern
Summary of cost of living in Bern, Switzerland:
- The estimated monthly costs for a family of four are $6,006.0 (4,963.2 Fr.), excluding rent (using our estimator).
- The estimated monthly costs for a single person are $1,634.8 (1,351.0 Fr.), excluding rent.
- Bern is 49.7% more expensive than Columbus (excluding rent, see our cost of living index).
- Rent in Bern is, on average, 36.1% higher than in Columbus.
Restaurants |  Edit |
Range |
|---|---|---|
| Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant | 24.00 Fr. | |
| Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks) | 100.50 Fr. | |
| Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal) | 13.00 Fr. | |
| Domestic Draft Beer (1 Pint) | 7.50 Fr. | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) | 6.50 Fr. | |
| Cappuccino (Regular Size) | 5.65 Fr. | |
| Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle) | 5.19 Fr. | |
| Bottled Water (12 oz) | 5.80 Fr. | |
Markets | Edit |
|
| Milk (Regular, 1 Liter) | 1.80 Fr. | |
| Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf) | 2.23 Fr. | |
| White Rice (1 lb) | 1.20 Fr. | |
| Eggs (12, Large Size) | 6.43 Fr. | |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 9.16 Fr. | |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 11.00 Fr. | |
| Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb) | 14.65 Fr. | |
| Apples (1 lb) | 1.47 Fr. | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | 0.76 Fr. | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 1.00 Fr. | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | 1.74 Fr. | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | 0.60 Fr. | |
| Onions (1 lb) | 0.76 Fr. | |
| Lettuce (1 Head) | 1.86 Fr. | |
| Bottled Water (50 oz) | 1.09 Fr. | |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 10.00 Fr. | |
| Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle) | 1.84 Fr. | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) | 2.45 Fr. | |
| Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro) | 9.36 Fr. | |
Transportation | Edit |
|
| One-Way Ticket (Local Transport) | 5.20 Fr. | |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price) | 82.00 Fr. | |
| Taxi Start (Standard Tariff) | 6.80 Fr. | |
| Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff) | 6.12 Fr. | |
| Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff) | 90.00 Fr. | |
| Gasoline (1 Liter) | 1.94 Fr. | |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car) | 32,300.00 Fr. | |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car) | 32,500.00 Fr. | |
Utilities (Monthly) | Edit |
|
| Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) | 226.38 Fr. | |
| Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data) | 23.18 Fr. | |
| Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher) | 45.50 Fr. | |
Sports And Leisure | Edit |
|
| Monthly Fitness Club Membership | 73.65 Fr. | |
| Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend) | 39.17 Fr. | |
| Cinema Ticket (International Release) | 20.90 Fr. | |
Childcare | Edit |
|
| Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child | 2,604.44 Fr. | |
| International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child | 25,386.11 Fr. | |
Clothing And Shoes | Edit |
|
| Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar) | 116.66 Fr. | |
| Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M) | 50.67 Fr. | |
| Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 129.76 Fr. | |
| Men's Leather Business Shoes | 162.50 Fr. | |
Rent Per Month | Edit |
|
| 1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre | 1,551.25 Fr. | |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre | 1,173.75 Fr. | |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre | 2,922.22 Fr. | |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre | 2,075.00 Fr. | |
Buy Apartment Price | Edit |
|
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,437.69 Fr. | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 1,146.81 Fr. | |
Salaries And Financing | Edit |
|
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,636.52 Fr. | |
| Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %) | 2.46 | |
Prices in Bern
This city had 663 entries in the past 12 months by 53 different contributors.
Last update: 19 October 2026
Last update: 19 October 2026
Sources and References
Moving to Bern? Explore:
Distribution of Expenses Using Our Statistical Model:
Nearby Cities:| Cost of Living in Thun | 18.36 miles |
| Cost of Living in Fribourg | 22.36 miles |
| Cost of Living in Biel | 26.63 miles |
| Cost of Living in Langenthal | 35.09 miles |
| Cost of Living in La Chaux-de-Fonds | 42.61 miles |
| Cost of Living in Montreux | 54.64 miles |
| Cost of Living in Basel | 61.46 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lausanne | 64.73 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lucerne | 69.73 miles |
| Cost of Living in Kriens | 70.89 miles |
This Page in Other Languages:
 DeutschLebenshaltungskosten in Bern
|
 PortuguêsCusto de Vida em Berna
|
 ItalianoCosto della vita a Berna
|
 FrançaisCoût de la vie à Berne
|
 EspañolCoste de vida en Berna
|
Salary Calculator:Got a job offer in Bern? Estimate your take-home pay with our Salary Calculator for Bern.
Stimmt in der Tendenz, ist aber übertrieben. Bern liegt im interkantonalen Vergleich tatsächlich im oberen Drittel, aber nicht an der Spitze – Kantone wie Neuchâtel oder Genf liegen bei bestimmten Einkommen ähnlich oder höher. "Höchste Steuern der Schweiz" ist so pauschal nicht korrekt.
@Fritz Roth ("8,5% Bundessteuer obendrauf")
Das ist irreführend. Die direkte Bundessteuer ist progressiv und bei eurem Einkommensniveau winzig – bei ca. CHF 55'000–60'000 brutto liegt sie bei rund 1% effektiv, nicht 8,5%. Der 8,5%-Satz ist ein Grenzsteuersatz, der erst bei sehr viel höherem Einkommen greift.
@Samuel Werner's Tabelle (Bern 23,8%)
Diese Zahl ist ebenfalls nicht direkt auf euren Fall anwendbar – das sieht nach einem Grenzsteuersatz oder einem Wert für ein deutlich höheres Einkommensniveau aus. Ich hab die offiziellen Zahlen der Stadt Bern für 2024 nachgeschaut: Bei einem Bruttoeinkommen von CHF 50'000 (ledig, ohne Kinder) liegt die effektive Steuerbelastung (Kanton + Gemeinde + Kirche) bei 12%, bei CHF 45'000 bei 11,2%. Plus die kleine Bundessteuer (~1%) landest du effektiv bei rund 13% – nicht 24%.
It has the highest taxes in Switzerland.
Check it out here :
https://gfmag.com/data/richest-countries-in-the-world/
Those are only the cantonal taxes, there's another 8.5 % federal tax on top of those in Switzerland.
City - Individual Income Tax % - Corporate Tax %
Zug 10.4 11.8
Schwyz 12.0 13.4
Basel 23.7 13.0
Bern 23.8 20.5
Lausanne 24.0 13.8
Geneva 25.0 14.7
As you can see, Bern has the highest tax rates.
In Zug and Schwyz you pay the least amount of tax.
Price shedule together with the city of Bern. ( Excluding Swiss Customs duty and Tax duty )
Chicken Fillets(1kg) - 14.85Fr
Chicken broiler(1kg) - 10.27Fr
Mobile Phone Number- +99455 221 16 21
Mobile watsap Phone Number- +99451 522 07 22