Bern vs Cologne - Cost of Living Comparison

Bern Cologne
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2375
$1643
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6286
$3959
🏠 One person rent
$1198
$881
🏘️ Family rent
$2109
$1574
🍽️ Food expenses
$824
$416
🚐 Transport expenses
$116
$218
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$6264
$2585
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
6 km
15 km
🎓 Higher education
78
91
😀 Quality of life
94
96
🏙️ Population
134K
1.07M

The cost of living in Bern is 45% more expensive than in Cologne. Cities ranked 250th and 2459th ($2375 vs $1643) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 37th and 10th in Switzerland and Germany, respectively. Check Switzerland vs Germany comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 2.6 months in Bern compared to 1.6 months in Cologne. Bern ranked 5th best city to live in Switzerland vs Cologne ranked 2nd in Germany, while ranked 41st and 13th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Bern vs Cologne infographic

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Prices in Bern vs Cologne

Prices for goods and services in Bern and Cologne are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Bern Cologne
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$23.9
$12.4
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$88.1
$49.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$16.5
$9.31
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$6.77
$4.1
☕ Cappuccino
$5.5
$3.11
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$4.13
$2.55
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1205
$893
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$940
$633
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2349
$1628
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1688
$1205
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$157
$164
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$241
$253
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$47.4
$31.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
2.47%
2.26%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$9909
$6134
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$6478
$4812
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$3.79
$3.22
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$88.6
$106
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$43.5
$22
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$2.04
$2.02
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.93
$1.17
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.46
$1.86
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.43
$1.88
🥚 Eggs, x12
$7.5
$3.24
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$23.6
$11.8
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$29.3
$9.65
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$43.9
$15.9
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.06
$2.7
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.01
$1.66
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.46
$2.17
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.98
$2.4
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.61
$1.92
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.05
$1.38
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.01
$0.41
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.58
$1.79
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15
$6.65
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.38
$0.84
🚬 Cigarette pack
$9.34
$7.8
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$12.8
$8.1
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.26
$2.13
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.61
$1.56
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.63
$1.74
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$69.2
$35.6
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$21.4
$11.9
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$140
$50.2
💇 Haircut, simple
$37.3
$17.5
👖 Brand Jeans
$105
$89.1
👟 Brand Sneakers
$139
$93.6
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2598
$733
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$29862
$12429

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Bern

Distance City Cost of living
3.5 km or 2.2 mi Koniz
$2511
25 km or 16 mi Thun
$2573
26 km or 16 mi Biel/Bienne
$2269
28 km or 17 mi Fribourg
$2068
40 km or 25 mi Neuchatel
$2126
43 km or 27 mi Interlaken
$2364
48 km or 30 mi Bulle
$2504
50 km or 31 mi La Chaux-de-Fonds
$2231
64 km or 40 mi Kriens
$2507
64 km or 40 mi Yverdon-les-Bains
$2159
66 km or 41 mi Lucerne
$2617
66 km or 41 mi Emmen
$2513
67 km or 42 mi Aarau
$2310
67 km or 42 mi Allschwil
$2517
69 km or 43 mi Basel
$2490
70 km or 44 mi Montreux
$2755
71 km or 44 mi Saint-Louis
$1216
72 km or 45 mi Riehen
$2532
73 km or 45 mi Rheinfelden
$1298
73 km or 45 mi Weil am Rhein
$1300
76 km or 47 mi Lorrach
$1307
77 km or 48 mi Lausanne
$2606
80 km or 50 mi Sion
$2237
80 km or 50 mi Renens
$2501
85 km or 53 mi Zug
$2967
86 km or 54 mi Baar
$2622
87 km or 54 mi Baden
$2661
88 km or 55 mi Wettingen
$2507
88 km or 55 mi Dietikon
$2510
88 km or 55 mi Belfort
$1367
89 km or 56 mi Mulhouse
$1246
92 km or 57 mi Altstetten
$2510
94 km or 58 mi Horgen
$2514
95 km or 59 mi Waldshut-Tiengen
$1298
95 km or 59 mi Zurich
$2974
98 km or 61 mi Wadenswil
$2412
102 km or 63 mi Dubendorf
$2540
104 km or 65 mi Bulach
$2502
106 km or 66 mi Uster
$2711
109 km or 68 mi Rapperswil-Jona
$2492

Cities near Cologne

Distance City Cost of living
9.2 km or 5.7 mi Hurth
$1301
10 km or 6.4 mi Leverkusen
$1665
10 km or 6.4 mi Frechen
$1299
13 km or 7.9 mi Bruhl
$1249
13 km or 7.9 mi Pulheim
$1303
14 km or 8.4 mi Wesseling
$1298
14 km or 8.5 mi Bergisch Gladbach
$1259
15 km or 9.3 mi Niederkassel
$1303
16 km or 10 mi Rosrath
$1298
18 km or 11 mi Monheim am Rhein
$1304
19 km or 12 mi Dormagen
$1304
19 km or 12 mi Erftstadt
$1299
19 km or 12 mi Langenfeld
$1299
20 km or 12 mi Troisdorf
$1305
20 km or 12 mi Leichlingen
$1299
20 km or 12 mi Kerpen
$1297
21 km or 13 mi Bornheim
$1301
21 km or 13 mi Lohmar
$1300
22 km or 14 mi Bergheim
$1214
23 km or 15 mi Siegburg
$1300
24 km or 15 mi Overath
$1301
25 km or 16 mi Sankt Augustin
$1299
25 km or 16 mi Bonn
$1517
26 km or 16 mi Hilden
$1299
26 km or 16 mi Solingen
$1177
27 km or 17 mi Elsdorf
$1301
28 km or 17 mi Wermelskirchen
$1298
28 km or 17 mi Haan
$1299
28 km or 18 mi Bedburg
$1301
29 km or 18 mi Hennef
$1303
31 km or 19 mi Grevenbroich
$1303
31 km or 19 mi Remscheid
$1184
31 km or 20 mi Erkrath
$1305
33 km or 20 mi Konigswinter
$1300
34 km or 21 mi Euskirchen
$1303
34 km or 21 mi Neuss
$1332
34 km or 21 mi Mettmann
$1300
35 km or 21 mi Zulpich
$1303
35 km or 21 mi Meckenheim
$1302
35 km or 22 mi Dusseldorf
$1632