Bern vs San Francisco - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Bern San Francisco
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2512
$3781
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6867
$8717
🏠 One person rent
$1268
$2600
🏘️ Family rent
$2589
$4501
🍽️ Food expenses
$860
$806
🚐 Transport expenses
$116
$181
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$6657
$7795
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
6 km
18 km
🎓 Higher education
80
97
😀 Quality of life
95
97
🏙️ Population
135K
874K

The cost of living in Bern is 34% less expensive than in San Francisco. Cities ranked 743rd and 9th ($2512 vs $3781) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 44th and 7th in Switzerland and the United States, respectively. Check Switzerland vs the United States comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 2.6 months in Bern compared to 2.1 months in San Francisco. Bern ranked 6th best city to live in Switzerland vs San Francisco ranked 1st in the United States, while ranked 33rd and 12th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Bern vs San Francisco infographic

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Prices in Bern vs San Francisco

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

Bern San Francisco
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$25
$22.5
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$88.7
$103
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$17.7
$12.3
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.39
$8.68
 Cappuccino
$5.76
$5.68
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$4.78
$2.79
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1341
$2707
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$956
$2324
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2706
$5024
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2140
$4030
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$185
$138
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$286
$211
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$50
$61.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
2.54%
6.62%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$14168
$11577
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$12333
$11019
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$3.57
$2.6
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$93.3
$96.5
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$42.3
$20.9
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$2.14
$1.35
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.11
$1.66
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.14
$4.31
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.23
$5.8
🥚 Eggs, x12
$7.71
$6.2
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$25.9
$23
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$29.8
$15
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$45.5
$22.5
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.89
$6.37
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.45
$3.31
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.63
$5.7
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.69
$7
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.56
$3.91
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.24
$3.18
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.67
$1.68
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.01
$3.7
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15.7
$18.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.03
$3.33
🚬 Cigarette pack
$10.4
$13.6
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$14
$10.5
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.66
$7.97
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.08
$5.38
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$4.04
$2.89
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$76.3
$91.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$22.9
$17.1
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$151
$132
💇 Haircut, simple
$40.9
$23.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$138
$63.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$165
$107
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2516
$2916
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$22088
$31050

Cost of living in other countries

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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
$2592
25 km or 16 mi Thun
$2646
26 km or 16 mi Biel/Bienne
$2517
28 km or 17 mi Fribourg
$2738
40 km or 25 mi Neuchatel
$2424
43 km or 27 mi Interlaken
$2746
48 km or 30 mi Bulle
$2823
50 km or 31 mi La Chaux-de-Fonds
$2373
64 km or 40 mi Kriens
$2989
64 km or 40 mi Yverdon-les-Bains
$2940
66 km or 41 mi Lucerne
$3068
66 km or 41 mi Emmen
$3020
67 km or 42 mi Aarau
$2207
67 km or 42 mi Allschwil
$2843
69 km or 43 mi Basel
$2741
70 km or 44 mi Montreux
$3257
71 km or 44 mi Saint-Louis
$1399
72 km or 45 mi Riehen
$3415
73 km or 45 mi Rheinfelden
$1551
73 km or 45 mi Weil am Rhein
$1538
76 km or 47 mi Lorrach
$1531
77 km or 48 mi Lausanne
$2890
80 km or 50 mi Sion
$2052
80 km or 50 mi Renens
$2871
85 km or 53 mi Zug
$3627
86 km or 54 mi Baar
$3320
87 km or 54 mi Baden
$3206
88 km or 55 mi Wettingen
$3135
88 km or 55 mi Dietikon
$3048
88 km or 55 mi Belfort
$1384
89 km or 56 mi Mulhouse
$1366
92 km or 57 mi Altstetten
$3139
94 km or 58 mi Horgen
$3163
95 km or 59 mi Waldshut-Tiengen
$1559
95 km or 59 mi Zurich
$3392
98 km or 61 mi Wadenswil
$3145
102 km or 63 mi Dubendorf
$3129
104 km or 65 mi Bulach
$3013
106 km or 66 mi Uster
$3057
109 km or 68 mi Rapperswil-Jona
$3011

Cities near San Francisco

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.9 mi Daly
$3180
14 km or 8.4 mi South San Francisco
$3170
14 km or 8.8 mi Alameda
$3274
15 km or 9.2 mi Oakland
$3146
16 km or 10 mi Albany
$2940
17 km or 10 mi Berkeley
$3082
17 km or 11 mi San Bruno
$3196
18 km or 11 mi El Cerrito
$2977
18 km or 11 mi Pacifica
$3152
19 km or 12 mi Richmond
$3053
20 km or 12 mi Millbrae
$3224
21 km or 13 mi San Pablo
$3048
22 km or 14 mi Burlingame
$3293
24 km or 15 mi San Leandro
$3023
24 km or 15 mi San Rafael
$4155
26 km or 16 mi San Mateo
$3672
28 km or 17 mi San Lorenzo
$2802
28 km or 18 mi Foster
$3473
29 km or 18 mi Lafayette
$2831
29 km or 18 mi Hercules
$2949
31 km or 19 mi Belmont
$3804
32 km or 20 mi Hayward
$2981
32 km or 20 mi Castro Valley
$2931
34 km or 21 mi San Carlos
$3442
34 km or 21 mi Walnut Creek
$2874
36 km or 23 mi Redwood
$3584
37 km or 23 mi Martinez
$2714
37 km or 23 mi Danville
$2922
37 km or 23 mi Pleasant Hill
$2767
38 km or 24 mi Union
$2986
39 km or 24 mi San Ramon
$2851
39 km or 24 mi Vallejo
$2885
39 km or 24 mi Novato
$3176
39 km or 24 mi Benicia
$2845
41 km or 25 mi Concord
$2726
42 km or 26 mi Menlo Park
$3288
42 km or 26 mi East Palo Alto
$3228
43 km or 27 mi Newark
$3010
45 km or 28 mi Dublin
$3091
46 km or 28 mi Palo Alto
$3610