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Bern vs Oslo cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐จ๐ญ Bern
๐ณ๐ด Oslo
At a glance
- Where Oslo is clearly cheaper: Laundry (49%โ), Taxi (41%โ), Hotel night (37%โ)
- Where Bern is clearly cheaper: Bottled water (53%โ), Half-day tour (38%โ), Beer (24%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: language โ Bern 2 vs Oslo 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Bern | Oslo | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | CHF 22$25.9 | kr 200$18.9 | Oslo โ27% |
| Street food1 item | CHF 10$11.8 | kr 120$11.3 | similar |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | CHF 50$58.8 | kr 480$45.3 | Oslo โ23% |
| Coffeeone cup | CHF 5.5$6.47 | kr 58$5.47 | Oslo โ15% |
| Beerone bottle | CHF 7$8.24 | kr 115$10.8 | Bern โ24% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | CHF 14$16.5 | kr 150$14.2 | Oslo โ14% |
| Bottled water | CHF 1.2$1.41 | kr 32$3.02 | Bern โ53% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | CHF 2.5$2.94 | kr 40$3.77 | Bern โ22% |
| Taxi5 km in town | CHF 27$31.8 | kr 200$18.9 | Oslo โ41% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | CHF 16$18.8 | kr 130$12.3 | Oslo โ35% |
| Transitone ride | CHF 5.2$6.12 | kr 42$3.96 | Oslo โ35% |
| Scooter rentalper day | CHF 30$35.3 | kr 345$32.5 | Oslo โ8% |
| Hotel night3-star | CHF 190$224 | kr 1,500$142 | Oslo โ37% |
| Studio rent (month) | CHF 1,500$1,765 | kr 15,500$1,462 | Oslo โ17% |
| Laundry | CHF 10$11.8 | kr 64$6.04 | Oslo โ49% |
| SIM card1 week data | CHF 25$29.4 | kr 250$23.6 | Oslo โ20% |
| Haircutcut | CHF 40$47.1 | kr 450$42.5 | Oslo โ10% |
| Massage1 hour | CHF 120$141 | kr 1,000$94.3 | Oslo โ33% |
| Half-day tourper person | CHF 30$35.3 | kr 600$56.6 | Bern โ38% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | CHF 18$21.2 | kr 200$18.9 | Oslo โ11% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Bern or Oslo?
Oslo is 27% cheaper than Bern. Daily budget $463 vs $308; a month $7,430 vs $5,831.
Which is easier to travel, Bern or Oslo?
About the same: Bern 1.2/5, Oslo 1.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Bern and Oslo?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bern is about $7,430 and Oslo about $5,831 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.