Composite profile
Overall score
77/100
Use the Bern profile to compare transport access, institutional capacity, and cost framing alongside regional peers such as Zurich and Basel.
Overall77/100
Affordability36/100
Air quality83/100
Energy84/100
Switzerland / Western Europe
Bern, Switzerland City Intelligence
Bern is the federal capital of Switzerland, with a central rail hub serving the national network, a concentration of government and administrative employment, and a high-cost German-speaking housing market. Bern is a western europe city of about ~448K metro in Switzerland. On the composite city-intelligence score, Bern sits around the indexed median (77/100).
- Last updated
- 2026-05-16
- Data year
- 2025
- Population
- ~448K metro
Image credit: Image: Thomas Woodtli from Zürich, Switzerland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall city intelligence
Good77/100
Composite directional score across affordability, air quality, clean energy, and resilience.
Data confidence
Directional
Directional indicators pending integration of verified city-level data.
Verified utility layers
See country hub
Emergency, healthcare, and transport verification status appears on the country hub.
Bern data table
The table is part of the initial server-rendered HTML and mirrors the key city score cards.
| Metric | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 77/100 | Composite score across major city intelligence modules. |
| Cost of Living | 36/100 | Bern's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Air Quality | 83/100 | Bern's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Energy | 84/100 | Bern's energy-readiness profile is a directional indicator that combines national policy framing with city-level adaptation context. |
| Safety | 79/100 | Bern's safety profile is a directional indicator; verified country-level emergency profiles attach via the country hub where available. |
| Internet Speed | 81/100 | Bern's connectivity profile is a directional indicator combining national digital-readiness context with widely cited speed-test references. |
| Climate Risk | 81/100 | Bern's climate-risk profile is a directional indicator combining regional hazard categories with national adaptation capacity. |
| Resilience | 81/100 | Climate adaptation and infrastructure continuity context. |
Safety
Deterministic safety estimates from our index — planning signals derived from country priors and city data, not official crime statistics.
Safety
Overall safety90/100
Low crime93/100
Personal safety92/100
Night safety86/100
Road safety87/100
Bern ranks in the upper tier of our safety index (90/100), with strong personal-safety and low night-time indicators.
Quality of Life
A composite quality-of-life estimate and its component indicators.
Quality of Life
Quality of life89/100
Healthcare94/100
Education91/100
Green space90/100
Cleanliness97/100
Infrastructure99/100
Mobility76/100
Bern has a very high quality-of-life estimate (89/100), with notable strengths in healthcare, public transport, green space, cleanliness and infrastructure.
Family Friendliness
How the city scores for raising a family, with the indicators that drive it.
Family Friendliness
Family friendliness87/100
Education91/100
Green space90/100
Overall safety90/100
Bern scores very high for family living (87/100), helped by education access, safety, parks and green space and healthcare.
Digital Nomad Suitability
Suitability for remote workers, based on connectivity, mobility, and livability.
Digital Nomad Suitability
Digital nomad suitability78/100
Walkability87/100
Cycling82/100
Infrastructure99/100
Bern is high for remote workers (78/100), based on connectivity, walkability, safety and overall livability and day-to-day amenities.
Retirement Suitability
Suitability for retirement, weighing healthcare, affordability, climate, and environment.
Retirement Suitability
Retirement suitability80/100
Healthcare94/100
Cleanliness97/100
Outdoor lifestyle48/100
Bern is very high for retirement (80/100), appealing for healthcare access and a clean environment.
Emergency and public safety in Bern
Local public safety guidance for Bern, with the country-level emergency contacts that apply when calling for police, fire, or ambulance.
| Service | Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| European emergency | 11224/7 | 112 routes to police, fire, or ambulance dispatch nationwide. |
| Police | 11724/7 | — |
| Ambulance | 14424/7 | — |
| Fire | 11824/7 | — |
For the universal emergency contacts that apply in Bern, including police, fire, and ambulance, see the Switzerland emergency profile.
Public safety sources
Each emergency contact above is attributed to an official emergency service or government publisher. Confirm current numbers directly with these sources.
- European Commission: 112 — The European emergency number
Used as the primary attribution for the EU-wide 112 universal emergency number on European country profiles.
Last verified: 2026-05-16
Methodology and the wider source registry are documented on the scoring methodology and data sources pages.
Healthcare and hospitals in Bern
Healthcare context for Bern, with national-level information from Switzerland where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only and does not provide medical advice.
For the national healthcare and public-health context that applies in Bern, see the Switzerland healthcare profile, which currently lists no verified national healthcare information.
Related sections: emergency and public safety, scoring methodology, and data sources.
Transport and mobility in Bern
Local mobility context for Bern, with national-level context from Switzerland where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only.
For national transport authorities and operators that apply in Bern, see the Switzerland transport profile, which currently lists no verified national transport information.
Related sections: emergency and public safety, healthcare and hospitals, cities directory, countries directory, scoring methodology, data sources.
Air quality dataset
Source-attributed air-quality dataset for Bern. Verified measurements are surfaced when published from accepted official datasets; transparent fallback is shown otherwise.
Air quality dataset for Bern
Verified data unavailableLast updated 2026-05-16 / data year 2025
Verified air-quality measurements are not yet published for this location
Source-attributed values for Bern will appear here after the platform integrates verified measurements from accepted official publishers. Until then, structured air-quality module context remains available on the dedicated module page.
| Metric | Value | Data year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air quality | Verified air-quality measurements are not yet published for this location. | ||
Data provenance
Source attributionGlobal City Intelligence — air-quality dataset
Verified data unavailable- Publisher
- Global City Intelligence
- Last verified
- 2026-05-16
The air-quality dataset begins empty by design. Verified city-level measurements appear here only after they are sourced from accepted publishers (WHO, EEA, US EPA, OpenAQ, OECD, or official national/city environmental agencies).
Methodology and context
Numeric measurements appear in this section only after they are sourced from accepted official publishers. The dataset is independently validated at build time; malformed records cannot ship to production.
- Scoring methodology — how indicators across the platform are constructed.
- Data sources registry — the official sources cited by verified datasets.
- Open the Bern air-quality module
- Browse the clean-air city collection
Quick answers
Quick, evidence-based answers about Bern drawn from this profile's indexed cost, climate, safety, economy, education, healthcare and nearby-nature data. Figures are deterministic estimates for orientation — verify specifics with official sources.
Quick answers about Bern
Is Bern worth visiting?
Yes — excellent quality of life (89/100), with nearby nature such as Gantrisch Regional Nature Park, Stockhorn.
Is Bern good for families?
Excellent (87/100) on safety, schools and green space.
Is Bern affordable?
Relatively expensive; about CHF 2,670/month for one person (estimate).
When is the best time to visit Bern?
Late spring to early autumn; warmest in Jul, coldest in Jan.
What are Bern's main industries?
Mainly tourism, technology, research.
What is the climate in Bern?
A humid continental climate, averaging about 10.2°C.
Does Bern have universities?
Higher education is excellent (80/100).
What is healthcare like in Bern?
Healthcare access is strong (79/100).
Is Bern good for retirement?
Retirement suitability is strong (69/100).
What nature is near Bern?
Within ~170 km: Gantrisch Regional Nature Park, Stockhorn.
Explore Bern modules
City pages link to module and ranking pages so crawlers can move through the topic cluster naturally.
Cost of Living in Bern
Bern's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies.
Air Quality in Bern
Bern's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated.
Energy in Bern
Bern's energy-readiness profile is a directional indicator that combines national policy framing with city-level adaptation context.
Safety in Bern
Bern's safety profile is a directional indicator; verified country-level emergency profiles attach via the country hub where available.
Internet Speed in Bern
Bern's connectivity profile is a directional indicator combining national digital-readiness context with widely cited speed-test references.
Climate Risk in Bern
Bern's climate-risk profile is a directional indicator combining regional hazard categories with national adaptation capacity.
City rankings
Compare this city against other indexed cities in crawlable ranking tables.
Cost of living in Bern
Cost of living estimates for Bern — monthly budgets, rent, food, and transport in the local currency, plus an affordability score for comparison. Planning estimates derived from country baselines, not live prices.
Climate in Bern
Climate profile for Bern — Humid Continental climate, annual average 10.2°C, comfort score 63/100. Month-by-month temperatures, rainfall, sunshine, and the best months to visit. Deterministic planning estimates, not a forecast.
Economy and jobs in Bern
Economy and jobs profile for Bern — government center, economy score 87/100, key industries including tourism, technology, research. Employment, salary, startup, remote-work, and career indicators. Deterministic planning estimates.
Universities and education in Bern
Education profile for Bern — regional education center, education score 77/100, 4 representative universities, plus research, student life, and international-student indicators. Deterministic dataset, not institutional rankings.
Healthcare and retirement in Bern
Healthcare and retirement profile for Bern — regional healthcare center, healthcare score 79/100, retirement score 69/100. Medical access, specialist and emergency care, affordability, and retirement suitability. Deterministic planning estimates.
Visual guide to Bern
Source-attributed visual context for Bern using verified Wikimedia imagery from the existing media catalog, alongside structured city intelligence and planning links. Not a tourism guide or attractions ranking.
Weekend trip planning guide for Bern
Weekend trip planning checklist for Bern — links into arrival planning, Summer 2026 travel context, visual orientation, budget tools, transport, public safety, and healthcare context. Not an itinerary, events calendar, hotel-price guide, restaurant guide, or tourism ranking.
Nearby weekend places from Bern
Source-backed nearby place records for local-first weekend planning, with verification status, official source links, Wikidata identity, and visual context.
Estimate a monthly budget for Bern
Estimate a monthly budget for Bern using your own housing, food, transport, healthcare, and lifestyle inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official cost-of-living measurement.
Plan a trip budget for Bern
Plan a trip budget for Bern using your own accommodation, food, local transport, activities, travel, healthcare buffer, and emergency buffer inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official travel cost estimate.
Nearby cities from Bern
Where else nearby you could spend a day or a weekend from Bern. Links are derived from geographic proximity, shared region, shared natural-recreation areas, transport corridors, and country borders — not popularity or tourism rankings.
Lucerne, Switzerland
Same region · about 66 km from Bern. Explore Lucerne's city intelligence profile.
Basel, Switzerland
Same region · about 69 km from Bern. Explore Basel's city intelligence profile.
Lausanne, Switzerland
Same region · about 77 km from Bern. Explore Lausanne's city intelligence profile.
Montbéliard, France
Cross-border · about 79 km from Bern. Explore Montbéliard's city intelligence profile.
Mulhouse, France
Cross-border · about 89 km from Bern. Explore Mulhouse's city intelligence profile.
Zurich, Switzerland
Same region · about 95 km from Bern. Explore Zurich's city intelligence profile.
Besançon, France
Cross-border · about 113 km from Bern. Explore Besançon's city intelligence profile.
Winterthur, Switzerland
Same region · about 114 km from Bern. Explore Winterthur's city intelligence profile.
Freiburg, Germany
Cross-border · about 120 km from Bern. Explore Freiburg's city intelligence profile.
Colmar, France
Cross-border · about 126 km from Bern. Explore Colmar's city intelligence profile.
Themed collections
Theme-first discovery collections that include Bern — grouped by outdoor interest (mountains, lakes, coasts, forests, national parks) rather than geography.
switzerland Cycling Friendly Areas
Cycling Friendly Areas · 15 places across 39 cities.
switzerland Family Outdoor Escapes
Family Outdoor Escapes · 14 places across 39 cities.
switzerland Hiking Areas
Hiking Areas · 20 places across 39 cities.
switzerland Lake Escapes
Lake Escapes · 13 places across 30 cities.
switzerland Nature Photography Spots
Nature Photography Spots · 34 places across 39 cities.
Safest Cities
Safest Cities · 18 places across 14 cities.
Bern FAQ
Common questions about living in, visiting, working in, studying in and retiring to Bern, answered from the indexed cost-of-living, climate, safety, economy, education, healthcare and nearby-nature data on this profile.
Frequently asked questions about Bern
Is Bern worth visiting?
Bern has a very high quality-of-life estimate (89/100), with notable strengths in healthcare, public transport, green space, cleanliness and infrastructure. Visitors can also reach nature such as Gantrisch Regional Nature Park, Stockhorn and Niesen within weekend range.
What is it like to live in Bern?
Bern has a very high quality-of-life estimate (89/100), with notable strengths in healthcare, public transport, green space, cleanliness and infrastructure. It indexes 89/100 for overall quality of life.
How much does it cost to live in Bern?
A single resident of Bern spends roughly CHF 2,670 per month, with a one-bedroom rent near CHF 1,420. Overall the city is relatively expensive for Switzerland. These are modelled estimates, not live quotes — verify locally.
What should I know about moving to Bern?
Plan for above-average living costs and check current rents before relocating. Bern is high for remote workers (78/100), based on connectivity, walkability, safety and overall livability and day-to-day amenities.
What is the job market like in Bern?
Bern's labour market is very strong, with opportunities concentrated in technology, tourism and hospitality and finance and professional services. Bern has a government- and services-oriented economy with strengths in tourism, technology and research.
Is Bern good for digital nomads and remote work?
Bern offers strong infrastructure and amenities for remote professionals, with a remote-work score of 87/100.
What are the education options in Bern?
Bern is a regional education center with a mix of universities and research activity in our dataset, spanning fields such as Economics, Law and Social Sciences.
Is Bern a good place to study?
Bern offers a strong student environment, supported by walkable neighborhoods, strong quality of life and good connectivity.
What is healthcare like in Bern?
Bern has a regional healthcare center, supported by hospitals, specialist services, and public-health infrastructure, with a healthcare score of 79/100. Residents have very strong access to healthcare across primary, specialist, and emergency care.
Is Bern a good place to retire?
Bern offers a combination of healthcare access, safety, and amenities that may appeal to retirees, with a retirement score of 69/100. Residents benefit from parks and green space, walkable streets and broad urban amenities and day-to-day services.
What is the climate like in Bern?
Bern has a humid continental climate, averaging about 10.2°C annually with roughly 1050 mm of rain. The hottest month is Jul and the coldest Jan. The driest is typically Jan.
Is Bern a safe place to live?
Bern ranks in the upper tier of our safety index (90/100), with strong personal-safety and low night-time indicators.
How easy is it to get around Bern?
Bern indexes a walkability score of 87 and a cycling score of 82 out of 100. Check the local operator for live transit routes and fares.
What nature and outdoor places are near Bern?
Nature destinations within about 170 km of Bern include Gantrisch Regional Nature Park, Stockhorn and Niesen. Each is linked with its official source on the profile.
Is Bern good for families?
Bern scores very high for family living (87/100), helped by education access, safety, parks and green space and healthcare.
What outdoor activities are there around Bern?
Bern rates 48/100 for outdoor lifestyle and 90/100 for green space. Nearby nature such as Gantrisch Regional Nature Park, Stockhorn and Niesen supports day hikes, water activities and weekend trips.
Interpretation
Use the Bern profile to compare transport access, institutional capacity, and cost framing alongside regional peers such as Zurich and Basel. Its standout dimensions are energy (84/100) and air quality (83/100). The area most worth watching is cost of living (36/100), where the model registers practical gaps. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16. Drawn from 4 institutional references.
Country context is available on the Switzerland country page. Related rankings include Overall Intelligence, Quality of Life, Remote Work. See where Bern appears in global rankings or read the scoring methodology.
Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation. Verified datasets are being integrated; official sources should be used for critical decisions.
Sources
4 institutional references inform this view, listed below with reliability notes. Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation; verified datasets are being integrated and official sources should be used for critical decisions.
- UN-Habitat: World Cities Report 2024
Used as a policy and methodology reference for urban exposure and resilience signals.
- European Environment Agency: Air Quality Status Report
Used where European city comparisons need monitored air-quality context.
- NASA: NASA POWER
Used as an energy-resource and weather-normalization reference.
- IPCC: AR6 WGII Chapter 6: Cities, settlements and key infrastructure
Used to explain urban climate vulnerability and adaptation scoring logic.