A recent global study has revealed a surprising fact about dining out in Switzerland. Bern ranks as the third most affordable city in the world for a restaurant meal when local salaries are taken into account. The analysis, which also places Zurich and Geneva in the top 20, challenges the country's reputation for high living costs.
Key Takeaways
- A study by Chef's Pencil ranked 177 cities based on the affordability of dining out relative to local wages.
- Bern placed 3rd globally, with a three-course meal costing just 0.8% of the average monthly salary.
- Zurich (16th) and Geneva (18th) also ranked in the top 20, with dining costs at 0.9% of monthly income.
- The findings position Switzerland's major cities as some of the most budget-friendly for restaurant visits when purchasing power is considered.
A New Perspective on Swiss Living Costs
Switzerland is often perceived as one of the most expensive countries in the world, a notion familiar to residents and tourists alike. The high price of goods and services, especially in major urban centers, contributes to this reputation. However, a new analysis offers a different perspective by factoring in a critical variable: local income levels.
The study, conducted by the international food magazine Chef's Pencil, did not simply compare menu prices across the globe. Instead, it measured the cost of a three-course meal at a mid-range restaurant as a percentage of the average net monthly salary in each city. This method provides a more accurate picture of true affordability for local residents.
When viewed through this lens, Swiss cities perform exceptionally well. The high salaries common in Switzerland significantly offset the higher menu prices, making the experience of dining out more accessible than in many other parts of the world.
How the Global Ranking Was Determined
The Chef's Pencil report analyzed data from 177 cities worldwide to create its affordability index. The core of the methodology involved comparing two key data points for each location. The first was the average price for a standard three-course meal for one person in a mid-range restaurant.
The second, and most crucial, data point was the average net monthly salary after taxes. By calculating the meal price as a percentage of this income, the study could directly compare the financial impact of dining out on a typical resident in cities with vastly different economies.
Understanding Relative Affordability
Relative affordability measures the cost of a product or service in relation to a person's income. A low percentage indicates that the item consumes a small portion of one's earnings, making it highly affordable. In contrast, a high percentage means the item is expensive relative to what people earn, even if its absolute price seems low.
This approach highlights that a 50 CHF meal in a city with a 6,000 CHF average monthly salary is more affordable than a 20 EUR meal in a city where the average salary is 800 EUR. The Swiss cities' high rankings are a direct result of this purchasing power parity.
Swiss Cities Dominate the Top Rankings
The results of the study place three major Swiss cities firmly within the global elite for dining affordability. Bern leads the way with an impressive 3rd place finish.
According to the report, a standard three-course meal in the Swiss capital costs an average of 47.20 CHF. While this figure may seem high in isolation, it represents just 0.8% of the average resident's monthly take-home pay. Only two other cities in the world ranked higher for affordability: Muscat, the capital of Oman, and the American city of Dallas.
Zurich and Geneva also secured positions in the top tier. Zurich was ranked 16th, while Geneva came in at 18th place. In both of these cities, a comparable restaurant meal was found to cost approximately 0.9% of the average monthly salary.
An Exclusive Group
Bern, Zurich, and Geneva are part of an exclusive group of only 26 cities worldwide where a mid-range, three-course meal costs 1% or less of the average monthly income.
The Global Affordability Spectrum
The study reveals significant disparities in dining affordability across different regions. While Swiss cities ranked near the top, several other European destinations were found at the opposite end of the spectrum.
Cities in Southern Europe, for example, were notably less affordable for their residents. The report placed Athens at rank 144, Naples at 114, and Dubrovnik at 152. In these locations, the lower average salaries mean that restaurant meals consume a much larger portion of a person's monthly budget.
The contrast is even more stark in other parts of the world. The five least affordable cities in the ranking were:
- Beirut, Lebanon (5.1% of monthly salary)
- Cairo, Egypt (5.7%)
- Georgetown, Guyana (6.5%)
- Caracas, Venezuela (9.9%)
- Lagos, Nigeria (20.7%)
In Lagos, the least affordable city surveyed, a single three-course meal costs over one-fifth of the average person's entire monthly income. This data underscores the economic privilege associated with high purchasing power in countries like Switzerland, transforming what is a luxury in many places into a relatively accessible activity.