Altstadt
CHF 1'766Historic, charming
UNESCO heritage, historic, mid-high rents.
Switzerland · Canton BE
Bern
Rent an apartment in Bern.
The federal capital · more relaxed than Zurich · UNESCO old town · perfect for families.
Market snapshot 2026
Vacancy rate
0.42%
Population
134'000
residents
1 and 1.5 rooms
CHF 916
average net rent a month
2 and 2.5 rooms
CHF 1'206
average net rent a month
3 and 3.5 rooms
CHF 1'479
average net rent a month
4 and 4.5 rooms
CHF 1'804
average net rent a month
3 and 3.5 rooms, new lease
CHF 1'659
leases signed in the last 2 years
Vacancy: official figures of 1 June 2026. Rents: average monthly net rent (without Nebenkosten) of existing leases, 2024, Federal Statistical Office; a 3.5-room flat counts as 3 rooms. A flat advertised today usually costs more.
About Bern
Bern is Switzerland's federal capital and political centre. ~134,000 residents, vacancy rate 0.42% · significantly more relaxed than Zurich. The UNESCO old town with its 6 km of arcades is among the best-preserved medieval city centres in Europe.
Bernese German is the local dialect but standard German is widely understood. French is preserved in the administration (the canton of Bern is officially bilingual). Economy: federal civil service, insurance, banking.
Rents are well below Zurich levels.
aptari in Bern: Homegate, ImmoScout24, Flatfox: three places to look. aptari shows them all in one feed, scores your fit and keeps your dossier ready. You see the listings of these portals and the cooperatives in one open feed, upload your documents once to your Tenant Passport, apply with one click on listings from aptari partner agencies (as soon as partner agencies list on aptari; none have yet), and the Match Score shows up front how well you fit each flat.
Why live in Bern
- More relaxed pace + better availability than Zurich
- UNESCO World Heritage old town
- Excellent transport to the mountains (Bernese Oberland 30-60 min)
- Federal careers · stable public service jobs
- Bilingual canton: German + French
Renting tips for Bern
- Standard German for applications · Bernese dialect in a motivation letter reads as rude
- The market is less tense than in Zurich · viewing several apartments is more realistic
- Some housing cooperatives founded for federal staff let their subsidised flats first to federal employees (Federal Housing Office)
- Districts like Länggasse, Mattenhof offer urban vibe at reasonable prices
- On aptari: the listings of Homegate, ImmoScout24, Flatfox and the cooperatives in one feed · the Match Score shows how well you fit · your Tenant Passport is ready
Neighbourhoods worth knowing
Länggasse
CHF 1'433Student, alternative
Student, lively, near university.
Kirchenfeld
CHF 1'372Diplomatic, quiet
Diplomatic district, quiet, premium.
Bümpliz
CHF 1'120Family, affordable
Outer district, significantly cheaper, good transit.
Rents by neighbourhood: average net rent of existing leases for a 3-room flat in the whole Stadtteil, November 2025 (Statistik Stadt Bern, rent survey).
How aptari helps in Bern
Find apartments in Bern and prepare your dossier once.
Bern is a tight rental market: on 1 June 2026, 0.42% of homes stood empty, so speed and a complete dossier count. aptari puts the large portals and the cooperative websites in one feed, keeps one dossier ready and shows your fit with a Match Score.