Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amherst, MA and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Berlin: $2,551 a month against $2,759 in Amherst, MA, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Amherst, MA
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Amherst, MA Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index

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Amherst, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,759

/mo nomad

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amherst, MA and in Berlin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Amherst, MA and in Berlin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,759 in Amherst, MA versus $2,551 in Berlin.

Amherst, MA $2,759
Berlin $2,551

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,250 in Amherst, MA versus $3,845 in Berlin.

Amherst, MA $4,250
Berlin $3,845

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,742 in Amherst, MA versus $5,139 in Berlin.

Amherst, MA $5,742
Berlin $5,139

Living in Amherst, MA is roughly 8% more expensive than in Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Amherst, MA 104% above, Berlin 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.37 $20.37

$16.65 €14.81

22.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.3 $69.3

$76.7 €68.2

-9.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 $9.18

$13.47 €11.98

-31.85%

Cappuccino

$4.86 $4.86

$4.37 €3.89

11.21%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$3.48 €3.09

-24.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.12 €2.77

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 $5.92

$5.34 €4.75

10.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.63 $10.63

$4.39 €3.91

142.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.27 €1.13

-17.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.33 €2.08

36.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$3.40 €3.02

109.41%

Eggs

$4.68 $4.68

$4.50 €4.00

4.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.30 $16.30

$16.78 €14.93

-2.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.68 $15.68

$11.91 €10.59

31.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.11 $18.11

$17.90 €15.92

1.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$3.46 €3.07

39.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.95 €1.73

-29.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.26 €2.90

-0.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$3.71 €3.30

29.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.10 €1.87

54.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.09 €1.86

69.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.42 €1.27

55.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.95 €0.84

114.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.38 $10.38

$10.44 €9.29

-0.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 $12.16

$6.58 €5.85

84.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.27 €1.13

61.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 $3.95

$2.08 €1.85

89.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 $1.29

$4.34 €3.86

-70.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.49 $27.49

$71.6 €63.7

-61.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 $3.46

$5.26 €4.68

-34.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$3.09 €2.75

-55.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.92 $29.92

$36.34 €32.32

-17.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.31 €2.05

-60.17%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.5K $36.5K

$32.4K €28.8K

12.63%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.2K $25.2K

$38.6K €34.3K

-34.82%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$207 $207

$382 €340

-45.64%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$56.8 $56.8

$18.83 €16.75

201.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.5 $90.5

$48.57 €43.20

86.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$40.21 €35.76

197.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.15 $7.15

$34.90 €31.04

-79.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.64 $10.64

$15.73 €14.00

-32.36%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,513 $1,513

$142 €126

968.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K $16.8K

$15.8K €14.0K

6.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.36 $44.36

$95.4 €84.8

-53.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.35 $40.35

$46.32 €41.20

-12.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 $89.7

$104 €92.4

-13.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$143 €128

-25.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 $1,826

$1,469 €1,306

24.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 $1,342

$1,114 €991

20.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,963 $3,963

$2,751 €2,447

44.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$2,107 €1,875

27.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 $4,010

$8,454 €7,520

-52.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,000 $4,000

$5,435 €4,834

-26.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,769 $4,769

$3,543 €3,151

34.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

3.8

60.53%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Amherst, MA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Amherst, MA

$1.3K 48.7%

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7% 17% $228

Groceries & Markets

Amherst, MA

$433 15.7%

Berlin

$343 13.4% 20.8% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amherst, MA

$355 12.9%

Berlin

$449 17.6% 26.6% $94

Eating Out

Amherst, MA

$318 11.5%

Berlin

$288 11.3% 9.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Amherst, MA

$141 5.1%

Berlin

$72 2.8% 49.2% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Amherst, MA

$127 4.6%

Berlin

$175 6.9% 38.3% $48

Getting Around

Amherst, MA

$43 1.6%

Berlin

$110 4.3% 156% $67

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,826 in Amherst, MA and $1,469 in Berlin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amherst, MA pays 35% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Amherst, MA vs $77.0 in Berlin. Groceries flip the comparison at $433 vs $343, with Berlin cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Amherst, MA

🇩🇪 Berlin

🕒 Local time

07:11 7:11 AM

13:11 1:11 PM

6 h ahead of Amherst, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,819

3,769,962 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Amherst, MA Berlin 6,170 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Amherst, MA
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Amherst, MA vs Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Berlin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 35% higher in Amherst, MA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,826 in Amherst, MA versus $1,469 in Berlin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,513 in Amherst, MA versus $142 in Berlin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Amherst, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Berlin is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Berlin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Amherst, MA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Amherst, MA and Berlin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Berlin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Amherst, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.