Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Aachen

For one person, living is cheaper in Aachen: $1,948 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
Learn more

Berlin Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Aachen
Learn more

Aachen Living Index

Jump to prices

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Aachen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Aachen

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $1,948 in Aachen, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Aachen $1,948

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $2,888 in Aachen, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Aachen $2,888

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $3,828 in Aachen, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Aachen $3,828

Berlin costs about 31% more than Aachen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Berlin and Aachen sit above the global median – Berlin by 89%, Aachen by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$15.53 €13.82

7.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$60.7 €54.0

26.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$11.13 €9.90

21.02%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$3.61 €3.21

21.05%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$2.73 €2.43

27.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$3.03 €2.69

2.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$5.01 €4.45

6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$5.42 €4.82

-19.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.20 €1.07

5.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$1.93 €1.72

20.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$3.61 €3.21

-5.82%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$3.44 €3.06

30.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$14.83 €13.19

13.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$11.24 €10.00

5.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$20.37 €18.12

-12.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$3.30 €2.94

4.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$2.21 €1.97

-11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$2.04 €1.82

59.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$3.47 €3.09

6.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.54 €1.37

36.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.43 €1.27

46.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.45 €1.29

-2.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$1.25 €1.12

-24.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$10.26 €9.13

1.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.12 €1.00

13.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.64 €1.46

26.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

$3.82 €3.40

13.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$69.3 €61.7

3.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$5.56 €4.95

-5.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

$2.50 €2.22

23.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

$36.79 €32.73

-1.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$2.23 €1.99

3.59%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$32.6K €29.0K

-0.48%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$38.0K €33.8K

1.52%

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

$382 €340

$378 €337

0.88%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$17.10 €15.21

10.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$48.02 €42.72

1.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$36.74 €32.68

9.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

$28.06 €24.96

24.38%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$15.90 €14.14

-1.07%

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

$142 €126

$724 €644

-80.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$19.0K €16.9K

-17.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$93.8 €83.4

1.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$41.55 €36.96

11.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$82.8 €73.6

25.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$134 €119

7.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$823 €732

78.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$588 €523

89.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$1,509 €1,343

82.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

$1,043 €928

101.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,520

$4,530 €4,029

86.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,834

$3,431 €3,052

58.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

$3,524 €3,134

0.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

3.96

-4.04%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Aachen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Aachen

$588 30.2% 47.2% $526

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Aachen

$443 22.8% 1.3% $5.6

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Aachen

$327 16.8% 4.6% $16

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Aachen

$260 13.3% 9.7% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Aachen

$158 8.1% 9.6% $17

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Aachen

$103 5.3% 6.4% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Aachen

$69 3.5% 4.4% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $823 in Aachen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1% higher in Berlin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Berlin versus $61.0 in Aachen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $327 – making Aachen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇩🇪 Aachen

🕒 Local time

15:42 3:42 PM

Same time as Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

241,683

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Berlin Aachen 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Aachen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Berlin vs Aachen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,551 in Berlin, $1,948 in Aachen – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Berlin and $2,922 in Aachen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aachen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Berlin and $61.0 in Aachen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,551 in Berlin and $1,948 in Aachen. That's a gap of about 31%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Aachen, where all-in costs run around $1,948, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Aachen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Berlin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,948 in Aachen to $2,551 in Berlin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Aachen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.