Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Al-hawiyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-hawiyah: $1,081 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Berlin
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,551
/mo nomad
Al-hawiyah
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,081
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Al-hawiyah

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 Al-hawiyah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,551 in Berlin versus $1,081 in Al-hawiyah.

  • Berlin $2,551
  • Al-hawiyah $1,081

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,845 in Berlin versus $1,603 in Al-hawiyah.

  • Berlin $3,845
  • Al-hawiyah $1,603

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,139 in Berlin versus $2,125 in Al-hawiyah.

  • Berlin $5,139
  • Al-hawiyah $2,125

Living in Berlin is roughly 136% more expensive than in Al-hawiyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Berlin is 89% above, Al-hawiyah is 20% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Berlin
Al-hawiyah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.81
$4.44 SAR 16.67
275.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.7 €68.2
$26.52 SAR 99.5
189.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.47 €11.98
$6.91 SAR 25.93
94.93%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.58 SAR 5.91
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.50 SAR 5.64
-
Cappuccino
$4.37 €3.89
$2.63 SAR 9.88
66.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 €3.09
$0.70 SAR 2.63
397.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 €2.77
$0.25 SAR 0.94
1148.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.34 €4.75
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.39 €3.91
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Berlin
Al-hawiyah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 €1.13
$1.83 SAR 6.85
-30.60%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 €2.08
$0.96 SAR 3.60
142.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.40 €3.02
$2.20 SAR 8.25
54.55%
Eggs
$4.50 €4.00
$2.68 SAR 10.04
67.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.78 €14.93
$5.85 SAR 21.94
186.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.91 €10.59
$11.70 SAR 43.90
1.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.90 €15.92
$13.12 SAR 49.22
36.43%
Apples (1kg)
$3.46 €3.07
$2.04 SAR 7.64
69.61%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 €1.73
$1.58 SAR 5.92
23.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.26 €2.90
$1.83 SAR 6.88
78.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.71 €3.30
$1.49 SAR 5.60
148.99%
Potato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$1.30 SAR 4.87
61.54%
Onion (1kg)
$2.09 €1.86
$1.50 SAR 5.63
39.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.42 €1.27
$1.09 SAR 4.09
30.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 €0.84
$0.74 SAR 2.77
28.38%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$2.99 SAR 11.21
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.10 SAR 7.87
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.57 SAR 5.88
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.44 €9.29
$8.00 SAR 30.02
30.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.58 €5.85
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 €1.13
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 €1.85
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Berlin
Al-hawiyah
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.34 €3.86
$1.10 SAR 4.13
294.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.6 €63.7
$36.82 SAR 138
94.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.26 €4.68
$2.44 SAR 9.15
115.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.09 €2.75
$2.69 SAR 10.10
14.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.34 €32.32
$13.24 SAR 49.67
174.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.31 €2.05
$0.59 SAR 2.23
291.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K €28.8K
$43.9K SAR 164.7K
-26.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.6K €34.3K
$21.5K SAR 80.8K
79.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
Al-hawiyah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$382 €340
$67.1 SAR 252
468.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.83 €16.75
$35.32 SAR 133
-46.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.57 €43.20
$62.5 SAR 235
-22.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
Al-hawiyah
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.21 €35.76
$80.6 SAR 302
-50.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.90 €31.04
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.73 €14.00
$15.09 SAR 56.6
4.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Berlin
Al-hawiyah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$142 €126
$423 SAR 1,586
-66.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.8K €14.0K
$7,864 SAR 29.5K
100.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
Al-hawiyah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.4 €84.8
$13.09 SAR 49.11
628.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.32 €41.20
$55.8 SAR 209
-16.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.4
$40.45 SAR 152
156.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$143 €128
$52.5 SAR 197
173.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Berlin
Al-hawiyah
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,469 €1,306
$576 SAR 2,162
154.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,114 €991
$366 SAR 1,375
204.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,751 €2,447
$826 SAR 3,098
233.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,107 €1,875
$577 SAR 2,166
265.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,454 €7,520
$2,404 SAR 9,023
251.58%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,435 €4,834
$1,375 SAR 5,158
295.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Berlin
Al-hawiyah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,543 €3,151
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.8
5.25
-27.62%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Al-hawiyah: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Berlin
$1.1K
Al-hawiyah
$366 67.1% $748
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
$449
Al-hawiyah
$165 63.3% $284
Groceries & Markets
Berlin
$343
Al-hawiyah
$217 36.6% $126
Eating Out
Berlin
$288
Al-hawiyah
$92 68.2% $196
Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
$175
Al-hawiyah
$73 58.4% $102
Getting Around
Berlin
$110
Al-hawiyah
$57 47.9% $53
Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
$72
Al-hawiyah
$111 54.5% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,469 in Berlin and $576 in Al-hawiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77.0 in Berlin vs $27.00 in Al-hawiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $217 per month, with Al-hawiyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Berlin
🇸🇦 Al-hawiyah
🕒 Local time
03:30 3:30 AM
04:30 4:30 AM
1 h ahead of Berlin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,769,962 Capital
148,151
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Berlin Al-hawiyah 4,160 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Berlin
  • Al-hawiyah

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 Al-hawiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Berlin and in Al-hawiyah?
Berlin and Al-hawiyah differ by about 136% in total monthly costs ($2,551 vs $1,081 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Berlin compared to Al-hawiyah?
You'd need roughly $3,826 in Berlin and $1,621 in Al-hawiyah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Berlin and in Al-hawiyah?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,469 in Berlin versus $576 in Al-hawiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Al-hawiyah – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $77.0 in Berlin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Berlin or Al-hawiyah?
All in, you'll spend $2,551 per month in Berlin versus $1,081 in Al-hawiyah – a 136% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,081 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,551 in Berlin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-hawiyah but tight or insufficient in Berlin. The gap between the two cities makes Al-hawiyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Berlin and Al-hawiyah?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Berlin or Al-hawiyah safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Berlin and Al-hawiyah are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Berlin or Al-hawiyah?
Expats usually find Al-hawiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Berlin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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