Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Alton, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Alton, IL: $1,895 a month against $2,553 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Alton, IL
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Alton, IL Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,553

/mo nomad

Alton, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,895

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Alton, IL

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 Alton, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,553 per month in Berlin vs $1,895 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Berlin $2,553
Alton, IL $1,895

A couple spends around $3,856 per month in Berlin vs $2,862 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Berlin $3,856
Alton, IL $2,862

A family of three spends $5,159 per month in Berlin vs $3,829 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Berlin $5,159
Alton, IL $3,829

Berlin costs about 35% more than Alton, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Berlin and Alton, IL sit above the global median – Berlin by 88%, Alton, IL by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.97 €15.09

$20.77 $20.77

-18.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 €68.9

$55.6 $55.6

39.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$11.17 $11.17

20.59%

Cappuccino

$4.35 €3.87

$4.95 $4.95

-12.12%

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

$3.53 €3.14

$1.46 $1.46

141.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 €2.81

$1.74 $1.74

81.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 €4.98

$3.89 $3.89

43.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 €3.95

$5.88 $5.88

-24.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.09

$0.81 $0.81

51.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.17

$2.59 $2.59

-5.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 €3.04

$3.13 $3.13

8.95%

Eggs

$4.55 €4.05

$3.16 $3.16

43.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.23 €15.33

$9.32 $9.32

84.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.24 €10.89

$6.74 $6.74

81.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.98 €15.99

$23.42 $23.42

-23.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 €3.13

$4.26 $4.26

-17.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.18 $1.18

72.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.91

$5.18 $5.18

-36.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 €3.31

$4.89 $4.89

-23.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.82

$2.21 $2.21

-7.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.74 $2.74

-20.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.26

$2.10 $2.10

-32.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.87

$2.10 $2.10

-53.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.37 €9.22

$11.08 $11.08

-6.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 €6.03

$12.05 $12.05

-43.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.83 $1.83

-27.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.67 $2.67

-21.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.52 €4.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.8 €62.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 €4.62

$2.96 $2.96

75.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 €2.87

$1.69 $1.69

91.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.61 €33.46

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.07

$0.98 $0.98

137.76%

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

$33.2K €29.5K

$27.9K $27.9K

19.09%

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

$39.2K €34.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

50.71%

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

$384 €342

$331 $331

16.07%

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

$19.27 €17.14

$43.44 $43.44

-55.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.17 €43.74

$77.7 $77.7

-36.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.54 €35.17

$27.07 $27.07

46.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.56 €30.74

Cinema Ticket

$14.37 €12.78

$11.95 $11.95

20.25%

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

$146 €130

$279 $279

-47.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K €14.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.1 €84.6

$40.36 $40.36

135.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.83 €42.54

$42.75 $42.75

11.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.6

$65.4 $65.4

59.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €127

$76.1 $76.1

88.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 €1,244

$763 $763

83.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 €984

$627 $627

76.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,426

$1,099 $1,099

148.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,104 €1,871

$1,275 $1,275

65.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,630

$1,513 $1,513

466.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,545 €4,932

$1,455 $1,455

281.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,451 €3,070

$3,813 $3,813

-9.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

-36.67%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 17, 2026

Last update for Alton, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Alton, IL

$627 33.1% 43.3% $479

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$453 17.7%

Alton, IL

$452 23.9% 0.1% $0.4

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$349 13.7%

Alton, IL

$349 18.4% 0% $0.1

Eating Out

Berlin

$292 11.4%

Alton, IL

$303 16% 3.8% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$176 6.9%

Alton, IL

$101 5.3% 42.4% $74

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Alton, IL

$11 * 0.6% 89.5% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$68 2.7%

Alton, IL

$51 2.7% 25.4% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,398 in Berlin versus $763 in Alton, IL. 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 10% higher in Alton, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Berlin versus $56.0 in Alton, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $349 in Berlin vs $349 in Alton, IL – so Berlin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇺🇸 Alton, IL

🕒 Local time

02:08 2:08 AM

19:08 7:08 PM

7 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

25,676

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Berlin Alton, IL 7,480 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Alton, IL

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 Alton, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Berlin costs about 35% more than Alton, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,829 per month in Berlin and $2,842 in Alton, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,553 in Berlin and $1,895 in Alton, IL. That's a gap of about 35%.

Kindergarten costs $146 per month in Berlin and $279 in Alton, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Alton, IL, where all-in costs run around $1,895, than in Berlin at $2,553. In Alton, IL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Alton, IL costs $1,895 versus $2,553 in Berlin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Alton, IL. 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.