Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Arak

For one person, living is cheaper in Arak: $482 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
Learn more

Berlin Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Arak
Learn more

Arak Living Index

Jump to prices

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Arak

🇮🇷 Iran

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Arak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,551 in Berlin versus $482 in Arak.

Berlin $2,551
Arak $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,845 in Berlin versus $758 in Arak.

Berlin $3,845
Arak $758

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,139 in Berlin versus $1,034 in Arak.

Berlin $5,139
Arak $1,034

Living in Berlin is roughly 429% more expensive than in Arak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Berlin is 89% above, Arak is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.79

$3.71 $3.71

348.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.1

$12.65 $12.65

506.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.96

$4.09 $4.09

229.34%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.68 $0.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 $0.56

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.88

$1.36 $1.36

221.32%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$0.48 $0.48

625.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$1.73 $1.73

80.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.74

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.90

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.12

$0.55 $0.55

130.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.07

$0.57 $0.57

308.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$1.90 $1.90

78.95%

Eggs

$4.50 €3.99

$1.22 $1.22

268.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.90

$2.16 $2.16

676.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.57

$2.56 $2.56

365.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.90

$10.32 $10.32

73.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$0.79 $0.79

337.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.02 $1.02

91.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$0.63 $0.63

417.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$0.51 $0.51

627.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.86

$0.44 $0.44

377.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$0.41 $0.41

409.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$0.48 $0.48

195.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$0.30 $0.30

216.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.83 $0.83

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.27

$2.54 $2.54

311.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.84

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.85

$0.10 $0.10

4240.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.6

$9.52 $9.52

652.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.67

$0.25 $0.25

2004.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.74

$0.12 $0.12

2475.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.27

$1.03 $1.03

3428.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$0.09 $0.09

2466.67%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$49.8K $49.8K

-34.87%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$34.4K $34.4K

12.40%

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

$382 €339

$9.84 $9.84

3778.76%

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

$18.83 €16.72

$1.49 $1.49

1163.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.13

$3.75 $3.75

1195.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.71

$9.87 $9.87

307.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €30.99

$24.01 $24.01

45.36%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €13.97

$1.12 $1.12

1304.46%

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

$142 €126

$83.5 $83.5

69.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$2,319 $2,319

580.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.7

$13.43 $13.43

609.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.14

$8.95 $8.95

417.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.3

$80.9 $80.9

28.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €127

$51.4 $51.4

178.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,304

$295 $295

397.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €990

$211 $211

428.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,443

$806 $806

241.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,872

$359 $359

487.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,508

$1,354 $1,354

524.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,826

$656 $656

728.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,146

$368 $368

862.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

18.5

-79.46%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Arak: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Arak

$211 43.7% 81.1% $904

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Arak

$15 3.1% 96.6% $434

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Arak

$97 20.1% 71.8% $246

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Arak

$67 13.9% 76.7% $221

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Arak

$70 14.4% 60.2% $105

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Arak

$11 2.2% 90.2% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Arak

$12 2.5% 83.1% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,469 in Berlin and $295 in Arak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Berlin pays 863% 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: $77.0 in Berlin vs $13.00 in Arak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $97.0 per month, with Arak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇮🇷 Arak

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

08:04 8:04 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

526,200

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Berlin Arak 3,520 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Arak

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 Arak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arak is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 429% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 863% higher in Berlin, 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: $1,469 in Berlin versus $295 in Arak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,551 per month in Berlin versus $482 in Arak – a 429% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Arak runs roughly 652% less than in Berlin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $482 in Arak versus $2,551 in Berlin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Arak but tight or insufficient in Berlin. The gap between the two cities makes Arak the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Berlin and Arak 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 Arak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 429% less than in Berlin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.