Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Aurora, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Berlin: $2,547 a month against $2,774 in Aurora, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Aurora, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

122

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Aurora, IL
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Aurora, IL Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,547

/mo nomad

Aurora, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,774

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Aurora, 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 Aurora, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,547 per month in Berlin vs $2,774 in Aurora, IL, rent included.

Berlin $2,547
Aurora, IL $2,774

A couple spends around $3,875 per month in Berlin vs $3,792 in Aurora, IL, rent included.

Berlin $3,875
Aurora, IL $3,792

A family of three spends $5,204 per month in Berlin vs $4,810 in Aurora, IL, rent included.

Berlin $5,204
Aurora, IL $4,810

Berlin is about 8% cheaper than Aurora, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Berlin and Aurora, IL sit above the global median – Berlin by 87%, Aurora, IL by 104%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.64 €14.94

$14.22 $14.22

17.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 €70.1

$59.5 $59.5

31.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €12.02

$11.78 $11.78

13.58%

Cappuccino

$4.24 €3.80

$5.40 $5.40

-21.48%

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

$3.42 €3.07

$2.89 $2.89

18.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 €2.84

$2.27 $2.27

39.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 €4.90

$4.85 $4.85

12.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 €3.91

$7.87 $7.87

-44.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.08

$0.91 $0.91

32.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.10

$3.53 $3.53

-33.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 €3.00

$4.31 $4.31

-22.51%

Eggs

$4.45 €4.00

$3.64 $3.64

22.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.11 €15.37

$8.92 $8.92

91.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.12 €10.89

$11.49 $11.49

5.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.59 €15.80

$16.23 $16.23

8.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 €3.26

$4.62 $4.62

-21.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.75

$1.73 $1.73

12.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 €2.97

$3.73 $3.73

-11.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.34

$3.18 $3.18

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.92

$1.89 $1.89

13.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$2.72 $2.72

-23.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.26

$1.78 $1.78

-21.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.90

$1.63 $1.63

-38.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.60 €9.53

$10.56 $10.56

0.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.75 €6.06

$13.70 $13.70

-50.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.17

$2.31 $2.31

-43.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.85

$2.81 $2.81

-26.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.60 €4.13

$2.27 $2.27

102.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 €62.3

$96.8 $96.8

-28.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 €4.81

$4.04 $4.04

32.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 €2.83

$1.98 $1.98

59.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.94 €33.18

$43.86 $43.86

-15.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.08

$1.09 $1.09

112.84%

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

$33.7K €30.3K

$27.1K $27.1K

24.26%

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

$38.8K €34.9K

$26.0K $26.0K

49.48%

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

$378 €339

$174 $174

117.09%

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

$19.42 €17.44

$51.5 $51.5

-62.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.13 €43.24

$55.2 $55.2

-12.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.30 €35.31

$17.52 $17.52

124.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.65 €32.02

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 €12.97

$12.19 $12.19

18.46%

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

$146 €131

$1,470 $1,470

-90.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €14.3K

$23.6K $23.6K

-32.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 €85.9

$56.2 $56.2

70.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.53 €42.70

$51.2 $51.2

-7.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.3

$89.2 $89.2

17.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €129

$80.6 $80.6

77.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 €1,264

$1,594 $1,594

-11.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 €1,003

$1,577 $1,577

-29.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,718 €2,441

$2,856 $2,856

-4.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,172 €1,951

$2,215 $2,215

-1.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,339 €7,490

$5,141 $5,141

62.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,319 €4,778

$2,361 $2,361

125.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,507 €3,151

$3,880 $3,880

-9.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

6.45

-41.09%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 27, 2026

Last update for Aurora, IL: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.9%

Aurora, IL

$1.6K 56.9% 41.2% $460

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$445 17.5%

Aurora, IL

$281 10.1% 36.9% $165

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$345 13.6%

Aurora, IL

$356 12.8% 3% $10

Eating Out

Berlin

$286 11.2%

Aurora, IL

$274 9.9% 4.1% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$176 6.9%

Aurora, IL

$125 4.5% 29.2% $51

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Aurora, IL

$120 4.3% 10.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$68 2.7%

Aurora, IL

$42 1.5% 38.5% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,407 in Berlin versus $1,594 in Aurora, 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 11% higher in Aurora, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Berlin versus $59 in Aurora, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Berlin vs $356 in Aurora, IL – so Berlin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇺🇸 Aurora, IL

🕒 Local time

21:22 9:22 PM

15:22 3:22 PM

6 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

180,542

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Berlin Aurora, IL 7,130 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Aurora, IL

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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

Berlin vs Aurora, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aurora, IL costs about 9% more than Berlin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,820 per month in Berlin and $4,161 in Aurora, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Berlin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,407 there versus $1,594 in Aurora, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Berlin and $59 in Aurora, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,547 in Berlin and $2,774 in Aurora, IL. That makes Berlin about 8% cheaper.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,547 in Berlin and $2,774 in Aurora, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Berlin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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