Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Barlad

For one person, living is cheaper in Barlad: $975 a month against $2,553 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Barlad
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Barlad Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,553

/mo nomad

Barlad

🇷🇴 Romania

$975

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Barlad

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

A single person spends $2,553 per month in Berlin vs $975 in Barlad, rent included.

Berlin $2,553
Barlad $975

A couple spends around $3,856 per month in Berlin vs $1,521 in Barlad, rent included.

Berlin $3,856
Barlad $1,521

A family of three spends $5,159 per month in Berlin vs $2,066 in Barlad, rent included.

Berlin $5,159
Barlad $2,066

Berlin costs about 162% more than Barlad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Berlin sits 88% above the global median, while Barlad is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.97 €15.09

$8.96 RON 42.41

89.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 €68.9

$41.38 RON 196

87.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$7.20 RON 34.06

87.08%

Cappuccino

$4.35 €3.87

$2.41 RON 11.40

80.50%

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

$3.53 €3.14

$1.85 RON 8.75

90.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 €2.81

$1.54 RON 7.27

105.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 €4.98

$2.17 RON 10.25

158.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 €3.95

$2.69 RON 12.72

65.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.34 RON 6.34

-8.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.17

$1.12 RON 5.31

117.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 €3.04

$1.40 RON 6.63

143.57%

Eggs

$4.55 €4.05

$3.39 RON 16.02

34.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.23 €15.33

$7.51 RON 35.53

129.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.24 €10.89

$5.22 RON 24.69

134.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.98 €15.99

$10.04 RON 47.49

79.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 €3.13

$1.04 RON 4.92

238.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.63 RON 7.73

24.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.91

$1.38 RON 6.54

136.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 €3.31

$1.76 RON 8.31

111.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.82

$0.79 RON 3.75

159.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$0.77 RON 3.65

184.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.26

$0.84 RON 3.99

69.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.87

$0.89 RON 4.20

10.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.37 €9.22

$6.64 RON 31.41

56.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 €6.03

$5.58 RON 26.38

21.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.20 RON 5.68

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.62 RON 7.67

29.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.52 €4.02

$0.51 RON 2.40

786.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.8 €62.1

$19.88 RON 94.0

250.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 €4.62

$0.72 RON 3.42

620.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 €2.87

$0.73 RON 3.46

342.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.61 €33.46

$6.99 RON 33.08

438.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.07

$1.75 RON 8.30

33.14%

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

$33.2K €29.5K

$26.5K RON 125.3K

25.24%

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

$39.2K €34.8K

$25.1K RON 118.7K

56.19%

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

$384 €342

$158 RON 748

143.15%

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

$19.27 €17.14

$8.87 RON 41.95

117.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.17 €43.74

$8.36 RON 39.58

488.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.54 €35.17

$34.02 RON 161

16.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.56 €30.74

$18.05 RON 85.4

91.47%

Cinema Ticket

$14.37 €12.78

$6.61 RON 31.28

117.40%

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

$146 €130

$465 RON 2,202

-68.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K €14.4K

$7,715 RON 36.5K

109.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.1 €84.6

$62.0 RON 293

53.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.83 €42.54

$34.81 RON 165

37.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.6

$72.7 RON 344

43.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €127

$86.2 RON 408

66.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 €1,244

$407 RON 1,927

243.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 €984

$269 RON 1,271

311.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,426

$651 RON 3,081

318.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,104 €1,871

$505 RON 2,387

317.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,630

$1,755 RON 8,305

388.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,545 €4,932

$1,263 RON 5,976

338.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,451 €3,070

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

6.97

-45.48%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 17, 2026

Last update for Barlad: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Barlad

$269 27.6% 75.7% $837

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$453 17.7%

Barlad

$175 18% 61.3% $277

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$349 13.7%

Barlad

$190 19.5% 45.5% $159

Eating Out

Berlin

$292 11.4%

Barlad

$152 15.6% 48% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$176 6.9%

Barlad

$115 11.8% 34.5% $60

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Barlad

$26 2.7% 75.9% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$68 2.7%

Barlad

$47 4.9% 30.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,398 in Berlin versus $407 in Barlad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Berlin versus $41.00 in Barlad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $190 – making Barlad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇷🇴 Barlad

🕒 Local time

23:44 11:44 PM

00:44 12:44 AM

1 h ahead of Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

77,518

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Berlin Barlad 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Barlad

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 Barlad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,553 in Berlin, $975 in Barlad – roughly 162% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,829 per month in Berlin and $1,462 in Barlad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 251% less in Barlad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $146 per month in Berlin and $465 in Barlad. 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 Barlad, where all-in costs run around $975, than in Berlin at $2,553. In Barlad 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 $975 in Barlad to $2,553 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 Barlad. 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.