Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Belleville, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Belleville, IL: $2,265 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Berlin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Belleville, IL
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Belleville, IL Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Belleville, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,265

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $2,265 in Belleville, IL, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Belleville, IL $2,265

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $3,396 in Belleville, IL, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Belleville, IL $3,396

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $4,526 in Belleville, IL, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Belleville, IL $4,526

Berlin costs about 13% more than Belleville, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Berlin and Belleville, IL sit above the global median – Berlin by 89%, Belleville, IL by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$17.89 $17.89

-6.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$65.4 $65.4

17.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$9.26 $9.26

45.46%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$4.16 $4.16

5.05%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$2.19 $2.19

58.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$1.69 $1.69

84.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$4.62 $4.62

15.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$5.04 $5.04

-12.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$0.99 $0.99

28.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.31 $2.31

0.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$3.53 $3.53

-3.68%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$3.92 $3.92

14.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$11.89 $11.89

41.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$15.28 $15.28

-22.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$13.11 $13.11

36.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$6.94 $6.94

-50.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$2.27 $2.27

-14.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$4.33 $4.33

-24.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$3.75 $3.75

-1.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.68 $1.68

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.15 $2.15

-2.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.77 $1.77

-19.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$2.30 $2.30

-58.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$7.87 $7.87

32.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$14.86 $14.86

-55.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$2.14 $2.14

-40.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$2.96 $2.96

-29.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

$1.03 $1.03

321.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$77.2 $77.2

-7.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$3.53 $3.53

49.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

$2.51 $2.51

23.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

$17.79 $17.79

104.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$0.94 $0.94

145.74%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$37.1K $37.1K

-12.59%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$24.4K $24.4K

57.93%

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

$382 €340

$242 $242

57.79%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$68.9 $68.9

-72.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$66.3 $66.3

-26.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$35.69 $35.69

12.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

$30.50 $30.50

14.43%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$14.19 $14.19

10.85%

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

$142 €126

$1,053 $1,053

-86.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$12.5K $12.5K

25.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$58.1 $58.1

64.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$24.73 $24.73

87.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$88.5 $88.5

17.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$105 $105

37.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$1,284 $1,284

14.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$944 $944

18.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$2,091 $2,091

31.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

$1,681 $1,681

25.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,520

$2,430 $2,430

247.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,834

$1,882 $1,882

188.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

$6,389 $6,389

-44.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

6.72

-43.45%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Belleville, IL: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Belleville, IL

$944 41.7% 15.3% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Belleville, IL

$377 16.6% 16% $72

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Belleville, IL

$389 17.2% 13.4% $46

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Belleville, IL

$270 11.9% 6.4% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Belleville, IL

$124 5.5% 29.1% $51

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Belleville, IL

$97 4.3% 11.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Belleville, IL

$64 2.8% 10.6% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $1,284 in Belleville, 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 80% higher in Belleville, 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 $65.0 in Belleville, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $343 in Berlin vs $389 in Belleville, IL – so Berlin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇺🇸 Belleville, IL

🕒 Local time

06:41 6:41 AM

23:41 11:41 PM

7 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

42,404

💱 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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Berlin Belleville, IL 7,500 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

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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 Belleville, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Berlin costs about 13% more than Belleville, IL, 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 $3,826 per month in Berlin and $3,398 in Belleville, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $142 per month in Berlin and $1,053 in Belleville, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Berlin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Belleville, IL, where all-in costs run around $2,265, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Belleville, 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. Belleville, IL costs $2,265 versus $2,551 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 Belleville, 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.