Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Brentwood

For one person, living is cheaper in Berlin: $2,551 a month against $3,111 in Brentwood, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brentwood outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Berlin
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,551
/mo nomad
Brentwood
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,111
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Brentwood

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $3,111 in Brentwood, rent included.

  • Berlin $2,551
  • Brentwood $3,111

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $4,334 in Brentwood, rent included.

  • Berlin $3,845
  • Brentwood $4,334

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $5,556 in Brentwood, rent included.

  • Berlin $5,139
  • Brentwood $5,556

Berlin is about 18% cheaper than Brentwood, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Berlin and Brentwood sit above the global median – Berlin by 89%, Brentwood by 130%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Berlin
Brentwood
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.81
$20.06 £15.05
-17.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.7 €68.2
$80.4 £60.3
-4.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.47 €11.98
$11.34 £8.51
18.78%
Cappuccino
$4.37 €3.89
$4.59 £3.44
-4.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 €3.09
$1.81 £1.36
92.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 €2.77
$1.14 £0.85
173.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.34 €4.75
$6.55 £4.91
-18.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.39 €3.91
$5.84 £4.38
-24.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Berlin
Brentwood
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 €1.13
$1.61 £1.21
-21.12%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 €2.08
$1.09 £0.82
113.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.40 €3.02
$2.25 £1.69
51.11%
Eggs
$4.50 €4.00
$4.03 £3.03
11.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.78 €14.93
$8.66 £6.49
93.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.91 €10.59
$6.42 £4.82
85.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.90 €15.92
$12.76 £9.58
40.28%
Apples (1kg)
$3.46 €3.07
$3.20 £2.40
8.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 €1.73
$1.48 £1.11
31.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.26 €2.90
$2.58 £1.94
26.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.71 €3.30
$2.77 £2.08
33.94%
Potato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$0.79 £0.60
165.82%
Onion (1kg)
$2.09 €1.86
$1.29 £0.97
62.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.42 €1.27
$0.80 £0.60
77.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 €0.84
$1.30 £0.97
-26.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.44 €9.29
$17.53 £13.15
-40.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.58 €5.85
$8.83 £6.63
-25.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 €1.13
$2.17 £1.63
-41.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 €1.85
$2.04 £1.53
1.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Berlin
Brentwood
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.34 €3.86
$5.29 £3.97
-17.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.6 €63.7
$95.5 £71.6
-24.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.26 €4.68
$4.90 £3.68
7.35%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.09 €2.75
$1.43 £1.08
116.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.34 €32.32
$22.16 £16.63
63.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.31 €2.05
$2.05 £1.54
12.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K €28.8K
$37.9K £28.4K
-14.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.6K €34.3K
$39.8K £29.8K
-2.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
Brentwood
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$382 €340
$310 £232
23.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.83 €16.75
$14.52 £10.89
29.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.57 €43.20
$40.13 £30.11
21.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
Brentwood
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.21 €35.76
$32.88 £24.67
22.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.90 €31.04
$22.89 £17.17
52.47%
Cinema Ticket
$15.73 €14.00
$20.83 £15.62
-24.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Berlin
Brentwood
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$142 €126
$1,882 £1,412
-92.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.8K €14.0K
$22.7K £17.0K
-30.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
Brentwood
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.4 €84.8
$91.8 £68.8
3.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.32 €41.20
$40.16 £30.13
15.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.4
$79.3 £59.5
31.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$143 €128
$93.4 £70.1
53.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Berlin
Brentwood
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,469 €1,306
$1,500 £1,126
-2.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,114 €991
$1,847 £1,385
-39.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,751 €2,447
$2,704 £2,029
1.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,107 €1,875
$2,821 £2,116
-25.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,454 €7,520
$4,926 £3,695
71.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,435 €4,834
$3,907 £2,931
39.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Berlin
Brentwood
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,543 €3,151
$3,357 £2,518
5.55%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.8
4.67
-18.63%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Brentwood: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Berlin
$1.1K
Brentwood
$1.8K 65.7% $732
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
$449
Brentwood
$364 18.8% $85
Groceries & Markets
Berlin
$343
Brentwood
$254 25.9% $89
Eating Out
Berlin
$288
Brentwood
$306 6.2% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
$175
Brentwood
$137 21.7% $38
Getting Around
Berlin
$110
Brentwood
$129 17.4% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
$72
Brentwood
$75 4% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $1,500 in Brentwood. 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 6% higher in Berlin, 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 $80.0 in Brentwood. Groceries tell a different story – $343 in Berlin vs $254 in Brentwood – so Brentwood wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Berlin
🇬🇧 Brentwood
🕒 Local time
00:05 12:05 AM
23:05 11:05 PM
1 h behind Berlin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,769,962 Capital
76,575
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Berlin Brentwood 900 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Berlin
  • Brentwood

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 Brentwood: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brentwood cheaper than Berlin?
Yes – Brentwood is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Berlin and $4,667 in Brentwood. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Berlin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Berlin and in Brentwood?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,551 in Berlin and $3,111 in Brentwood. That's a gap of about 22%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 33% less in Berlin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Berlin or in Brentwood?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Berlin, where all-in costs run around $2,551, than in Brentwood at $3,111. In Berlin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brentwood it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Berlin or Brentwood more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Berlin or Brentwood?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Berlin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brentwood makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Berlin vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?