Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Burlington

For one person, living costs are similar in Berlin and in Burlington: $2,551 and $2,634 a month, rent and utilities included.

Berlin
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,551
/mo nomad
Burlington
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,634
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Burlington

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $2,634 in Burlington, rent included.

  • Berlin $2,551
  • Burlington $2,634

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $3,790 in Burlington, rent included.

  • Berlin $3,845
  • Burlington $3,790

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $4,946 in Burlington, rent included.

  • Berlin $5,139
  • Burlington $4,946

Berlin is about 3% cheaper than Burlington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Berlin and Burlington sit above the global median – Berlin by 89%, Burlington by 95%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Berlin
Burlington
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.81
$21.10 CA$29.82
-21.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.7 €68.2
$71.3 CA$101
7.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.47 €11.98
$10.70 CA$15.13
25.89%
Cappuccino
$4.37 €3.89
$3.40 CA$4.81
28.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 €3.09
$1.98 CA$2.80
75.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 €2.77
$1.53 CA$2.16
103.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.34 €4.75
$5.52 CA$7.81
-3.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.39 €3.91
$6.16 CA$8.71
-28.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Berlin
Burlington
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 €1.13
$2.63 CA$3.72
-51.71%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 €2.08
$2.78 CA$3.93
-16.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.40 €3.02
$3.71 CA$5.24
-8.36%
Eggs
$4.50 €4.00
$3.51 CA$4.97
28.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.78 €14.93
$9.94 CA$14.05
68.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.91 €10.59
$10.43 CA$14.75
14.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.90 €15.92
$14.22 CA$20.10
25.88%
Apples (1kg)
$3.46 €3.07
$3.56 CA$5.03
-2.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 €1.73
$1.51 CA$2.13
29.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.26 €2.90
$2.72 CA$3.84
19.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.71 €3.30
$3.53 CA$4.99
5.10%
Potato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$1.92 CA$2.71
9.38%
Onion (1kg)
$2.09 €1.86
$1.84 CA$2.61
13.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.42 €1.27
$2.05 CA$2.89
-30.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 €0.84
$1.47 CA$2.08
-35.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.44 €9.29
$13.04 CA$18.44
-19.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.58 €5.85
$10.57 CA$14.94
-37.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 €1.13
$2.61 CA$3.69
-51.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 €1.85
$2.85 CA$4.02
-27.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Berlin
Burlington
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.34 €3.86
$2.55 CA$3.61
70.20%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.6 €63.7
$97.3 CA$138
-26.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.26 €4.68
$4.96 CA$7.01
6.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.09 €2.75
$2.39 CA$3.38
29.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.34 €32.32
$42.21 CA$59.7
-13.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.31 €2.05
$1.15 CA$1.63
100.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K €28.8K
$27.2K CA$38.5K
19.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.6K €34.3K
$20.2K CA$28.5K
91.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
Burlington
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$382 €340
$143 CA$202
167.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.83 €16.75
$44.20 CA$62.5
-57.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.57 €43.20
$66.7 CA$94.3
-27.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
Burlington
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.21 €35.76
$51.3 CA$72.5
-21.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.90 €31.04
$29.46 CA$41.65
18.47%
Cinema Ticket
$15.73 €14.00
$15.93 CA$22.51
-1.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Berlin
Burlington
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$142 €126
$1,151 CA$1,628
-87.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.8K €14.0K
$19.2K CA$27.1K
-17.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
Burlington
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.4 €84.8
$68.0 CA$96.1
40.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.32 €41.20
$63.8 CA$90.1
-27.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.4
$97.1 CA$137
7.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$143 €128
$97.0 CA$137
47.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Berlin
Burlington
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,469 €1,306
$1,617 CA$2,286
-9.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,114 €991
$1,393 CA$1,969
-19.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,751 €2,447
$2,558 CA$3,616
7.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,107 €1,875
$2,136 CA$3,019
-1.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,454 €7,520
$5,013 CA$7,087
68.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,435 €4,834
$4,029 CA$5,696
34.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Berlin
Burlington
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,543 €3,151
$3,161 CA$4,468
12.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.8
4.52
-15.93%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Burlington: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Berlin
$1.1K
Burlington
$1.4K 25% $278
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
$449
Burlington
$254 43.5% $196
Groceries & Markets
Berlin
$343
Burlington
$338 1.4% $4.7
Eating Out
Berlin
$288
Burlington
$296 2.7% $7.7
Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
$175
Burlington
$147 16.2% $28
Getting Around
Berlin
$110
Burlington
$124 13.4% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
$72
Burlington
$83 16% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $1,617 in Burlington. 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 12% 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 $71.0 in Burlington. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $338 – making Burlington the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Berlin
🇨🇦 Burlington
🕒 Local time
00:26 12:26 AM
18:26 6:26 PM
6 h behind Berlin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,769,962 Capital
183,314
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Berlin Burlington 6,530 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Berlin
  • Burlington

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 Burlington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Burlington cheaper than Berlin?
Yes – Burlington is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Berlin and $3,952 in Burlington. 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 Burlington?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,551 in Berlin and $2,634 in Burlington. That's a gap of about 3%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 36% less in Berlin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Berlin or in Burlington?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,551 in Berlin and $2,634 in Burlington. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Berlin or Burlington 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 Burlington?
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, Burlington makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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