Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Cambridge

For one person, living is cheaper in Cambridge: $2,398 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge
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Cambridge Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Cambridge

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,398

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Cambridge

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $2,398 in Cambridge, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Cambridge $2,398

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $3,402 in Cambridge, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Cambridge $3,402

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $4,406 in Cambridge, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Cambridge $4,406

Berlin costs about 6% more than Cambridge, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Berlin and Cambridge sit above the global median – Berlin by 89%, Cambridge by 78%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$17.30 CA$24.45

-3.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$55.8 CA$78.9

37.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$9.96 CA$14.07

35.24%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$3.51 CA$4.96

24.50%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$1.98 CA$2.79

75.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$1.32 CA$1.86

136.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$5.11 CA$7.22

4.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$6.24 CA$8.82

-29.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$2.06 CA$2.91

-38.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.38 CA$3.36

-2.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$3.09 CA$4.36

10.03%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$3.20 CA$4.53

40.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$10.84 CA$15.33

54.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$11.33 CA$16.02

5.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$14.30 CA$20.22

25.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$3.95 CA$5.58

-12.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.18 CA$1.67

65.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$4.00 CA$5.66

-18.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$3.68 CA$5.20

0.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.61 CA$3.69

-19.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.98 CA$2.79

5.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$2.04 CA$2.88

-30.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$1.41 CA$2.00

-32.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$12.82 CA$18.13

-18.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$12.20 CA$17.25

-46.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$2.57 CA$3.63

-50.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$3.85 CA$5.44

-45.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

$2.44 CA$3.44

77.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$63.9 CA$90.3

12.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$2.42 CA$3.42

117.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

$1.78 CA$2.52

73.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

$22.60 CA$31.95

60.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$1.16 CA$1.63

99.14%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$25.8K CA$36.5K

25.48%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$18.5K CA$26.2K

108.41%

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

$382 €340

$149 CA$211

156.22%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$42.05 CA$59.5

-55.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$49.52 CA$70.0

-1.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$28.59 CA$40.42

40.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$10.28 CA$14.53

53.02%

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

$142 €126

$528 CA$746

-73.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$16.2K CA$22.8K

-2.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$54.2 CA$76.7

75.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$29.82 CA$42.16

55.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$74.3 CA$105

39.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$103 CA$146

38.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$1,305 CA$1,845

12.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$1,299 CA$1,837

-14.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$2,509 CA$3,547

9.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

$1,989 CA$2,812

5.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,520

$4,236 CA$5,989

99.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,834

$3,850 CA$5,443

41.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

$2,938 CA$4,153

20.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

5.09

-25.34%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cambridge: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Cambridge

$1.3K 54.2% 16.6% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Cambridge

$241 10% 46.4% $209

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Cambridge

$345 14.4% 0.5% $1.8

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Cambridge

$262 10.9% 9.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Cambridge

$118 4.9% 32.8% $57

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Cambridge

$85 3.5% 22.5% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Cambridge

$49 2.1% 31.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $1,305 in Cambridge. 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 21% higher in Berlin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Berlin versus $56.0 in Cambridge. Groceries tell a different story – $343 in Berlin vs $345 in Cambridge – so Berlin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇨🇦 Cambridge

🕒 Local time

01:04 1:04 AM

19:04 7:04 PM

6 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

138,479

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Berlin Cambridge 6,550 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Cambridge

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 Cambridge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Berlin and $3,597 in Cambridge. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,551 in Berlin and $2,398 in Cambridge. That's a gap of about 6%.

Public transport costs about 12% less in Cambridge. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Cambridge, where all-in costs run around $2,398, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Cambridge it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Cambridge. 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.