Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Cancun

For one person, living is cheaper in Cancun: $1,428 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Cancun
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Cancun Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Cancun

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Cancun

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

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Berlin vs $1,428 in Cancun, rent included.

Berlin $2,545
Cancun $1,428

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Berlin vs $2,290 in Cancun, rent included.

Berlin $3,901
Cancun $2,290

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Berlin vs $3,152 in Cancun, rent included.

Berlin $5,257
Cancun $3,152

Berlin costs about 78% more than Cancun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Berlin and Cancun sit above the global median – Berlin by 90%, Cancun by 7%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.81 €14.99

$11.15 MX$203

50.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €71.0

$54.6 MX$993

45.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.93

$11.30 MX$206

18.41%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.81

$3.86 MX$70.3

10.62%

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

$3.40 €3.03

$1.38 MX$25.03

146.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.78

$0.80 MX$14.62

290.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 €4.88

$3.08 MX$56.0

77.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €4.06

$4.35 MX$79.1

4.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.63 MX$29.66

-22.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.18

$2.71 MX$49.35

-9.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 €2.94

$1.65 MX$29.99

100.00%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.97

$2.72 MX$49.55

63.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 €15.25

$9.93 MX$181

72.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.19 €10.87

$8.80 MX$160

38.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 €16.32

$13.88 MX$252

31.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 €3.19

$2.83 MX$51.5

26.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.67 MX$30.38

18.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.91

$3.20 MX$58.2

2.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.40

$2.16 MX$39.37

76.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$2.03 MX$36.93

4.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.90 MX$34.63

16.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.15 MX$20.92

29.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.90

$1.22 MX$22.26

-17.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.49 €9.36

$4.51 MX$82.0

132.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.03

$10.03 MX$182

-32.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.56 MX$28.34

-14.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.73 MX$49.67

-23.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 €3.90

$0.64 MX$11.71

582.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 €63.3

$28.64 MX$521

147.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.72

$4.50 MX$81.8

17.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 €2.72

$2.98 MX$54.2

2.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.30 €32.36

$13.62 MX$248

166.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.52 MX$27.58

50.00%

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

$33.2K €29.6K

$21.0K MX$382.2K

58.19%

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

$39.1K €34.8K

$24.5K MX$445.5K

59.45%

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

$379 €338

$172 MX$3,137

119.97%

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

$19.31 €17.22

$23.50 MX$427

-17.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.41 €43.17

$37.97 MX$691

27.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 €35.94

$33.57 MX$611

20.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 €31.66

$13.50 MX$246

163.04%

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 €13.85

$7.33 MX$133

111.87%

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

$144 €128

$205 MX$3,725

-29.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$5,468 MX$99.5K

188.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.6 €84.4

$54.9 MX$998

72.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 €41.31

$54.7 MX$996

-15.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.1

$76.9 MX$1,399

34.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

$94.4 MX$1,716

49.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,327

$672 MX$12.2K

121.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €979

$464 MX$8,440

136.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 €2,376

$1,375 MX$25.0K

93.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 €1,855

$1,075 MX$19.6K

93.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,648

$1,281 MX$23.3K

569.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,438 €4,849

$1,985 MX$36.1K

173.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 €3,109

$819 MX$14.9K

325.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

11.45

-66.81%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cancun: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Cancun

$464 32.9% 57.7% $634

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$447 17.6%

Cancun

$234 16.6% 47.7% $213

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$351 13.8%

Cancun

$287 20.3% 18.2% $64

Eating Out

Berlin

$289 11.4%

Cancun

$202 14.3% 29.9% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$174 6.8%

Cancun

$126 9% 27.2% $47

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Cancun

$51 3.6% 53.6% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$71 2.8%

Cancun

$48 3.4% 32.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Berlin versus $672 in Cancun. 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 326% 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 $80.0 in Berlin versus $55.0 in Cancun. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $287 – making Cancun the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇲🇽 Cancun

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

01:16 1:16 AM

7 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

888,797

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Berlin Cancun 8,820 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Cancun

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 Cancun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 78%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,818 per month in Berlin and $2,141 in Cancun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cancun, 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 $2,545 in Berlin and $1,428 in Cancun. That's a gap of about 78%.

Public transport costs about 148% less in Cancun. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cancun, where all-in costs run around $1,428, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Cancun it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cancun – 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 Cancun. 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.