Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Cascais

For one person, living is cheaper in Cascais: $2,157 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Cascais
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Cascais Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Cascais

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,157

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Cascais

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $2,157 in Cascais, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Cascais $2,157

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $3,481 in Cascais, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Cascais $3,481

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $4,805 in Cascais, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Cascais $4,805

Berlin costs about 18% more than Cascais, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Berlin and Cascais sit above the global median – Berlin by 89%, Cascais by 60%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$15.31 €13.62

8.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$44.46 €39.55

72.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$9.26 €8.24

45.46%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$2.59 €2.30

68.73%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$2.04 €1.81

70.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$2.19 €1.95

42.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$3.30 €2.93

61.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$5.67 €5.05

-22.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.31 €1.17

-3.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.23 €1.99

4.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$1.62 €1.44

109.88%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$3.44 €3.06

30.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$10.70 €9.51

56.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$6.86 €6.10

73.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$15.19 €13.51

17.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$2.75 €2.45

25.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.46 €1.30

33.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$2.45 €2.18

33.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$2.16 €1.92

71.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.61 €1.43

30.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.36 €2.10

-11.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.63 €1.45

-12.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$1.07 €0.95

-11.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$5.71 €5.08

82.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$7.58 €6.74

-13.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.24 €1.10

2.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$4.39 €3.90

-52.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

$2.47 €2.20

75.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$44.24 €39.35

61.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$2.27 €2.02

131.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$2.11 €1.88

9.48%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$33.8K €30.0K

-3.96%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$38.0K €33.8K

1.56%

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

$382 €340

$133 €119

186.32%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$24.80 €22.06

-24.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$56.0 €49.83

-13.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$66.8 €59.4

-39.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

$11.32 €10.06

208.30%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$7.07 €6.29

122.49%

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

$142 €126

$719 €639

-80.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$18.4K €16.3K

-14.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$78.9 €70.2

20.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$38.31 €34.08

20.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$105 €93.0

-0.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$133 €119

7.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$1,763 €1,568

-16.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$1,150 €1,023

-3.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$3,833 €3,409

-28.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

$2,606 €2,318

-19.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,520

$6,815 €6,062

24.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,834

$4,833 €4,299

12.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

$2,264 €2,014

56.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

3.67

3.54%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cascais: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Cascais

$1.1K 53.3% 3.2% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Cascais

$214 9.9% 52.3% $235

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Cascais

$270 12.5% 21.3% $73

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Cascais

$226 10.5% 21.5% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Cascais

$160 7.4% 8.7% $15

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Cascais

$56 * 2.6% 48.6% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Cascais

$81 3.8% 12.9% $9.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $1,763 in Cascais. 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 56% 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 $44.00 in Cascais. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $270 – making Cascais the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇵🇹 Cascais

🕒 Local time

13:30 1:30 PM

12:30 12:30 PM

1 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

214,158

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Berlin Cascais 2,330 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Cascais

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 Cascais: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Berlin and $3,235 in Cascais. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cascais, 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 $2,157 in Cascais. That's a gap of about 18%.

Public transport costs about 62% less in Cascais. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,551 in Berlin and $2,157 in Cascais. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Cascais – 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 Cascais. 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.