Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Derby

For one person, living is cheaper in Derby: $2,167 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Berlin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Berlin
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,545
/mo nomad
Derby
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,167
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Derby

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

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Berlin vs $2,167 in Derby, rent included.

  • Berlin $2,545
  • Derby $2,167

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Berlin vs $3,327 in Derby, rent included.

  • Berlin $3,901
  • Derby $3,327

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Berlin vs $4,486 in Derby, rent included.

  • Berlin $5,257
  • Derby $4,486

Berlin costs about 17% more than Derby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Berlin and Derby sit above the global median – Berlin by 90%, Derby by 62%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Berlin
Derby
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.81 €15.00
$26.91 £20.33
-37.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.6 €71.0
$94.2 £71.2
-15.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.38 €11.94
$10.43 £7.88
28.28%
Cappuccino
$4.27 €3.81
$4.99 £3.77
-14.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.03
$2.61 £1.98
30.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 €2.79
$1.96 £1.48
59.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.48 €4.89
$6.44 £4.87
-14.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.56 €4.07
$7.27 £5.49
-37.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Berlin
Derby
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 €1.13
$1.55 £1.18
-18.06%
White Bread (500g)
$2.45 €2.19
$1.43 £1.08
71.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.30 €2.94
$2.38 £1.79
38.66%
Eggs
$4.45 €3.97
$3.79 £2.87
17.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.10 €15.26
$8.33 £6.30
105.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.19 €10.88
$8.28 £6.26
47.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.30 €16.33
$23.21 £17.54
-21.15%
Apples (1kg)
$3.58 €3.19
$5.35 £4.04
-33.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 €1.77
$2.82 £2.13
-29.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.27 €2.92
$3.08 £2.33
6.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.81 €3.40
$3.66 £2.76
4.10%
Potato (1kg)
$2.13 €1.90
$1.47 £1.11
44.90%
Onion (1kg)
$2.21 €1.97
$1.60 £1.21
38.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.05 £0.79
41.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.01 €0.90
$1.36 £1.03
-25.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.49 €9.37
$23.53 £17.78
-55.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.76 €6.03
$10.47 £7.91
-35.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.34 €1.20
$3.13 £2.37
-57.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 €1.87
$3.55 £2.68
-40.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Berlin
Derby
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.37 €3.90
$2.91 £2.20
50.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.0 €63.3
$90.0 £68.0
-21.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.29 €4.72
$4.38 £3.31
20.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.05 €2.73
$1.66 £1.25
83.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.30 €32.39
$32.34 £24.44
12.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$2.01 £1.52
13.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$38.0K £28.7K
-12.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.1K €34.9K
$39.7K £30.0K
-1.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
Derby
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$379 €339
$367 £277
3.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.31 €17.23
$19.46 £14.70
-0.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.41 €43.20
$40.48 £30.59
19.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
Derby
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.31 €35.97
$44.27 £33.45
-8.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.51 €31.69
$26.00 £19.65
36.58%
Cinema Ticket
$15.53 €13.86
$15.41 £11.64
0.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Berlin
Derby
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$144 €128
$1,808 £1,366
-92.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.8K €14.1K
$20.3K £15.4K
-22.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
Derby
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$94.6 €84.5
$113 £85.7
-16.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.33 €41.34
$56.6 £42.78
-18.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €92.2
$84.4 £63.8
22.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$141 €126
$98.5 £74.5
43.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Berlin
Derby
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,488 €1,328
$804 £608
85.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,098 €980
$720 £544
52.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,665 €2,378
$1,576 £1,191
69.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,080 €1,856
$1,345 £1,016
54.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,578 €7,655
$5,789 £4,375
48.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,438 €4,853
$3,100 £2,343
75.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Berlin
Derby
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,487 €3,112
$3,570 £2,698
-2.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.8
4.88
-22.13%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Derby: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Berlin
$1.1K
Derby
$720 34.4% $378
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
$447
Derby
$427 4.5% $20
Groceries & Markets
Berlin
$351
Derby
$337 4% $14
Eating Out
Berlin
$289
Derby
$371 28.7% $83
Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
$174
Derby
$159 8.5% $15
Getting Around
Berlin
$109
Derby
$114 4.9% $5.3
Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
$71
Derby
$75 5.2% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Berlin versus $804 in Derby. 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 2% higher in Derby, 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 $80.0 in Berlin versus $94.0 in Derby. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Berlin vs $337 in Derby – so Derby wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Berlin
🇬🇧 Derby
🕒 Local time
07:25 7:25 AM
06:25 6:25 AM
1 h behind Berlin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,769,962 Capital
233,700
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Berlin Derby 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Berlin
  • Derby

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 Derby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Derby cheaper than Berlin?
Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,818 per month in Berlin and $3,250 in Derby. 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 Derby, 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 Derby?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,545 in Berlin and $2,167 in Derby. That's a gap of about 17%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 27% less in Derby. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Berlin or in Derby?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Derby, where all-in costs run around $2,167, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Derby it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Berlin or Derby more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Derby – 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 Derby?
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 Derby. 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.

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