Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Dortmund

For one person, living is cheaper in Dortmund: $2,050 a month against $2,547 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Berlin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

122

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Dortmund
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Dortmund Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,547

/mo nomad

Dortmund

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,050

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Dortmund

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

A single person spends $2,547 per month in Berlin vs $2,050 in Dortmund, rent included.

Berlin $2,547
Dortmund $2,050

A couple spends around $3,875 per month in Berlin vs $3,121 in Dortmund, rent included.

Berlin $3,875
Dortmund $3,121

A family of three spends $5,204 per month in Berlin vs $4,192 in Dortmund, rent included.

Berlin $5,204
Dortmund $4,192

Berlin costs about 24% more than Dortmund.

Both Berlin and Dortmund sit above the global median – Berlin by 87%, Dortmund by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.64 €14.92

$16.99 €15.24

-2.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 €70.0

$78.5 €70.4

-0.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €12.00

$12.39 €11.11

7.99%

Cappuccino

$4.24 €3.80

$3.79 €3.40

11.87%

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

$3.42 €3.06

$3.05 €2.74

12.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 €2.83

$2.85 €2.56

10.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 €4.89

$5.71 €5.12

-4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 €3.90

$5.04 €4.52

-13.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.38 €1.24

-12.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.37 €2.12

-1.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 €3.00

$3.74 €3.36

-10.70%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.99

$3.84 €3.44

15.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.11 €15.35

$15.18 €13.61

12.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.12 €10.87

$11.48 €10.30

5.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.59 €15.78

$22.96 €20.59

-23.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 €3.26

$3.30 €2.96

10.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.75

$2.20 €1.97

-11.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 €2.97

$2.21 €1.98

49.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.33

$3.98 €3.57

-6.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.92

$1.30 €1.17

64.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$1.60 €1.43

30.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.26

$1.55 €1.39

-9.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.90

$1.09 €0.97

-8.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.60 €9.51

$9.45 €8.47

12.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.75 €6.05

$6.59 €5.91

2.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.10 €0.98

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.84

$1.71 €1.53

20.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.60 €4.12

$4.06 €3.64

13.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 €62.2

$71.4 €64.1

-2.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 €4.80

$5.29 €4.74

1.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 €2.83

$2.83 €2.54

11.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.94 €33.13

$37.59 €33.72

-1.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.08

$2.14 €1.92

8.41%

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

$33.7K €30.2K

$32.3K €28.9K

4.44%

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

$38.8K €34.8K

$38.1K €34.2K

1.90%

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

$378 €339

$405 €363

-6.66%

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

$19.42 €17.42

$30.78 €27.61

-36.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.13 €43.17

$50.7 €45.48

-5.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.30 €35.26

$37.43 €33.57

5.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.65 €31.97

$26.30 €23.59

35.55%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 €12.95

$16.61 €14.90

-13.06%

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

$146 €131

$406 €364

-64.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €14.3K

$28.3K €25.4K

-43.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 €85.7

$91.5 €82.1

4.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.53 €42.64

$52.5 €47.12

-9.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.1

$87.7 €78.7

19.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$170 €152

-15.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 €1,262

$720 €645

95.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 €1,002

$578 €519

93.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,718 €2,438

$1,275 €1,144

113.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,172 €1,949

$1,108 €994

96.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,339 €7,480

$3,345 €3,001

149.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,319 €4,771

$2,379 €2,134

123.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,507 €3,146

$3,269 €2,932

7.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

3.95

-3.80%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 27, 2026

Last update for Dortmund: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.9%

Dortmund

$578 28.2% 48.2% $538

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$445 17.5%

Dortmund

$486 23.7% 9.2% $41

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$345 13.6%

Dortmund

$346 16.9% 0.3% $1

Eating Out

Berlin

$286 11.2%

Dortmund

$281 13.7% 1.9% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$176 6.9%

Dortmund

$181 8.8% 2.7% $4.8

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Dortmund

$107 5.2% 1.6% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$68 2.7%

Dortmund

$71 3.5% 3.6% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,407 in Berlin versus $720 in Dortmund. 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 7% 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 $78 in Berlin versus $79 in Dortmund. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $346 – making Berlin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇩🇪 Dortmund

🕒 Local time

11:20 11:20 AM

Same time as Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

600,933

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Berlin Dortmund 420 km

From you

Berlin
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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 Dortmund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Berlin costs about 24% more than Dortmund, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,820 per month in Berlin and $3,076 in Dortmund. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dortmund, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $720 there versus $1,407 in Berlin.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Berlin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $146 per month in Berlin and $406 in Dortmund. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,547 in Berlin and $2,050 in Dortmund. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Berlin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,050 in Dortmund to $2,547 in Berlin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Dortmund. 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.