Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Ecatepec

For one person, living is cheaper in Ecatepec: $961 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Ecatepec
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Ecatepec Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Ecatepec

🇲🇽 Mexico

$961

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Ecatepec

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $961 in Ecatepec, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Ecatepec $961

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $1,670 in Ecatepec, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Ecatepec $1,670

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $2,380 in Ecatepec, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Ecatepec $2,380

Berlin costs about 166% more than Ecatepec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Berlin sits 89% above the global median, while Ecatepec is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$11.14 MX$206

49.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$50.1 MX$926

53.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$9.57 MX$177

40.75%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$3.71 MX$68.6

17.79%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$1.62 MX$30.02

114.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$1.09 MX$20.09

186.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$3.38 MX$62.5

57.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$5.59 MX$103

-21.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.72 MX$31.71

-26.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.66 MX$49.12

-12.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$1.96 MX$36.17

73.47%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$2.75 MX$50.9

63.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$8.82 MX$163

90.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$9.12 MX$168

30.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$13.47 MX$249

32.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$3.14 MX$58.0

10.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.66 MX$30.74

17.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$2.04 MX$37.65

59.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$1.90 MX$35.12

95.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.79 MX$33.16

17.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.75 MX$32.42

19.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.49 MX$27.48

-4.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$1.19 MX$21.95

-20.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$4.59 MX$84.9

127.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$16.62 MX$307

-60.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.92 MX$35.43

-33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$3.83 MX$70.7

-45.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

$0.63 MX$11.72

588.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$31.01 MX$573

130.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$1.99 MX$36.81

164.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

$0.52 MX$9.68

494.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

$5.32 MX$98.3

583.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$1.54 MX$28.48

50.00%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$21.5K MX$397.7K

50.70%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$23.5K MX$434.5K

64.23%

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

$382 €340

$57.7 MX$1,067

561.13%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$27.01 MX$499

-30.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$24.74 MX$457

96.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$26.37 MX$487

52.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

$11.00 MX$203

217.27%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$6.47 MX$120

143.12%

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

$142 €126

$270 MX$4,996

-47.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$5,048 MX$93.3K

212.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$59.1 MX$1,092

61.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$44.94 MX$830

3.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$100 MX$1,855

3.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$98.8 MX$1,826

45.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$243 MX$4,487

504.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$138 MX$2,550

707.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$683 MX$12.6K

302.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

$444 MX$8,205

374.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,520

$755 MX$14.0K

1019.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,834

$755 MX$13.9K

620.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

$553 MX$10.2K

540.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

11.3

-66.37%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ecatepec: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Ecatepec

$138 14.4% 87.6% $976

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Ecatepec

$109 11.4% 75.6% $340

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Ecatepec

$298 31% 13.1% $45

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Ecatepec

$201 21% 30.1% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Ecatepec

$136 14.2% 22% $39

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Ecatepec

$38 4% 65.2% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Ecatepec

$39 4.1% 45.2% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $243 in Ecatepec. 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 540% 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 $50.0 in Ecatepec. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $298 – making Ecatepec the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇲🇽 Ecatepec

🕒 Local time

12:58 12:58 PM

04:58 4:58 AM

8 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

1,645,352

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Berlin Ecatepec 9,710 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Ecatepec

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 Ecatepec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 166%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Berlin and $1,441 in Ecatepec. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ecatepec, 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 $961 in Ecatepec. That's a gap of about 166%.

Public transport costs about 131% less in Ecatepec. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ecatepec, where all-in costs run around $961, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Ecatepec it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ecatepec – 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 Ecatepec. 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.