Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Edison, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Berlin: $2,551 a month against $3,191 in Edison, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 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
153

Cost of Living Index in Edison, NJ
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Edison, NJ Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Edison, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,191

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Edison, NJ

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $3,191 in Edison, NJ, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Edison, NJ $3,191

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $4,474 in Edison, NJ, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Edison, NJ $4,474

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $5,758 in Edison, NJ, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Edison, NJ $5,758

Berlin is about 20% cheaper than Edison, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Berlin and Edison, NJ sit above the global median – Berlin by 89%, Edison, NJ by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$18.28 $18.28

-8.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$60.0 $60.0

27.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$9.11 $9.11

47.86%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$4.10 $4.10

6.59%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$1.02 $1.02

241.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$0.98 $0.98

218.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$3.54 $3.54

50.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$6.96 $6.96

-36.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$0.99 $0.99

28.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$3.22 $3.22

-27.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$5.88 $5.88

-42.18%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$2.57 $2.57

75.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$13.43 $13.43

24.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$10.23 $10.23

16.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$19.57 $19.57

-8.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$6.22 $6.22

-44.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.54 $1.54

26.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$4.21 $4.21

-22.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$5.42 $5.42

-31.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.98 $2.98

-29.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$3.05 $3.05

-31.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$3.04 $3.04

-53.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$2.03 $2.03

-53.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$9.94 $9.94

5.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$14.85 $14.85

-55.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.80 $1.80

-29.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$3.51 $3.51

-40.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

$6.02 $6.02

-27.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$203 $203

-64.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$3.09 $3.09

70.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

$0.95 $0.95

225.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

$41.80 $41.80

-13.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$0.96 $0.96

140.63%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$36.0K $36.0K

-10.01%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$25.4K $25.4K

52.04%

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

$382 €340

$172 $172

121.68%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$51.4 $51.4

-63.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$49.68 $49.68

-2.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$21.66 $21.66

85.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$15.11 $15.11

4.10%

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

$142 €126

$2,005 $2,005

-92.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$16.0K $16.0K

-1.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$51.0 $51.0

87.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$79.7 $79.7

-41.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$59.5 $59.5

74.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$89.2 $89.2

60.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$2,096 $2,096

-29.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$1,835 $1,835

-39.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$3,113 $3,113

-11.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

$2,796 $2,796

-24.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,520

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,834

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

$6,924 $6,924

-48.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

6.42

-40.81%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Edison, NJ: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Edison, NJ

$1.8K 57.5% 64.7% $721

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Edison, NJ

$273 8.6% 39.2% $176

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Edison, NJ

$408 12.8% 18.9% $65

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Edison, NJ

$262 8.2% 8.9% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Edison, NJ

$126 3.9% 28.2% $49

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Edison, NJ

$235 7.4% 114% $125

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Edison, NJ

$52 1.6% 27.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $2,096 in Edison, NJ. 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 95% higher in Edison, NJ, 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 $60.0 in Edison, NJ. Groceries tell a different story – $343 in Berlin vs $408 in Edison, NJ – so Berlin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇺🇸 Edison, NJ

🕒 Local time

18:53 6:53 PM

12:53 12:53 PM

6 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

107,588

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Berlin Edison, NJ 6,420 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Edison, NJ

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 Edison, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edison, NJ is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Berlin and $4,787 in Edison, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Berlin, 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 $3,191 in Edison, NJ. That's a gap of about 25%.

Public transport costs about 184% less in Berlin. 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 $3,191 in Edison, NJ. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Berlin – 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 Berlin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Edison, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.