Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Elizabeth, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Berlin: $2,553 a month against $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 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
156

Cost of Living Index in Elizabeth, NJ
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Elizabeth, NJ Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,553

/mo nomad

Elizabeth, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,186

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Elizabeth, 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 Elizabeth, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,553 per month in Berlin vs $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ, rent included.

Berlin $2,553
Elizabeth, NJ $3,186

A couple spends around $3,856 per month in Berlin vs $4,453 in Elizabeth, NJ, rent included.

Berlin $3,856
Elizabeth, NJ $4,453

A family of three spends $5,159 per month in Berlin vs $5,720 in Elizabeth, NJ, rent included.

Berlin $5,159
Elizabeth, NJ $5,720

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

Both Berlin and Elizabeth, NJ sit above the global median – Berlin by 88%, Elizabeth, NJ by 135%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.97 €15.09

$19.71 $19.71

-13.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 €68.9

$80.4 $80.4

-3.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$11.89 $11.89

13.29%

Cappuccino

$4.35 €3.87

$5.45 $5.45

-20.18%

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

$3.53 €3.14

$2.43 $2.43

45.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 €2.81

$1.49 $1.49

112.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 €4.98

$7.78 $7.78

-28.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 €3.95

$7.15 $7.15

-37.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.27 $1.27

-3.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.17

$4.50 $4.50

-45.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 €3.04

$5.96 $5.96

-42.79%

Eggs

$4.55 €4.05

$6.52 $6.52

-30.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.23 €15.33

$15.31 $15.31

12.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.24 €10.89

$11.83 $11.83

3.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.98 €15.99

$19.73 $19.73

-8.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 €3.13

$5.95 $5.95

-40.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$3.55 $3.55

-42.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.91

$4.20 $4.20

-22.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 €3.31

$5.42 $5.42

-31.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.82

$2.99 $2.99

-31.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.95 $2.95

-25.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.26

$3.00 $3.00

-52.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.87

$2.52 $2.52

-61.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.37 €9.22

$14.62 $14.62

-29.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 €6.03

$15.29 $15.29

-55.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.17

$2.70 $2.70

-51.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.86

$3.41 $3.41

-38.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.52 €4.02

$2.88 $2.88

56.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.8 €62.1

$76.0 $76.0

-8.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 €4.62

$2.92 $2.92

77.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 €2.87

$2.11 $2.11

53.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.61 €33.46

$42.39 $42.39

-11.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.07

$1.09 $1.09

113.76%

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

$33.2K €29.5K

$27.9K $27.9K

18.75%

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

$39.2K €34.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

48.97%

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

$384 €342

$247 $247

55.37%

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

$19.27 €17.14

$51.0 $51.0

-62.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.17 €43.74

$50.1 $50.1

-1.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.54 €35.17

$24.78 $24.78

59.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.56 €30.74

Cinema Ticket

$14.37 €12.78

$20.03 $20.03

-28.26%

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

$146 €130

$2,012 $2,012

-92.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K €14.4K

$16.2K $16.2K

-0.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.1 €84.6

$49.63 $49.63

91.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.83 €42.54

$77.6 $77.6

-38.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.6

$87.9 $87.9

18.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €127

$122 $122

17.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 €1,244

$2,181 $2,181

-35.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 €984

$1,718 $1,718

-35.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,426

$2,668 $2,668

2.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,104 €1,871

$2,492 $2,492

-15.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,630

$1,297 $1,297

561.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,545 €4,932

$1,143 $1,143

385.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,451 €3,070

$3,997 $3,997

-13.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

6.67

-43.03%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 17, 2026

Last update for Elizabeth, NJ: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Elizabeth, NJ

$1.7K 53.9% 55.3% $612

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$453 17.7%

Elizabeth, NJ

$348 10.9% 23% $104

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$349 13.7%

Elizabeth, NJ

$475 14.9% 36% $126

Eating Out

Berlin

$292 11.4%

Elizabeth, NJ

$328 10.3% 12.2% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$176 6.9%

Elizabeth, NJ

$152 4.8% 13.7% $24

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Elizabeth, NJ

$101 3.2% 7.5% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$68 2.7%

Elizabeth, NJ

$65 2% 5% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,398 in Berlin versus $2,181 in Elizabeth, 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 16% higher in Elizabeth, 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 $80.0 in Elizabeth, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $475 – making Berlin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇺🇸 Elizabeth, NJ

🕒 Local time

02:49 2:49 AM

20:49 8:49 PM

6 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

126,179

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Berlin Elizabeth, NJ 6,400 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Elizabeth, 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 Elizabeth, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,829 per month in Berlin and $4,779 in Elizabeth, 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 $2,553 in Berlin and $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ. That's a gap of about 25%.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Berlin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Berlin, where all-in costs run around $2,553, than in Elizabeth, NJ at $3,186. In Berlin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Elizabeth, NJ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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, Elizabeth, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.