Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Hackensack, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Berlin: $2,551 a month against $3,405 in Hackensack, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
Learn more

Berlin Living Index
164

Cost of Living Index in Hackensack, NJ
Learn more

Hackensack, NJ Living Index

Jump to prices

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Hackensack, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,405

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $3,405 in Hackensack, NJ, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Hackensack, NJ $3,405

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $5,132 in Hackensack, NJ, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Hackensack, NJ $5,132

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $6,859 in Hackensack, NJ, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Hackensack, NJ $6,859

Berlin is about 25% cheaper than Hackensack, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Berlin and Hackensack, NJ sit above the global median – Berlin by 89%, Hackensack, NJ by 152%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$24.80 $24.80

-32.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$98.3 $98.3

-21.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$13.26 $13.26

1.58%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$5.58 $5.58

-21.68%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$2.37 $2.37

46.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$1.60 $1.60

95.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$7.77 $7.77

-31.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$7.82 $7.82

-43.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.34 $1.34

-5.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$4.21 $4.21

-44.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$5.98 $5.98

-43.14%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$5.86 $5.86

-23.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$12.41 $12.41

35.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$7.77 $7.77

53.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$17.01 $17.01

5.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$5.33 $5.33

-35.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.76 $1.76

10.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$4.32 $4.32

-24.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$5.41 $5.41

-31.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$3.11 $3.11

-32.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$3.02 $3.02

-30.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$2.84 $2.84

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$2.84 $2.84

-66.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$11.53 $11.53

-9.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$14.74 $14.74

-55.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.78 $1.78

-28.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$3.59 $3.59

-42.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

$3.53 $3.53

22.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$60.4 $60.4

18.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$2.93 $2.93

79.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

$2.00 $2.00

54.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

$23.94 $23.94

51.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$1.11 $1.11

108.11%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$35.1K $35.1K

-7.68%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$25.4K $25.4K

51.80%

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

$382 €340

$216 $216

76.77%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$55.2 $55.2

-65.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$50.4 $50.4

-3.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$44.14 $44.14

-8.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$20.06 $20.06

-21.59%

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

$142 €126

$1,394 $1,394

-89.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$15.8K $15.8K

-0.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$43.94 $43.94

117.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$57.3 $57.3

-19.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$87.0 $87.0

19.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$101 $101

42.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$2,389 $2,389

-38.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$1,988 $1,988

-43.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$4,217 $4,217

-34.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

$3,633 $3,633

-41.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,520

$3,594 $3,594

135.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,834

$3,354 $3,354

62.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

$6,238 $6,238

-43.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

6.8

-44.12%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Hackensack, NJ: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Hackensack, NJ

$2K 58.4% 78.4% $874

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Hackensack, NJ

$322 9.4% 28.4% $128

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Hackensack, NJ

$418 12.3% 21.9% $75

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Hackensack, NJ

$375 11% 30.4% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Hackensack, NJ

$130 3.8% 25.7% $45

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Hackensack, NJ

$87 2.6% 20.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Hackensack, NJ

$84 2.5% 17.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $2,389 in Hackensack, 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 76% higher in Hackensack, 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 $98.0 in Hackensack, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $418 – making Berlin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇺🇸 Hackensack, NJ

🕒 Local time

03:35 3:35 AM

21:35 9:35 PM

6 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

44,756

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Berlin Hackensack, NJ 6,370 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Hackensack, NJ is pricier by about 33%, 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 $5,108 in Hackensack, 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 $3,405 in Hackensack, NJ. That's a gap of about 33%.

Public transport costs about 19% 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 $3,405 in Hackensack, 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, Hackensack, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.