Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Hella

For one person, living is cheaper in Hella: $1,722 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Berlin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Hella
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Hella Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Hella

🇮🇸 Iceland

$1,722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Hella

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $1,722 in Hella, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Hella $1,722

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $2,928 in Hella, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Hella $2,928

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $4,135 in Hella, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Hella $4,135

Berlin costs about 48% more than Hella, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Berlin and Hella sit above the global median – Berlin by 89%, Hella by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$31.26 ISK 3,791

-46.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$123 ISK 14.9K

-37.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$27.14 ISK 3,291

-50.37%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$6.93 ISK 841

-36.94%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$3.36 ISK 407

3.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$3.07 ISK 373

1.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$13.71 ISK 1,663

-61.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$12.32 ISK 1,495

-64.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$2.04 ISK 247

-37.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$4.26 ISK 516

-45.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$3.58 ISK 434

-5.03%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$6.99 ISK 848

-35.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$22.00 ISK 2,668

-23.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$24.51 ISK 2,973

-51.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$41.04 ISK 4,978

-56.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$3.35 ISK 406

3.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$2.86 ISK 347

-31.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$3.13 ISK 379

4.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$6.62 ISK 803

-43.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$3.81 ISK 463

-44.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.71 ISK 208

22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$3.78 ISK 458

-62.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$1.77 ISK 215

-46.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$13.79 ISK 1,672

-24.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$23.61 ISK 2,863

-72.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$3.71 ISK 449

-65.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$3.50 ISK 425

-40.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$6.61 ISK 802

-20.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

$2.76 ISK 335

11.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

$81.2 ISK 9,844

-55.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$2.09 ISK 253

10.53%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$51.2K ISK 6.2M

-36.71%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$54.1K ISK 6.6M

-28.66%

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

$382 €340

$95.2 ISK 11.5K

301.04%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$33.16 ISK 4,022

-43.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$87.7 ISK 10.6K

-44.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$19.67 ISK 2,386

-20.03%

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

$142 €126

$1,198 ISK 145.2K

-88.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$25.7K ISK 3.1M

-38.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$147 ISK 17.8K

-34.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$67.0 ISK 8,130

-30.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$183 ISK 22.2K

-43.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$253 ISK 30.7K

-43.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

8.81

-56.87%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Hella: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Hella

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Hella

$216 12.6% 51.9% $233

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Hella

$620 36% 80.9% $278

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Hella

$534 31% 85.3% $246

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Hella

$292 17% 67% $117

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Hella

$20 * 1.2% 81.4% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Hella

$39 * 2.3% 45.1% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Berlin versus $123 in Hella. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $620 – making Berlin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇮🇸 Hella

🕒 Local time

05:57 5:57 AM

03:57 3:57 AM

2 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

900

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Berlin Hella 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Hella

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 Hella: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Berlin and $2,583 in Hella. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Berlin and $123 in Hella. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 81% cheaper in Berlin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Hella, where all-in costs run around $1,722, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Hella it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hella – 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 Hella. 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.