Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Ilmenau

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilmenau: $2,071 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Ilmenau
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Ilmenau Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Ilmenau

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,071

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Ilmenau

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $2,071 in Ilmenau, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Ilmenau $2,071

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $2,525 in Ilmenau, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Ilmenau $2,525

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $2,980 in Ilmenau, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Ilmenau $2,980

Berlin costs about 23% more than Ilmenau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Berlin and Ilmenau sit above the global median – Berlin by 89%, Ilmenau by 53%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$10.96 €9.75

51.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$66.5 €59.2

15.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$11.27 €10.02

19.52%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$3.41 €3.04

28.15%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$4.26 €3.79

-18.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$7.97 €7.09

-60.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$4.41 €3.92

21.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$4.99 €4.44

-12.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.13 €1.01

12.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.14 €1.90

8.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$3.24 €2.88

4.94%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$3.23 €2.87

39.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$14.33 €12.75

17.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$10.24 €9.11

16.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$17.76 €15.79

0.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$2.87 €2.55

20.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.40 €1.24

39.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$3.50 €3.11

-6.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$3.82 €3.40

-2.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.11 €1.88

-0.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.36 €1.21

53.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.63 €1.45

-12.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$0.88 €0.78

7.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$9.22 €8.20

13.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$6.22 €5.53

5.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.11 €0.99

14.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.48 €1.32

40.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$65.3 €58.1

9.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$5.23 €4.65

0.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

$4.21 €3.75

-26.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

$43.78 €38.94

-16.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$2.14 €1.90

7.94%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$32.3K €28.7K

0.53%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$37.8K €33.6K

2.25%

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

$382 €340

$675 €600

-43.44%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$27.38 €24.36

-31.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$34.08 €30.32

42.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$48.13 €42.81

-16.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$13.20 €11.74

19.17%

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

$142 €126

$454 €404

-68.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$93.0 €82.8

2.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$31.50 €28.02

47.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$121 €107

-13.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$113 €101

26.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$471 €419

211.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$455 €404

145.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$828 €737

232.15%

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

$3,254 €2,894

8.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

3.95

-3.80%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ilmenau: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Ilmenau

$455 22% 59.2% $660

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Ilmenau

$736 35.6% 64% $287

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Ilmenau

$309 14.9% 9.9% $34

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Ilmenau

$243 11.8% 15.5% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Ilmenau

$161 7.8% 7.8% $14

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Ilmenau

$92 * 4.4% 16.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Ilmenau

$75 3.6% 4% $2.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $471 in Ilmenau. 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 9% 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 $67.0 in Ilmenau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $309 – making Ilmenau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇩🇪 Ilmenau

🕒 Local time

18:47 6:47 PM

Same time as Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

39,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Berlin Ilmenau 270 km

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Berlin vs Ilmenau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 23%, 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 $3,106 in Ilmenau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ilmenau, 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 $2,071 in Ilmenau. That's a gap of about 23%.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Ilmenau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Ilmenau, where all-in costs run around $2,071, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Ilmenau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ilmenau – 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 Ilmenau. 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.