Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Kassel

For one person, living is cheaper in Kassel: $1,912 a month against $2,547 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
Learn more

Berlin Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Kassel
Learn more

Kassel Living Index

Jump to prices

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,547

/mo nomad

Kassel

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Kassel

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

A single person spends $2,547 per month in Berlin vs $1,912 in Kassel, rent included.

Berlin $2,547
Kassel $1,912

A couple spends around $3,875 per month in Berlin vs $2,822 in Kassel, rent included.

Berlin $3,875
Kassel $2,822

A family of three spends $5,204 per month in Berlin vs $3,732 in Kassel, rent included.

Berlin $5,204
Kassel $3,732

Berlin costs about 33% more than Kassel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Berlin and Kassel sit above the global median – Berlin by 87%, Kassel by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.64 €14.94

$14.62 €13.13

13.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 €70.1

$55.4 €49.79

40.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €12.02

$12.14 €10.91

10.21%

Cappuccino

$4.24 €3.80

$3.82 €3.43

10.99%

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

$3.42 €3.07

$3.93 €3.53

-12.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 €2.84

$2.48 €2.23

27.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 €4.90

$5.56 €4.99

-1.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 €3.91

$4.54 €4.08

-4.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.28 €1.15

-5.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.07 €1.86

13.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 €3.00

$3.30 €2.96

1.21%

Eggs

$4.45 €4.00

$3.55 €3.19

25.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.11 €15.37

$13.44 €12.07

27.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.12 €10.89

$10.85 €9.74

11.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.59 €15.80

$24.96 €22.42

-29.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 €3.26

$3.29 €2.96

10.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.75

$2.15 €1.93

-9.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 €2.97

$2.32 €2.08

42.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.34

$4.97 €4.47

-25.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.92

$1.52 €1.36

40.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$1.30 €1.17

60.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.26

$1.76 €1.58

-20.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.90

$0.92 €0.83

8.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.60 €9.53

$9.36 €8.40

13.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.75 €6.06

$6.07 €5.46

11.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.17

$0.95 €0.85

36.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.85

$1.53 €1.37

34.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.60 €4.13

$3.71 €3.33

23.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 €62.3

$69.0 €62.0

0.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 €4.81

$4.21 €3.78

27.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 €2.83

$2.51 €2.25

25.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.94 €33.18

$39.65 €35.62

-6.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.08

$2.11 €1.90

9.95%

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

$33.7K €30.3K

$32.5K €29.2K

3.86%

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

$38.8K €34.9K

$37.9K €34.1K

2.37%

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

$378 €339

$402 €361

-6.02%

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

$19.42 €17.44

$41.28 €37.08

-52.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.13 €43.24

$51.5 €46.27

-6.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.30 €35.31

$35.64 €32.01

10.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.65 €32.02

$11.15 €10.02

219.73%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 €12.97

$13.36 €12.00

8.08%

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

$146 €131

$364 €327

-59.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €14.3K

$16.1K €14.4K

-0.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 €85.9

$92.4 €83.0

3.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.53 €42.70

$44.16 €39.67

7.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.3

$86.2 €77.4

21.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €129

$111 €100.0

28.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 €1,264

$649 €583

116.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 €1,003

$503 €452

121.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,718 €2,441

$1,083 €973

150.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,172 €1,951

$915 €822

137.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,339 €7,490

$4,725 €4,244

76.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,319 €4,778

$2,801 €2,516

89.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,507 €3,151

$2,574 €2,312

36.26%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Kassel: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.9%

Kassel

$503 26.3% 54.9% $613

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$445 17.5%

Kassel

$495 25.9% 11.1% $49

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$345 13.6%

Kassel

$339 17.7% 1.9% $6.4

Eating Out

Berlin

$286 11.2%

Kassel

$262 13.7% 8.6% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$176 6.9%

Kassel

$150 7.9% 14.6% $26

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Kassel

$101 5.3% 7.5% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$68 2.7%

Kassel

$62 3.3% 8.6% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,407 in Berlin versus $649 in Kassel. 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 36% higher in Berlin. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Berlin versus $55 in Kassel. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $339 – making Kassel the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇩🇪 Kassel

🕒 Local time

19:39 7:39 PM

Same time as Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

204,021

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Berlin Kassel 300 km

From you

Berlin
Kassel

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 Kassel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,820 per month in Berlin and $2,868 in Kassel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kassel, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $649 there versus $1,407 in Berlin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Berlin and $55 in Kassel. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $146 per month in Berlin and $364 in Kassel. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Berlin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,912 in Kassel to $2,547 in Berlin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Kassel. 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.