Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Kaufbeuren

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaufbeuren: $1,961 a month against $2,535 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Berlin, Germany
Kaufbeuren, Germany
Berlin
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,535
/mo nomad
Kaufbeuren
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,961
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Kaufbeuren

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

A single person spends $2,535 per month in Berlin vs $1,961 in Kaufbeuren, rent included.

  • Berlin $2,535
  • Kaufbeuren $1,961

A couple spends around $3,888 per month in Berlin vs $2,964 in Kaufbeuren, rent included.

  • Berlin $3,888
  • Kaufbeuren $2,964

A family of three spends $5,241 per month in Berlin vs $3,967 in Kaufbeuren, rent included.

  • Berlin $5,241
  • Kaufbeuren $3,967

Berlin costs about 29% more than Kaufbeuren, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Berlin and Kaufbeuren sit above the global median – Berlin by 88%, Kaufbeuren by 45%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Berlin
Kaufbeuren
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.75
$16.62 €14.86
-0.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.1 €70.7
$66.9 €59.9
18.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.98 €12.50
$10.95 €9.79
27.67%
Cappuccino
$4.38 €3.92
$3.86 €3.45
13.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 €2.86
$2.81 €2.51
13.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 €2.75
$2.41 €2.16
27.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.38 €4.81
$4.44 €3.97
21.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 €3.91
$4.43 €3.96
-1.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Berlin
Kaufbeuren
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 €1.11
$1.31 €1.17
-5.34%
White Bread (500g)
$2.51 €2.24
$1.99 €1.78
26.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.36 €3.01
$4.07 €3.64
-17.44%
Eggs
$4.68 €4.18
$4.01 €3.59
16.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.28 €16.35
$14.27 €12.76
28.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.25 €10.95
$10.37 €9.27
18.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.10 €16.19
$24.64 €22.03
-26.54%
Apples (1kg)
$3.36 €3.00
$3.16 €2.83
6.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$2.11 €1.89
-6.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.39 €3.03
$2.10 €1.88
61.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.61 €3.23
$4.40 €3.93
-17.95%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.26 €1.12
60.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.92 €1.72
$1.27 €1.14
51.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 €1.32
$1.51 €1.35
-1.99%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 €0.81
$1.02 €0.91
-11.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.48 €9.37
$9.18 €8.21
14.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.68 €5.97
$6.31 €5.64
5.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 €1.18
$1.11 €0.99
18.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 €1.80
$1.65 €1.48
21.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Berlin
Kaufbeuren
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.53 €4.05
$3.41 €3.05
32.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$70.2 €62.8
$70.1 €62.7
0.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.85 €4.33
$3.88 €3.47
25.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.11 €2.78
$2.29 €2.04
35.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$37.21 €33.28
$28.33 €25.33
31.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.33 €2.09
$2.06 €1.84
13.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.3K €29.8K
$33.1K €29.6K
0.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.4K €35.2K
$38.4K €34.4K
2.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
Kaufbeuren
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$390 €349
$266 €238
46.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.74 €17.65
$33.57 €30.02
-41.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.03 €43.84
$49.37 €44.14
-0.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
Kaufbeuren
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.21 €35.95
$38.33 €34.28
4.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.15 €31.43
$26.54 €23.73
32.44%
Cinema Ticket
$15.36 €13.73
$15.97 €14.28
-3.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Berlin
Kaufbeuren
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$145 €130
$342 €305
-57.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.0K €16.1K
$9,557 €8,545
88.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
Kaufbeuren
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$100.0 €89.4
$91.8 €82.1
8.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.89 €42.82
$59.6 €53.3
-19.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €92.0
$79.5 €71.0
29.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$141 €126
$173 €155
-18.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Berlin
Kaufbeuren
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,427 €1,276
$807 €722
76.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,082 €968
$658 €589
64.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,717 €2,430
$1,497 €1,338
81.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,170 €1,940
$1,136 €1,016
90.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,523 €7,621
$4,614 €4,125
84.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,436 €4,861
$3,299 €2,950
64.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Berlin
Kaufbeuren
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,543 €3,168
$2,826 €2,527
25.40%
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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Kaufbeuren: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Berlin
$1.1K
Kaufbeuren
$658 39.2% $424
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
$459
Kaufbeuren
$349 24% $110
Groceries & Markets
Berlin
$351
Kaufbeuren
$339 3.4% $12
Eating Out
Berlin
$287
Kaufbeuren
$264 8.1% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
$176
Kaufbeuren
$182 3.1% $5.4
Getting Around
Berlin
$109
Kaufbeuren
$99 9% $9.8
Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
$71
Kaufbeuren
$70 0.9% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,427 in Berlin versus $807 in Kaufbeuren. 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 25% 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 $79 in Berlin versus $67 in Kaufbeuren. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $339 – making Kaufbeuren the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Berlin
🇩🇪 Kaufbeuren
🕒 Local time
19:56 7:56 PM
19:56 7:56 PM
Same time as Berlin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,769,962 Capital
41,759
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Berlin Kaufbeuren 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Berlin
  • Kaufbeuren

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 Kaufbeuren: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kaufbeuren cheaper than Berlin?
Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,803 per month in Berlin and $2,942 in Kaufbeuren. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kaufbeuren, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $807 there versus $1,427 in Berlin.
Is eating out cheaper in Berlin or in Kaufbeuren?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Berlin and $67 in Kaufbeuren. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Berlin and in Kaufbeuren?
Groceries cost about 4% more in Berlin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $3,000 enough for either Berlin or Kaufbeuren?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,535 in Berlin and $1,961 in Kaufbeuren, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Berlin or in Kaufbeuren?
It depends on your priorities. Berlin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,961 in Kaufbeuren to $2,535 in Berlin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Berlin or Kaufbeuren?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Kaufbeuren. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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