Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Krefeld

For one person, living is cheaper in Krefeld: $1,899 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
93

Cost of Living Index in Krefeld
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Krefeld Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Krefeld

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,899

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Krefeld

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $1,899 in Krefeld, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Krefeld $1,899

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $2,932 in Krefeld, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Krefeld $2,932

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $3,964 in Krefeld, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Krefeld $3,964

Berlin costs about 34% more than Krefeld, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Berlin and Krefeld sit above the global median – Berlin by 89%, Krefeld by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$16.81 €14.95

-0.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$71.6 €63.7

7.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$12.93 €11.50

4.18%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$4.03 €3.58

8.44%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$3.69 €3.28

-5.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$3.20 €2.85

-2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$5.74 €5.10

-6.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$5.46 €4.85

-19.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.26 €1.12

0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.10 €1.87

10.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$3.62 €3.22

-6.08%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$3.74 €3.33

20.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$13.16 €11.70

27.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$12.34 €10.98

-3.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$23.32 €20.75

-23.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$3.01 €2.68

14.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.99 €1.77

-2.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$2.39 €2.12

36.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$4.17 €3.71

-11.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.40 €1.25

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.19 €1.06

75.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.61 €1.43

-11.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$1.04 €0.92

-8.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$9.98 €8.88

4.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$6.58 €5.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.09 €0.97

16.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.55 €1.38

34.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

$3.42 €3.04

26.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$60.6 €53.9

18.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$5.06 €4.50

3.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

$2.20 €1.95

40.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

$34.02 €30.26

6.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$2.26 €2.01

2.21%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

0.08%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$38.3K €34.0K

0.91%

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

$382 €340

$300 €267

27.18%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$25.28 €22.49

-25.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$41.06 €36.52

18.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$39.80 €35.41

1.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

$23.10 €20.55

51.08%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$13.54 €12.05

16.17%

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

$142 €126

$465 €414

-69.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$21.8K €19.4K

-27.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$88.8 €79.0

7.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$41.10 €36.56

12.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$105 €93.3

-0.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$130 €116

10.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$716 €637

105.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$584 €519

90.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$1,425 €1,267

93.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

$1,128 €1,004

86.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,520

$3,248 €2,889

160.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,834

$4,481 €3,985

21.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

$2,002 €1,781

76.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

3.96

-4.04%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Krefeld: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Krefeld

$583 30.7% 47.6% $531

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Krefeld

$366 19.3% 18.4% $83

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Krefeld

$339 17.8% 1.2% $4.1

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Krefeld

$289 15.2% 0.3% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Krefeld

$164 8.6% 6.2% $11

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Krefeld

$90 4.8% 17.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Krefeld

$67 3.5% 6.7% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $716 in Krefeld. 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 77% 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 $72.0 in Krefeld. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $339 – making Krefeld the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇩🇪 Krefeld

🕒 Local time

17:21 5:21 PM

Same time as Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

222,058

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Berlin vs Krefeld: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Berlin and $2,848 in Krefeld. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Krefeld, 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 $1,899 in Krefeld. That's a gap of about 34%.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Krefeld. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Krefeld, where all-in costs run around $1,899, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Krefeld it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Krefeld – 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 Krefeld. 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.