Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Lincoln, NE

For one person, living is cheaper in Lincoln, NE: $2,250 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Berlin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
Learn more

Berlin Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lincoln, NE
Learn more

Lincoln, NE Living Index

Jump to prices

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Lincoln, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Lincoln, NE

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

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Berlin vs $2,250 in Lincoln, NE, rent included.

Berlin $2,545
Lincoln, NE $2,250

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Berlin vs $3,309 in Lincoln, NE, rent included.

Berlin $3,901
Lincoln, NE $3,309

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Berlin vs $4,368 in Lincoln, NE, rent included.

Berlin $5,257
Lincoln, NE $4,368

Berlin costs about 13% more than Lincoln, NE, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Berlin and Lincoln, NE sit above the global median – Berlin by 90%, Lincoln, NE by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.81 €15.00

$20.25 $20.25

-16.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €71.0

$78.8 $78.8

0.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.94

$12.22 $12.22

9.49%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.81

$5.46 $5.46

-21.79%

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

$3.40 €3.03

$2.28 $2.28

49.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.79

$1.74 $1.74

79.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 €4.89

$5.01 $5.01

9.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €4.07

$9.13 $9.13

-50.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$0.87 $0.87

45.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.19

$3.09 $3.09

-20.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 €2.94

$6.19 $6.19

-46.69%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.97

$4.60 $4.60

-3.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 €15.26

$11.62 $11.62

47.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.19 €10.88

$8.36 $8.36

45.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 €16.33

$14.70 $14.70

24.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 €3.19

$6.63 $6.63

-46.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.77

$2.08 $2.08

-4.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.92

$5.79 $5.79

-43.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.40

$4.19 $4.19

-9.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$3.44 $3.44

-38.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$3.85 $3.85

-42.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.90 $1.90

-21.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.90

$2.64 $2.64

-61.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.49 €9.37

$9.73 $9.73

7.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.03

$16.90 $16.90

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.80 $1.80

-25.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.54 $2.54

-17.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 €3.90

$1.70 $1.70

157.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 €63.3

$35.02 $35.02

102.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.72

$5.04 $5.04

4.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 €2.73

$1.87 $1.87

63.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.30 €32.39

$34.54 $34.54

5.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.04 $1.04

119.23%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$35.5K $35.5K

-6.41%

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

$39.1K €34.9K

$25.3K $25.3K

54.22%

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

$379 €339

$142 $142

166.87%

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

$19.31 €17.23

$48.30 $48.30

-60.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.41 €43.20

$64.8 $64.8

-25.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 €35.97

$55.6 $55.6

-27.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 €31.69

$26.15 $26.15

35.79%

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 €13.86

$14.88 $14.88

4.37%

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

$144 €128

$839 $839

-82.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.6 €84.5

$48.72 $48.72

94.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 €41.34

$35.40 $35.40

30.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.2

$87.7 $87.7

17.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

$118 $118

20.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,328

$1,083 $1,083

37.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €980

$964 $964

13.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 €2,378

$1,608 $1,608

65.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 €1,856

$1,459 $1,459

42.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,655

$1,853 $1,853

363.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,438 €4,853

$1,889 $1,889

187.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 €3,112

$3,812 $3,812

-8.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

6.37

-40.35%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Lincoln, NE: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Lincoln, NE

$964 43.6% 12.2% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$447 17.6%

Lincoln, NE

$255 11.5% 42.9% $192

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$351 13.8%

Lincoln, NE

$398 18% 13.7% $48

Eating Out

Berlin

$289 11.4%

Lincoln, NE

$324 14.6% 12.2% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$174 6.8%

Lincoln, NE

$130 5.9% 24.9% $43

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Lincoln, NE

$56 2.5% 48.4% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$71 2.8%

Lincoln, NE

$85 3.9% 19.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Berlin versus $1,083 in Lincoln, NE. 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 Lincoln, NE, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Berlin versus $79.0 in Lincoln, NE. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Berlin vs $398 in Lincoln, NE – so Berlin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇺🇸 Lincoln, NE

🕒 Local time

12:15 12:15 PM

05:15 5:15 AM

7 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

277,348

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Berlin Lincoln, NE 7,660 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Lincoln, NE

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 Lincoln, NE: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,818 per month in Berlin and $3,375 in Lincoln, NE. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lincoln, NE, 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 $2,545 in Berlin and $2,250 in Lincoln, NE. That's a gap of about 13%.

Public transport costs about 103% less in Lincoln, NE. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lincoln, NE, where all-in costs run around $2,250, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Lincoln, NE it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lincoln, NE – 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 Lincoln, NE. 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.