Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Madeira

For one person, living is cheaper in Madeira: $1,597 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Madeira
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Madeira Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Madeira

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,597

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Madeira

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

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Berlin vs $1,597 in Madeira, rent included.

Berlin $2,545
Madeira $1,597

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Berlin vs $2,383 in Madeira, rent included.

Berlin $3,901
Madeira $2,383

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Berlin vs $3,169 in Madeira, rent included.

Berlin $5,257
Madeira $3,169

Berlin costs about 59% more than Madeira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Berlin and Madeira sit above the global median – Berlin by 90%, Madeira by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.81 €15.00

$11.62 €10.37

44.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €71.0

$46.16 €41.19

72.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.94

$9.12 €8.14

46.71%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.81

$2.10 €1.88

103.33%

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

$3.40 €3.03

$1.85 €1.65

83.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.79

$1.43 €1.27

118.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 €4.89

$2.27 €2.03

141.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €4.07

$3.54 €3.16

28.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.09 €0.98

16.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.19

$1.53 €1.37

60.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 €2.94

$1.60 €1.43

106.25%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.97

$2.99 €2.67

48.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 €15.26

$11.53 €10.29

48.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.19 €10.88

$7.69 €6.86

58.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 €16.33

$14.00 €12.49

30.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 €3.19

$2.35 €2.10

52.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.77

$1.41 €1.26

40.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.92

$1.80 €1.61

81.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.40

$2.50 €2.23

52.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.51 €1.34

41.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.92 €1.72

15.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.55 €1.38

-3.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.90

$0.84 €0.75

20.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.49 €9.37

$6.04 €5.39

73.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.03

$5.22 €4.66

29.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.30 €1.16

3.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.32 €2.07

-9.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 €3.90

$2.36 €2.11

85.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 €63.3

$42.32 €37.77

67.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.72

$4.28 €3.82

23.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 €2.73

$0.79 €0.71

286.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.30 €32.39

$17.53 €15.65

107.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.90 €1.69

20.00%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$35.4K €31.6K

-6.02%

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

$39.1K €34.9K

-0.07%

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

$379 €339

$134 €120

183.08%

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

$19.31 €17.23

$20.90 €18.65

-7.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.41 €43.20

$41.95 €37.44

15.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 €35.97

$43.41 €38.74

-7.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 €31.69

$17.37 €15.50

104.43%

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 €13.86

$8.35 €7.45

85.99%

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

$144 €128

$473 €422

-69.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.1K

$8,183 €7,303

92.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.6 €84.5

$74.7 €66.7

26.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 €41.34

$38.11 €34.01

21.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.2

$91.9 €82.0

12.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

$92.8 €82.8

52.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,328

$914 €816

62.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €980

$717 €640

53.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 €2,378

$1,446 €1,291

84.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 €1,856

$1,145 €1,021

81.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,655

$3,012 €2,688

184.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,438 €4,853

$2,356 €2,103

130.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 €3,112

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

5.01

-24.15%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Madeira: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Madeira

$717 45.1% 34.7% $381

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$447 17.6%

Madeira

$197 12.4% 56% $250

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$351 13.8%

Madeira

$246 15.5% 29.9% $105

Eating Out

Berlin

$289 11.4%

Madeira

$177 11.1% 38.6% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$174 6.8%

Madeira

$134 8.4% 22.8% $40

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Madeira

$60 3.8% 44.9% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$71 2.8%

Madeira

$60 3.8% 15.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Berlin versus $914 in Madeira. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Berlin versus $46.00 in Madeira. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $246 – making Madeira the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇵🇹 Madeira

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

07:16 7:16 AM

1 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

154

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Berlin Madeira 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Madeira

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 Madeira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,818 per month in Berlin and $2,395 in Madeira. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Madeira, 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 $1,597 in Madeira. That's a gap of about 59%.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Madeira. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Madeira, where all-in costs run around $1,597, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Madeira it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Madeira – 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 Madeira. 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.