Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Madison, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Berlin: $2,545 a month against $2,994 in Madison, WI, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
148

Cost of Living Index in Madison, WI
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Madison, WI Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,994

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Madison, WI

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

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Berlin vs $2,994 in Madison, WI, rent included.

Berlin $2,545
Madison, WI $2,994

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Berlin vs $4,424 in Madison, WI, rent included.

Berlin $3,901
Madison, WI $4,424

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Berlin vs $5,854 in Madison, WI, rent included.

Berlin $5,257
Madison, WI $5,854

Berlin is about 15% cheaper than Madison, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Berlin and Madison, WI sit above the global median – Berlin by 90%, Madison, WI by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.81 €15.00

$19.62 $19.62

-14.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €71.0

$68.0 $68.0

17.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.94

$13.07 $13.07

2.37%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.81

$5.63 $5.63

-24.16%

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

$3.40 €3.03

$3.16 $3.16

7.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.79

$2.53 $2.53

23.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 €4.89

$7.08 $7.08

-22.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €4.07

$8.23 $8.23

-44.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$0.98 $0.98

29.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.19

$3.43 $3.43

-28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 €2.94

$4.13 $4.13

-20.10%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.97

$3.61 $3.61

23.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 €15.26

$14.92 $14.92

14.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.19 €10.88

$13.28 $13.28

-8.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 €16.33

$20.06 $20.06

-8.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 €3.19

$4.75 $4.75

-24.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.77

$1.62 $1.62

22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.92

$5.31 $5.31

-38.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.40

$4.98 $4.98

-23.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$2.79 $2.79

-23.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$3.12 $3.12

-29.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.33

$2.19 $2.19

-31.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.90

$2.42 $2.42

-58.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.49 €9.37

$10.77 $10.77

-2.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.03

$15.75 $15.75

-57.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

$2.70 $2.70

-50.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.87

$4.43 $4.43

-52.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 €3.90

$2.06 $2.06

112.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 €63.3

$65.5 $65.5

8.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.72

$3.97 $3.97

33.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 €2.73

$2.02 $2.02

50.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.30 €32.39

$43.09 $43.09

-15.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.01 $1.01

125.74%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$36.0K $36.0K

-7.66%

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

$39.1K €34.9K

$25.6K $25.6K

52.40%

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

$379 €339

$269 $269

40.95%

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

$19.31 €17.23

$52.5 $52.5

-63.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.41 €43.20

$83.8 $83.8

-42.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 €35.97

$58.4 $58.4

-31.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 €31.69

$10.54 $10.54

236.91%

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 €13.86

$15.27 $15.27

1.70%

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

$144 €128

$1,705 $1,705

-91.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.1K

$23.0K $23.0K

-31.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.6 €84.5

$63.0 $63.0

50.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 €41.34

$50.0 $50.0

-7.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.2

$108 $108

-4.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

$121 $121

16.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,328

$1,789 $1,789

-16.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €980

$1,572 $1,572

-30.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 €2,378

$3,177 $3,177

-16.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 €1,856

$2,565 $2,565

-18.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,655

$4,524 $4,524

89.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,438 €4,853

$2,489 $2,489

118.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 €3,112

$4,383 $4,383

-20.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

6.69

-43.20%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Madison, WI: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Madison, WI

$1.6K 51.1% 43.2% $474

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$447 17.6%

Madison, WI

$405 13.2% 9.3% $42

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$351 13.8%

Madison, WI

$432 14% 23.4% $82

Eating Out

Berlin

$289 11.4%

Madison, WI

$338 11% 17.3% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$174 6.8%

Madison, WI

$154 5% 11.3% $20

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Madison, WI

$88 2.9% 19.4% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$71 2.8%

Madison, WI

$89 2.9% 24.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Berlin versus $1,789 in Madison, WI. 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 26% higher in Madison, WI, 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 $80.0 in Berlin versus $68.0 in Madison, WI. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Berlin vs $432 in Madison, WI – so Berlin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🕒 Local time

08:34 8:34 AM

01:34 1:34 AM

7 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

248,951

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Berlin Madison, WI 7,080 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Madison, WI

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 Madison, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Madison, WI is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,818 per month in Berlin and $4,491 in Madison, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Berlin, 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 $2,994 in Madison, WI. That's a gap of about 18%.

Public transport costs about 8% less in Berlin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,545 in Berlin and $2,994 in Madison, WI. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Berlin – 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 Berlin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Madison, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.