Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Marion, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Berlin and in Marion, IL: $2,553 and $2,437 a month, rent and utilities included.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Marion, IL
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Marion, IL Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,553

/mo nomad

Marion, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,437

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Marion, IL

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

A single person spends $2,553 per month in Berlin vs $2,437 in Marion, IL, rent included.

Berlin $2,553
Marion, IL $2,437

A couple spends around $3,856 per month in Berlin vs $3,587 in Marion, IL, rent included.

Berlin $3,856
Marion, IL $3,587

A family of three spends $5,159 per month in Berlin vs $4,737 in Marion, IL, rent included.

Berlin $5,159
Marion, IL $4,737

Berlin costs about 5% more than Marion, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Berlin and Marion, IL sit above the global median – Berlin by 88%, Marion, IL by 80%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.97 €15.09

$17.67 $17.67

-3.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 €68.9

$76.3 $76.3

1.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$12.15 $12.15

10.86%

Cappuccino

$4.35 €3.87

$5.73 $5.73

-24.08%

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

$3.53 €3.14

$2.36 $2.36

49.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 €2.81

$1.98 $1.98

59.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 €4.98

$6.89 $6.89

-18.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 €3.95

$7.96 $7.96

-44.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.09

$0.77 $0.77

59.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.17

$1.63 $1.63

49.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 €3.04

$3.94 $3.94

-13.45%

Eggs

$4.55 €4.05

$2.99 $2.99

52.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.23 €15.33

$4.34 $4.34

297.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.24 €10.89

$11.43 $11.43

7.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.98 €15.99

$18.99 $18.99

-5.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 €3.13

$5.77 $5.77

-38.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.74 $1.74

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.91

$5.71 $5.71

-42.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 €3.31

$4.77 $4.77

-22.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.82

$3.27 $3.27

-37.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$4.26 $4.26

-48.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.26

$2.64 $2.64

-46.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.87

$2.16 $2.16

-54.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.37 €9.22

$9.08 $9.08

14.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 €6.03

$10.17 $10.17

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.71 $1.71

-22.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.59 $1.59

31.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.52 €4.02

$1.82 $1.82

148.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.8 €62.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 €4.62

$2.01 $2.01

158.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 €2.87

$1.39 $1.39

132.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.61 €33.46

$20.20 $20.20

86.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.07

$0.99 $0.99

135.35%

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

$33.2K €29.5K

$28.3K $28.3K

17.05%

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

$39.2K €34.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

47.14%

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

$384 €342

$150 $150

155.94%

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

$19.27 €17.14

$84.3 $84.3

-77.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.17 €43.74

$73.7 $73.7

-33.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.54 €35.17

$41.51 $41.51

-4.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.56 €30.74

Cinema Ticket

$14.37 €12.78

$9.84 $9.84

46.04%

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

$146 €130

$1,694 $1,694

-91.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K €14.4K

$24.4K $24.4K

-33.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.1 €84.6

$25.46 $25.46

273.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.83 €42.54

$33.36 $33.36

43.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.6

$74.9 $74.9

39.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €127

$86.1 $86.1

66.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 €1,244

$1,576 $1,576

-11.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 €984

$1,287 $1,287

-14.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,426

$2,503 $2,503

8.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,104 €1,871

$2,135 $2,135

-1.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,630

$2,461 $2,461

248.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,545 €4,932

$2,586 $2,586

114.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,451 €3,070

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

6.6

-42.42%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 17, 2026

Last update for Marion, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Marion, IL

$1.3K 52.8% 16.4% $181

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$453 17.7%

Marion, IL

$308 12.6% 31.9% $145

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$349 13.7%

Marion, IL

$352 14.4% 0.7% $2.5

Eating Out

Berlin

$292 11.4%

Marion, IL

$314 12.9% 7.6% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$176 6.9%

Marion, IL

$99 4.1% 43.7% $77

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Marion, IL

$16 * 0.7% 85.1% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$68 2.7%

Marion, IL

$61 2.5% 10.4% $7.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,398 in Berlin versus $1,576 in Marion, IL. 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 $77.0 in Berlin versus $76.0 in Marion, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $349 in Berlin vs $352 in Marion, IL – so Berlin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇺🇸 Marion, IL

🕒 Local time

02:48 2:48 AM

19:48 7:48 PM

7 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

17,193

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Berlin Marion, IL 7,510 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Marion, IL

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 Marion, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,829 per month in Berlin and $3,656 in Marion, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Marion, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Berlin and $76.0 in Marion, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Berlin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Marion, IL, where all-in costs run around $2,437, than in Berlin at $2,553. In Marion, IL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Marion, IL – 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 Marion, IL. 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.