Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Medan

For one person, living is cheaper in Medan: $613 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $23,300 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Medan
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Medan Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Medan

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $613 in Medan, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Medan $613

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $940 in Medan, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Medan $940

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $1,266 in Medan, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Medan $1,266

Berlin costs about 316% more than Medan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Berlin sits 89% above the global median, while Medan is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

873.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

824.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

356.61%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

185.62%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$0.35 Rp 6,215

894.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$0.25 Rp 4,534

1148.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

221.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

22.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

14.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

97.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

319.75%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

240.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

106.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

231.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

181.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

44.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

85.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

129.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

298.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

150.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

16.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$0.38 Rp 6,905

273.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$0.44 Rp 7,872

115.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

263.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

-58.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

-30.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

-30.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

$0.27 Rp 4,816

1507.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

1107.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$0.51 Rp 9,186

931.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

$0.19 Rp 3,465

1526.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

188.75%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

31.45%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

19.86%

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

$382 €340

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

349.87%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

494.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

106.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

137.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

314.98%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

378.12%

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

$142 €126

$112 Rp 2.0M

26.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

832.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

75.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

20.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$108 Rp 1.9M

-3.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$111 Rp 2.0M

29.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$233 Rp 4.2M

530.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

1141.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$494 Rp 8.9M

456.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

$212 Rp 3.8M

895.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,520

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

630.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,834

$560 Rp 10.1M

871.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

$215 Rp 3.9M

1546.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

9.25

-58.92%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Medan

$90 14.6% 91.9% $1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Medan

$112 18.2% 75.2% $337

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Medan

$181 29.5% 47.3% $162

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Medan

$59 9.6% 79.6% $229

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Medan

$140 22.9% 19.9% $35

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Medan

$8.5 1.4% 92.3% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Medan

$24 3.8% 67.2% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $233 in Medan. 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 1546% 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 $8.00 in Medan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $181 – making Medan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇮🇩 Medan

🕒 Local time

01:39 1:39 AM

06:39 6:39 AM

5 h ahead of Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

2,097,610

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Between locations

Berlin Medan 9,370 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Medan

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 Medan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 316%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Berlin and $920 in Medan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medan, 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 $613 in Medan. That's a gap of about 316%.

Public transport costs about 1107% less in Medan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medan, where all-in costs run around $613, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Medan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medan – 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 Medan. 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.