Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Neu-Ulm

For one person, living is cheaper in Neu-Ulm: $1,896 a month against $2,547 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Berlin, Germany
Neu-Ulm, Germany
Berlin
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,547
/mo nomad
Neu-Ulm
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,896
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Neu-Ulm

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 Neu-Ulm actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,547 per month in Berlin vs $1,896 in Neu-Ulm, rent included.

  • Berlin $2,547
  • Neu-Ulm $1,896

A couple spends around $3,875 per month in Berlin vs $2,879 in Neu-Ulm, rent included.

  • Berlin $3,875
  • Neu-Ulm $2,879

A family of three spends $5,204 per month in Berlin vs $3,862 in Neu-Ulm, rent included.

  • Berlin $5,204
  • Neu-Ulm $3,862

Berlin costs about 34% more than Neu-Ulm, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Berlin and Neu-Ulm sit above the global median – Berlin by 87%, Neu-Ulm by 39%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Berlin
Neu-Ulm
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.64 €14.94
$16.97 €15.24
-1.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.0 €70.1
$66.1 €59.3
18.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.38 €12.02
$12.42 €11.16
7.73%
Cappuccino
$4.24 €3.80
$3.88 €3.48
9.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.42 €3.07
$2.68 €2.41
27.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 €2.84
$1.93 €1.73
63.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.45 €4.90
$4.52 €4.06
20.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 €3.91
$4.62 €4.15
-5.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Berlin
Neu-Ulm
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 €1.08
$1.40 €1.26
-13.57%
White Bread (500g)
$2.34 €2.10
$1.99 €1.79
17.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.34 €3.00
$4.12 €3.70
-18.93%
Eggs
$4.45 €4.00
$4.03 €3.62
10.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.11 €15.37
$14.75 €13.25
16.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.12 €10.89
$10.30 €9.25
17.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.59 €15.80
$24.25 €21.79
-27.46%
Apples (1kg)
$3.63 €3.26
$3.23 €2.90
12.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 €1.75
$2.15 €1.93
-9.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.31 €2.97
$2.17 €1.95
52.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.71 €3.34
$4.03 €3.62
-7.94%
Potato (1kg)
$2.14 €1.92
$1.14 €1.02
87.72%
Onion (1kg)
$2.09 €1.88
$1.09 €0.98
91.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 €1.26
$1.54 €1.39
-9.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 €0.90
$1.19 €1.07
-15.97%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.60 €9.53
$9.97 €8.96
6.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.75 €6.06
$5.46 €4.90
23.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 €1.17
$1.09 €0.98
19.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 €1.85
$1.52 €1.37
35.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Berlin
Neu-Ulm
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.60 €4.13
$3.55 €3.19
29.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$69.3 €62.3
$54.0 €48.54
28.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.35 €4.81
$3.89 €3.50
37.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.15 €2.83
$2.21 €1.98
42.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.94 €33.18
$27.94 €25.10
32.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.32 €2.08
$2.12 €1.90
9.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.3K
$33.5K €30.1K
0.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.8K €34.9K
$38.7K €34.7K
0.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
Neu-Ulm
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$378 €339
$264 €237
43.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.42 €17.44
$33.18 €29.81
-41.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.13 €43.24
$51.6 €46.37
-6.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
Neu-Ulm
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.30 €35.31
$38.89 €34.93
1.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.65 €32.02
$25.10 €22.54
42.03%
Cinema Ticket
$14.44 €12.97
$13.62 €12.23
6.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Berlin
Neu-Ulm
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$146 €131
$354 €318
-58.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.9K €14.3K
$9,561 €8,589
66.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
Neu-Ulm
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.6 €85.9
$45.00 €40.43
112.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.53 €42.70
$55.2 €49.57
-13.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €94.3
$78.5 €70.5
33.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$143 €129
$149 €134
-4.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Berlin
Neu-Ulm
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 €1,264
$795 €714
76.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,117 €1,003
$642 €577
73.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,718 €2,441
$1,125 €1,010
141.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,172 €1,951
$1,144 €1,027
89.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,339 €7,490
$4,906 €4,407
69.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,319 €4,778
$3,404 €3,057
56.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Berlin
Neu-Ulm
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,507 €3,151
$3,650 €3,279
-3.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.8
3.95
-3.80%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 27, 2026

Last update for Neu-Ulm: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Berlin
$1.1K
Neu-Ulm
$642 42.5% $474
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
$445
Neu-Ulm
$349 21.7% $97
Groceries & Markets
Berlin
$345
Neu-Ulm
$338 2.1% $7.1
Eating Out
Berlin
$286
Neu-Ulm
$270 5.8% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
$176
Neu-Ulm
$148 16.2% $28
Getting Around
Berlin
$109
Neu-Ulm
$83 23.6% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
$68
Neu-Ulm
$66 3% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,407 in Berlin versus $795 in Neu-Ulm. 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 4% higher in Neu-Ulm, 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 $78 in Berlin versus $66 in Neu-Ulm. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $338 – making Neu-Ulm the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Berlin
🇩🇪 Neu-Ulm
🕒 Local time
21:27 9:27 PM
21:27 9:27 PM
Same time as Berlin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,769,962 Capital
62,610
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Berlin Neu-Ulm 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Berlin
  • Neu-Ulm

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 Neu-Ulm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Neu-Ulm cheaper than Berlin?
Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,820 per month in Berlin and $2,844 in Neu-Ulm. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Neu-Ulm, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $795 there versus $1,407 in Berlin.
Is eating out cheaper in Berlin or in Neu-Ulm?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Berlin and $66 in Neu-Ulm. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 22% less in Neu-Ulm. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is it better to live in Berlin or in Neu-Ulm?
It depends on your priorities. Berlin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,896 in Neu-Ulm to $2,547 in Berlin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Berlin or Neu-Ulm?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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