Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Obninsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Obninsk: $1,111 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Berlin
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,551
/mo nomad
Obninsk
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,111
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Obninsk

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $1,111 in Obninsk, rent included.

  • Berlin $2,551
  • Obninsk $1,111

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $1,741 in Obninsk, rent included.

  • Berlin $3,845
  • Obninsk $1,741

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $2,372 in Obninsk, rent included.

  • Berlin $5,139
  • Obninsk $2,372

Berlin costs about 130% more than Obninsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Berlin sits 89% above the global median, while Obninsk is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Berlin
Obninsk
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.81
$9.34 ₽780
78.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.7 €68.2
$36.36 ₽3,034
111.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.47 €11.98
$6.98 ₽582
92.98%
Cappuccino
$4.37 €3.89
$2.90 ₽242
50.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 €3.09
$1.21 ₽101
187.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 €2.77
$0.49 ₽41.06
536.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.34 €4.75
$1.76 ₽147
203.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.39 €3.91
$2.41 ₽201
82.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Berlin
Obninsk
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 €1.13
$1.13 ₽94.6
12.39%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 €2.08
$0.63 ₽52.2
269.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.40 €3.02
$1.73 ₽145
96.53%
Eggs
$4.50 €4.00
$1.32 ₽110
240.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.78 €14.93
$7.47 ₽623
124.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.91 €10.59
$4.70 ₽392
153.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.90 €15.92
$8.21 ₽685
118.03%
Apples (1kg)
$3.46 €3.07
$1.55 ₽129
123.23%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 €1.73
$1.64 ₽137
18.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.26 €2.90
$1.80 ₽150
81.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.71 €3.30
$2.37 ₽198
56.54%
Potato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$0.55 ₽46.11
281.82%
Onion (1kg)
$2.09 €1.86
$0.53 ₽44.16
294.34%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.42 €1.27
$0.91 ₽75.9
56.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 €0.84
$0.60 ₽49.86
58.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.44 €9.29
$3.37 ₽282
209.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.58 €5.85
$8.28 ₽691
-20.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 €1.13
$1.21 ₽101
4.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 €1.85
$1.90 ₽159
9.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Berlin
Obninsk
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.34 €3.86
$0.51 ₽42.92
750.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.6 €63.7
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.26 €4.68
$3.65 ₽304
44.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.09 €2.75
$0.37 ₽30.60
735.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.34 €32.32
$12.14 ₽1,014
199.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.31 €2.05
$0.89 ₽74.5
159.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K €28.8K
$39.8K ₽3.3M
-18.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.6K €34.3K
$38.6K ₽3.2M
0.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
Obninsk
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$382 €340
$192 ₽16.1K
98.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.83 €16.75
$8.80 ₽735
113.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.57 €43.20
$10.12 ₽844
379.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
Obninsk
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.21 €35.76
$36.22 ₽3,023
11.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.90 €31.04
$20.73 ₽1,730
68.36%
Cinema Ticket
$15.73 €14.00
$9.41 ₽785
67.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Berlin
Obninsk
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$142 €126
$340 ₽28.4K
-58.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.8K €14.0K
$6,222 ₽519.3K
153.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
Obninsk
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.4 €84.8
$109 ₽9,104
-12.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.32 €41.20
$66.3 ₽5,532
-30.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.4
$147 ₽12.2K
-29.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$143 €128
$181 ₽15.1K
-20.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Berlin
Obninsk
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,469 €1,306
$535 ₽44.6K
174.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,114 €991
$283 ₽23.6K
294.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,751 €2,447
$993 ₽82.9K
176.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,107 €1,875
$610 ₽50.9K
245.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,454 €7,520
$2,238 ₽186.8K
277.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,435 €4,834
$1,460 ₽121.9K
272.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Berlin
Obninsk
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,543 €3,151
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.8
19.56
-80.57%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Obninsk: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Berlin
$1.1K
Obninsk
$283 74.6% $832
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
$449
Obninsk
$211 52.9% $238
Groceries & Markets
Berlin
$343
Obninsk
$177 48.4% $166
Eating Out
Berlin
$288
Obninsk
$151 47.6% $137
Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
$175
Obninsk
$226 29.4% $51
Getting Around
Berlin
$110
Obninsk
$7.5 * 93.1% $102
Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
$72
Obninsk
$55 23.2% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $535 in Obninsk. 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 $36.00 in Obninsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $177 – making Obninsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Berlin
🇷🇺 Obninsk
🕒 Local time
14:27 2:27 PM
15:27 3:27 PM
1 h ahead of Berlin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,769,962 Capital
116,179
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Berlin Obninsk 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Berlin
  • Obninsk

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 Obninsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Obninsk cheaper than Berlin?
Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 130%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Berlin and $1,666 in Obninsk. 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 Obninsk, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Berlin or in Obninsk?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Berlin and $36.00 in Obninsk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Berlin and in Obninsk?
Groceries cost about 94% more in Berlin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Berlin or in Obninsk?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Obninsk, where all-in costs run around $1,111, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Obninsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Berlin or Obninsk more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Obninsk – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Berlin or Obninsk?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Obninsk. 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.

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