Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Oldenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Oldenburg: $1,946 a month against $2,547 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Berlin, Germany
Oldenburg, Germany
Berlin
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,547
/mo nomad
Oldenburg
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,946
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Oldenburg

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

A single person spends $2,547 per month in Berlin vs $1,946 in Oldenburg, rent included.

  • Berlin $2,547
  • Oldenburg $1,946

A couple spends around $3,875 per month in Berlin vs $2,870 in Oldenburg, rent included.

  • Berlin $3,875
  • Oldenburg $2,870

A family of three spends $5,204 per month in Berlin vs $3,793 in Oldenburg, rent included.

  • Berlin $5,204
  • Oldenburg $3,793

Berlin costs about 31% more than Oldenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Berlin and Oldenburg sit above the global median – Berlin by 87%, Oldenburg by 43%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Berlin
Oldenburg
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.64 €14.94
$11.13 €10.00
49.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.0 €70.1
$72.3 €65.0
7.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.38 €12.02
$11.08 €9.95
20.76%
Cappuccino
$4.24 €3.80
$4.20 €3.78
0.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.42 €3.07
$4.22 €3.79
-18.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 €2.84
$3.28 €2.95
-3.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.45 €4.90
$5.70 €5.12
-4.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 €3.91
$4.10 €3.69
6.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Berlin
Oldenburg
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 €1.08
$1.18 €1.06
2.54%
White Bread (500g)
$2.34 €2.10
$2.19 €1.96
6.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.34 €3.00
$2.85 €2.56
17.19%
Eggs
$4.45 €4.00
$3.75 €3.37
18.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.11 €15.37
$12.07 €10.84
41.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.12 €10.89
$11.92 €10.71
1.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.59 €15.80
$18.27 €16.41
-3.72%
Apples (1kg)
$3.63 €3.26
$3.11 €2.79
16.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 €1.75
$2.16 €1.94
-9.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.31 €2.97
$2.14 €1.92
54.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.71 €3.34
$4.18 €3.75
-11.24%
Potato (1kg)
$2.14 €1.92
$1.21 €1.09
76.86%
Onion (1kg)
$2.09 €1.88
$1.20 €1.07
74.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 €1.26
$1.80 €1.62
-22.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 €0.90
$1.04 €0.93
-3.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.60 €9.53
$9.81 €8.81
8.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.75 €6.06
$6.50 €5.84
3.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 €1.17
$0.94 €0.84
38.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 €1.85
$1.45 €1.31
42.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Berlin
Oldenburg
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.60 €4.13
$3.13 €2.81
46.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$69.3 €62.3
$68.2 €61.3
1.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.35 €4.81
$6.21 €5.58
-13.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.15 €2.83
$2.98 €2.68
5.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.94 €33.18
$43.23 €38.83
-14.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.32 €2.08
$2.03 €1.82
14.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.3K
$30.9K €27.7K
9.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.8K €34.9K
$38.4K €34.5K
1.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
Oldenburg
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$378 €339
$331 €298
14.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.42 €17.44
$19.24 €17.28
0.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.13 €43.24
$39.73 €35.69
21.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
Oldenburg
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.30 €35.31
$35.09 €31.52
12.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.65 €32.02
$7.84 €7.04
354.72%
Cinema Ticket
$14.44 €12.97
$14.94 €13.42
-3.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Berlin
Oldenburg
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$146 €131
$511 €459
-71.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.9K €14.3K
$13.7K €12.3K
16.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
Oldenburg
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.6 €85.9
$86.8 €78.0
10.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.53 €42.70
$36.31 €32.62
30.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €94.3
$100 €89.9
4.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$143 €129
$116 €104
23.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Berlin
Oldenburg
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 €1,264
$943 €847
49.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,117 €1,003
$682 €613
63.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,718 €2,441
$1,226 €1,102
121.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,172 €1,951
$1,125 €1,010
93.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,339 €7,490
$4,275 €3,841
95.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,319 €4,778
$3,021 €2,713
76.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Berlin
Oldenburg
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,507 €3,151
$3,535 €3,175
-0.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.8
3.69
2.98%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 27, 2026

Last update for Oldenburg: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Berlin
$1.1K
Oldenburg
$682 38.9% $434
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
$445
Oldenburg
$390 12.4% $55
Groceries & Markets
Berlin
$345
Oldenburg
$315 8.8% $30
Eating Out
Berlin
$286
Oldenburg
$239 16.4% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
$176
Oldenburg
$153 13.2% $23
Getting Around
Berlin
$109
Oldenburg
$102 6.4% $7
Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
$68
Oldenburg
$65 4.7% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,407 in Berlin versus $943 in Oldenburg. 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 $78 in Berlin versus $72 in Oldenburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $315 – making Oldenburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Berlin
🇩🇪 Oldenburg
🕒 Local time
01:12 1:12 AM
01:12 1:12 AM
Same time as Berlin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,769,962 Capital
163,830
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Berlin Oldenburg 360 km
From you
  • Berlin
  • Oldenburg

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 Oldenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Oldenburg cheaper than Berlin?
Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,820 per month in Berlin and $2,920 in Oldenburg. 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 Oldenburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $943 there versus $1,407 in Berlin.
Is eating out cheaper in Berlin or in Oldenburg?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Berlin and $72 in Oldenburg. 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 Oldenburg?
Groceries cost about 10% more in Berlin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $3,000 enough for either Berlin or Oldenburg?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,547 in Berlin and $1,946 in Oldenburg, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Berlin or in Oldenburg?
It depends on your priorities. Berlin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,946 in Oldenburg to $2,547 in Berlin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Berlin or Oldenburg?
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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