Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Portsmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Portsmouth: $929 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Portsmouth

🇩🇲 Dominica

$929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Portsmouth

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

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Berlin vs $929 in Portsmouth, rent included.

Berlin $2,545
Portsmouth $929

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Berlin vs $1,626 in Portsmouth, rent included.

Berlin $3,901
Portsmouth $1,626

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Berlin vs $2,323 in Portsmouth, rent included.

Berlin $5,257
Portsmouth $2,323

Berlin costs about 174% more than Portsmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Berlin sits 90% above the global median, while Portsmouth is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.81 €15.00

$5.50 EC$14.84

205.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €71.0

$56.2 EC$152

41.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.94

$6.83 EC$18.44

95.90%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.81

$2.67 EC$7.20

59.93%

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

$3.40 €3.03

$2.19 EC$5.91

55.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.79

$1.87 EC$5.05

66.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 €4.89

$2.53 EC$6.84

116.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €4.07

$3.73 EC$10.07

22.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$2.86 EC$7.72

-55.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.19

$2.23 EC$6.03

9.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 €2.94

$2.01 EC$5.43

64.18%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.97

$6.50 EC$17.55

-31.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 €15.26

$2.66 EC$7.17

542.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.19 €10.88

$5.48 EC$14.80

122.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 €16.33

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 €3.19

$7.21 EC$19.46

-50.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.77

$2.57 EC$6.93

-22.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.92

$4.00 EC$10.81

-18.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.40

$4.14 EC$11.17

-7.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$2.90 EC$7.84

-26.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$2.78 EC$7.51

-20.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.82 EC$4.91

-18.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.90

$1.90 EC$5.13

-46.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.49 €9.37

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.03

$11.32 EC$30.56

-40.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.87 EC$5.06

-28.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.67 EC$7.20

-21.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 €3.90

$0.75 EC$2.03

482.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 €63.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.72

$3.67 EC$9.90

44.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 €2.73

$3.68 EC$9.93

-17.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.30 €32.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

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

$33.2K €29.7K

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

$39.1K €34.9K

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

$379 €339

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

$19.31 €17.23

$40.78 EC$110

-52.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.41 €43.20

$63.9 EC$172

-24.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 €35.97

$36.97 EC$99.8

9.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 €31.69

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 €13.86

$11.11 EC$30.01

39.78%

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

$144 €128

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.6 €84.5

$55.9 EC$151

69.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 €41.34

$23.90 EC$64.5

93.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.2

$56.0 EC$151

84.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

$65.9 EC$178

114.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,328

$258 EC$696

477.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €980

$223 EC$602

392.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 €2,378

$670 EC$1,808

298.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 €1,856

$617 EC$1,667

236.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,655

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,438 €4,853

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 €3,112

$626 EC$1,691

456.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

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

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Portsmouth

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$447 17.6%

Portsmouth

–

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$351 13.8%

Portsmouth

–

Eating Out

Berlin

$289 11.4%

Portsmouth

–

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$174 6.8%

Portsmouth

–

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Portsmouth

–

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$71 2.8%

Portsmouth

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Berlin versus $258 in Portsmouth. 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 457% 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 $80.0 in Berlin versus $56.0 in Portsmouth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $290 – making Portsmouth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇩🇲 Portsmouth

🕒 Local time

15:39 3:39 PM

09:39 9:39 AM

6 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

3,633

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Berlin Portsmouth 7,620 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Portsmouth

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 Portsmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 174%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,818 per month in Berlin and $1,394 in Portsmouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 21% more in Berlin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Berlin and $56.0 in Portsmouth. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Portsmouth, where all-in costs run around $929, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Portsmouth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Portsmouth – 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 Portsmouth. 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.