Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Portsmouth Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Portsmouth

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,434 per month in Berlin vs $2,574 in Portsmouth, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,675 per month in Berlin vs $3,644 in Portsmouth, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,916 per month in Berlin vs $4,714 in Portsmouth, rent included.

Berlin is about 5% cheaper than Portsmouth, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Berlin and Portsmouth sit above the global median – Berlin by 82%, Portsmouth by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.42 €15.22

$22.96 £17.07

-24.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.2 €70.1

$85.8 £63.8

-6.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.96 €11.32

$8.79 £6.53

47.44%

Cappuccino

$4.38 €3.83

$4.46 £3.32

-1.79%

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

$3.29 €2.88

$2.21 £1.64

48.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.52

$1.74 £1.29

66.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.67

$6.05 £4.50

-11.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.98

$6.26 £4.65

-27.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.63 £1.21

-17.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 €1.74

$1.52 £1.13

30.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.82 €3.34

$2.86 £2.13

33.57%

Eggs

$3.92 €3.43

$3.17 £2.36

23.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.52 €12.68

$8.76 £6.51

65.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.81 €9.44

$7.35 £5.47

47.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.88 €16.49

$15.07 £11.21

25.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 €2.79

$4.27 £3.18

-25.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 €1.92

$2.19 £1.62

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 €2.49

$3.06 £2.27

-6.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 €3.38

$4.85 £3.61

-20.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 €1.69

$1.23 £0.92

56.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.44

$1.66 £1.23

-0.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.10 £0.81

58.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.91

$1.86 £1.38

-44.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.21 €8.92

$17.38 £12.92

-41.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.42 €5.61

$11.49 £8.54

-44.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.00

$3.04 £2.26

-62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.65

$1.81 £1.34

4.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.17 €3.64

$3.46 £2.57

20.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.8 €57.5

$89.7 £66.7

-26.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 €4.97

$4.70 £3.49

20.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 €2.04

$1.74 £1.30

33.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.30 €36.96

$16.44 £12.22

157.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.96 £1.46

3.06%

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

$31.8K €27.8K

$38.2K £28.4K

-16.84%

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

$37.6K €32.9K

$40.7K £30.3K

-7.64%

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

$359 €314

$454 £338

-20.83%

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

$20.15 €17.61

$15.59 £11.59

29.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.43 €41.44

$41.66 £30.97

13.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 €33.12

$35.82 £26.63

5.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.63 €25.01

$20.42 £15.18

40.21%

Cinema Ticket

$14.19 €12.40

$10.76 £8.00

31.88%

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

$193 €168

$1,283 £954

-84.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,149

$18.1K £13.4K

-42.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.4 €81.6

$83.4 £62.0

12.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.80 €39.15

$42.06 £31.27

6.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$88.4 £65.7

16.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €116

$135 £101

-2.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 €1,257

$1,397 £1,038

3.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 €915

$1,082 £804

-3.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,370

$1,927 £1,432

40.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,890 €1,652

$1,710 £1,271

10.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,985 €7,850

$4,472 £3,325

100.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,966 €5,213

$3,822 £2,841

56.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,328 €2,908

$3,463 £2,574

-3.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

5.9

-37.63%

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

Last update for Berlin: July 11, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,439 in Berlin versus $1,397 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 4% higher in Portsmouth, 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 $86.0 in Portsmouth. Groceries tell a different story – $329 in Berlin vs $310 in Portsmouth – so Portsmouth wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 – Portsmouth is pricier by about 6%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,651 per month in Berlin and $3,861 in Portsmouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Berlin, 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 $2,434 in Berlin and $2,574 in Portsmouth. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 36% less in Berlin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Berlin, where all-in costs run around $2,434, than in Portsmouth at $2,574. In Berlin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Portsmouth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Berlin – 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 Berlin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Portsmouth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.