Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Portsmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Berlin: $2,547 a month against $2,765 in Portsmouth, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Portsmouth outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

122

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Portsmouth
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Portsmouth Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,547

/mo nomad

Portsmouth

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,765

/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 $2,547 per month in Berlin vs $2,765 in Portsmouth, rent included.

Berlin $2,547
Portsmouth $2,765

A couple spends around $3,875 per month in Berlin vs $3,781 in Portsmouth, rent included.

Berlin $3,875
Portsmouth $3,781

A family of three spends $5,204 per month in Berlin vs $4,798 in Portsmouth, rent included.

Berlin $5,204
Portsmouth $4,798

Berlin is about 8% cheaper than Portsmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Berlin and Portsmouth sit above the global median – Berlin by 87%, Portsmouth by 103%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.64 €14.91

$20.08 £15.00

-17.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 €69.9

$66.5 £49.64

17.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.99

$10.54 £7.87

26.94%

Cappuccino

$4.24 €3.80

$4.78 £3.57

-11.30%

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

$3.42 €3.06

$2.74 £2.05

24.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 €2.83

$2.31 £1.73

36.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 €4.89

$6.28 £4.69

-13.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 €3.90

$5.85 £4.37

-25.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.39 £1.04

-12.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.10

$1.61 £1.20

45.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 €3.00

$3.67 £2.74

-8.99%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.99

$3.46 £2.58

28.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.11 €15.33

$13.49 £10.07

26.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.12 €10.86

$8.16 £6.09

48.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.59 €15.76

$13.18 £9.85

33.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 €3.25

$3.89 £2.91

-6.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.75

$1.93 £1.45

1.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 €2.97

$2.92 £2.18

13.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.33

$3.38 £2.52

9.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.92

$1.67 £1.25

28.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$1.67 £1.25

25.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.26

$1.21 £0.90

15.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.90

$1.47 £1.10

-31.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.60 €9.50

$22.69 £16.95

-53.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.75 €6.05

$11.13 £8.32

-39.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.16

$3.13 £2.34

-58.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.84

$2.16 £1.61

-4.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.60 €4.12

$3.94 £2.94

16.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 €62.1

$86.3 £64.5

-19.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 €4.80

$5.31 £3.97

0.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 €2.82

$1.54 £1.15

104.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.94 €33.10

$19.93 £14.89

85.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.09 £1.56

11.00%

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

$33.7K €30.2K

$38.5K £28.8K

-12.49%

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

$38.8K €34.8K

$41.1K £30.7K

-5.45%

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

$378 €338

$661 £494

-42.84%

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

$19.42 €17.40

$15.19 £11.35

27.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.13 €43.13

$43.05 £32.16

11.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.30 €35.22

$34.53 £25.80

13.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.65 €31.94

$17.24 £12.88

106.79%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 €12.94

$10.80 £8.07

33.70%

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

$146 €131

$1,602 £1,197

-90.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €14.3K

$20.0K £15.0K

-20.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 €85.7

$91.2 £68.1

4.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.53 €42.59

$39.80 £29.74

19.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.0

$100 £75.0

4.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$119 £89.2

19.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 €1,260

$1,493 £1,115

-5.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 €1,001

$1,092 £816

2.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,718 €2,436

$2,146 £1,603

26.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,172 €1,947

$1,669 £1,247

30.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,339 €7,472

$4,574 £3,417

82.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,319 €4,767

$3,680 £2,749

44.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,507 €3,143

$3,397 £2,537

3.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

5.16

-26.36%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 27, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.9%

Portsmouth

$1.1K 39.5% 2.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$445 17.5%

Portsmouth

$719 26% 61.5% $274

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$345 13.6%

Portsmouth

$312 11.3% 9.7% $33

Eating Out

Berlin

$286 11.2%

Portsmouth

$313 11.3% 9.3% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$176 6.9%

Portsmouth

$158 5.7% 10.3% $18

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Portsmouth

$115 4.2% 5.7% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$68 2.7%

Portsmouth

$56 2% 17.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,407 in Berlin versus $1,493 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 3% higher in Berlin, 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 Portsmouth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $312 – making Portsmouth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇬🇧 Portsmouth

🕒 Local time

03:38 3:38 AM

02:38 2:38 AM

1 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

198,974

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Berlin Portsmouth 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min 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 – Portsmouth is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,820 per month in Berlin and $4,147 in Portsmouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,407 in Berlin and $1,493 in Portsmouth. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,547 in Berlin and $2,765 in Portsmouth. That makes Berlin about 8% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Berlin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,547 in Berlin and $2,765 in Portsmouth. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Berlin costs $2,547 versus $2,765 in Portsmouth. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.