Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Qapshaghay

For one person, living is cheaper in Qapshaghay: $1,077 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Berlin
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,551
/mo nomad
Qapshaghay
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,077
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Qapshaghay

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $1,077 in Qapshaghay, rent included.

  • Berlin $2,551
  • Qapshaghay $1,077

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $1,621 in Qapshaghay, rent included.

  • Berlin $3,845
  • Qapshaghay $1,621

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $2,166 in Qapshaghay, rent included.

  • Berlin $5,139
  • Qapshaghay $2,166

Berlin costs about 137% more than Qapshaghay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Berlin sits 89% above the global median, while Qapshaghay is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Berlin
Qapshaghay
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.81
$10.99 ₸4,967
51.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.7 €68.2
$22.25 ₸10.1K
244.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.47 €11.98
$6.64 ₸3,002
102.86%
Cappuccino
$4.37 €3.89
$1.83 ₸827
138.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 €3.09
$1.03 ₸464
237.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 €2.77
$0.65 ₸292
380.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.34 €4.75
$1.29 ₸583
313.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.39 €3.91
$1.31 ₸594
235.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Berlin
Qapshaghay
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 €1.13
$1.68 ₸760
-24.40%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 €2.08
$0.45 ₸203
417.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.40 €3.02
$2.11 ₸952
61.14%
Eggs
$4.50 €4.00
$2.47 ₸1,118
82.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.78 €14.93
$12.27 ₸5,546
36.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.91 €10.59
$6.54 ₸2,955
82.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.90 €15.92
$10.87 ₸4,913
64.67%
Apples (1kg)
$3.46 €3.07
$1.79 ₸811
93.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 €1.73
$2.29 ₸1,033
-14.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.26 €2.90
$2.89 ₸1,305
12.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.71 €3.30
$2.85 ₸1,289
30.18%
Potato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$0.75 ₸339
180.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.09 €1.86
$0.58 ₸263
260.34%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.42 €1.27
$1.62 ₸731
-12.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 €0.84
$0.99 ₸449
-4.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.44 €9.29
$1.59 ₸720
556.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.58 €5.85
$11.22 ₸5,070
-41.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 €1.13
$1.26 ₸570
0.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 €1.85
$2.41 ₸1,088
-13.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Berlin
Qapshaghay
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.34 €3.86
$0.19 ₸85.5
2184.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.6 €63.7
$16.82 ₸7,606
325.68%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.26 €4.68
$0.81 ₸365
549.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.09 €2.75
$0.64 ₸290
382.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.34 €32.32
$3.96 ₸1,789
817.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.31 €2.05
$0.57 ₸260
305.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K €28.8K
$21.9K ₸9.9M
48.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.6K €34.3K
$29.7K ₸13.4M
30.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
Qapshaghay
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$382 €340
$90.4 ₸40.9K
322.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.83 €16.75
$10.66 ₸4,820
76.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.57 €43.20
$18.21 ₸8,233
166.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
Qapshaghay
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.21 €35.76
$41.82 ₸18.9K
-3.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.90 €31.04
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.73 €14.00
$6.49 ₸2,935
142.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Berlin
Qapshaghay
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$142 €126
$145 ₸65.7K
-2.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.8K €14.0K
$4,498 ₸2.0M
250.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
Qapshaghay
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.4 €84.8
$90.7 ₸41.0K
5.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.32 €41.20
$46.03 ₸20.8K
0.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.4
$141 ₸63.8K
-26.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$143 €128
$134 ₸60.5K
7.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Berlin
Qapshaghay
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,469 €1,306
$441 ₸199.5K
232.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,114 €991
$305 ₸137.7K
265.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,751 €2,447
$718 ₸324.4K
283.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,107 €1,875
$495 ₸223.8K
325.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,454 €7,520
$1,191 ₸538.3K
609.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,435 €4,834
$769 ₸347.4K
607.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Berlin
Qapshaghay
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,543 €3,151
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.8
20.65
-81.60%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Qapshaghay: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Berlin
$1.1K
Qapshaghay
$305 72.7% $810
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
$449
Qapshaghay
$119 73.4% $330
Groceries & Markets
Berlin
$343
Qapshaghay
$246 28.4% $97
Eating Out
Berlin
$288
Qapshaghay
$146 49.5% $142
Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
$175
Qapshaghay
$185 5.9% $10
Getting Around
Berlin
$110
Qapshaghay
$22 80.3% $88
Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
$72
Qapshaghay
$55 23.5% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $441 in Qapshaghay. 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 $22.00 in Qapshaghay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $246 – making Qapshaghay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Berlin
🇰🇿 Qapshaghay
🕒 Local time
11:33 11:33 AM
15:33 3:33 PM
4 h ahead of Berlin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,769,962 Capital
42,167
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Berlin Qapshaghay 4,660 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Berlin
  • Qapshaghay

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 Qapshaghay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Qapshaghay cheaper than Berlin?
Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 137%, 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 $3,826 per month in Berlin and $1,615 in Qapshaghay. 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 Qapshaghay, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Berlin and in Qapshaghay?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,551 in Berlin and $1,077 in Qapshaghay. That's a gap of about 137%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 326% less in Qapshaghay. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Berlin or in Qapshaghay?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Qapshaghay, where all-in costs run around $1,077, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Qapshaghay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Berlin or Qapshaghay more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Qapshaghay – 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 Qapshaghay?
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 Qapshaghay. 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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