Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Rethymno

For one person, living is cheaper in Rethymno: $1,345 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Rethymno
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Rethymno Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Rethymno

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,345

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Rethymno

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $1,345 in Rethymno, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Rethymno $1,345

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $2,021 in Rethymno, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Rethymno $2,021

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $2,697 in Rethymno, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Rethymno $2,697

Berlin costs about 90% more than Rethymno, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Berlin and Rethymno sit above the global median – Berlin by 89%, Rethymno by 0%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$12.58 €11.19

32.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$55.6 €49.49

37.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$9.88 €8.79

36.34%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$3.56 €3.17

22.75%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$1.65 €1.47

110.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$0.53 €0.47

488.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$4.43 €3.94

20.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$5.42 €4.82

-19.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.52 €1.35

-16.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$1.26 €1.12

84.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$2.17 €1.93

56.68%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$4.55 €4.04

-1.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$14.65 €13.03

14.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$9.32 €8.29

27.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$15.06 €13.40

18.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$2.04 €1.81

69.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$2.02 €1.79

-3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$1.22 €1.08

167.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$1.76 €1.57

110.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$0.97 €0.86

116.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$0.95 €0.84

120.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$0.64 €0.57

121.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$0.72 €0.64

31.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$4.36 €3.88

139.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.77 €1.57

-28.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.89 €1.68

10.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

$1.83 €1.63

137.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$4.40 €3.91

19.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

$1.09 €0.97

183.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

$11.32 €10.07

221.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$2.25 €2.00

2.67%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$22.4K €19.9K

44.92%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$24.4K €21.7K

58.16%

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

$382 €340

$193 €171

98.19%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$17.94 €15.96

4.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$30.38 €27.02

59.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$60.2 €53.6

-33.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$8.50 €7.56

85.06%

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

$142 €126

$364 €324

-61.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$3,938 €3,503

300.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$89.6 €79.7

6.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$11.17 €9.94

314.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$44.93 €39.96

131.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$43.80 €38.96

227.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$549 €489

167.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$441 €392

152.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$908 €808

202.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

$712 €633

195.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,520

$4,079 €3,628

107.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,834

$2,948 €2,622

84.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

$1,222 €1,087

189.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

4.3

-11.63%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rethymno: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Rethymno

$441 32.8% 60.4% $673

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Rethymno

$241 17.9% 46.4% $208

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Rethymno

$268 20% 21.8% $75

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Rethymno

$215 16% 25.4% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Rethymno

$85 6.3% 51.3% $90

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Rethymno

$17 * 1.3% 84.4% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Rethymno

$77 5.7% 7.7% $5.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $549 in Rethymno. 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 190% 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 $77.0 in Berlin versus $56.0 in Rethymno. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $268 – making Rethymno the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇬🇷 Rethymno

🕒 Local time

18:00 6:00 PM

19:00 7:00 PM

1 h ahead of Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

35,763

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Berlin Rethymno 2,100 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
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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 Rethymno: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 90%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Berlin and $2,017 in Rethymno. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Berlin and $56.0 in Rethymno. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Rethymno, where all-in costs run around $1,345, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Rethymno it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rethymno – 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 Rethymno. 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.