Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Scranton, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Scranton, PA: $2,109 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
103

Cost of Living Index in Scranton, PA
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Scranton, PA Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Scranton, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,109

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Scranton, PA

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $2,109 in Scranton, PA, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Scranton, PA $2,109

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $3,000 in Scranton, PA, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Scranton, PA $3,000

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $3,891 in Scranton, PA, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Scranton, PA $3,891

Berlin costs about 21% more than Scranton, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Berlin and Scranton, PA sit above the global median – Berlin by 89%, Scranton, PA by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$12.08 $12.08

37.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$77.1 $77.1

-0.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$5.96 $5.96

126.01%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$4.48 $4.48

-2.46%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$1.53 $1.53

127.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$0.99 $0.99

215.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$6.93 $6.93

-22.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$7.66 $7.66

-42.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$0.73 $0.73

73.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$1.46 $1.46

59.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$2.22 $2.22

53.15%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$3.34 $3.34

34.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$11.12 $11.12

50.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$8.81 $8.81

35.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$11.18 $11.18

60.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$3.61 $3.61

-4.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.31 $1.31

48.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$3.32 $3.32

-1.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$4.26 $4.26

-12.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.90 $2.90

-27.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$3.32 $3.32

-37.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.94 $1.94

-26.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$1.01 $1.01

-5.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$6.59 $6.59

58.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$12.19 $12.19

-46.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$3.04 $3.04

-58.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$4.79 $4.79

-56.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

$1.73 $1.73

150.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$61.1 $61.1

17.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$3.16 $3.16

66.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

$2.00 $2.00

54.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

$25.03 $25.03

45.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$1.11 $1.11

108.11%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$35.3K $35.3K

-8.24%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$25.7K $25.7K

50.25%

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

$382 €340

$232 $232

64.61%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$40.27 $40.27

-53.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$49.27 $49.27

-1.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$29.52 $29.52

36.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

$16.03 $16.03

117.72%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$12.53 $12.53

25.54%

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

$142 €126

$770 $770

-81.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$17.6K $17.6K

-10.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$45.23 $45.23

110.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$30.25 $30.25

53.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$72.9 $72.9

42.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$82.9 $82.9

72.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$1,269 $1,269

15.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$1,019 $1,019

9.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$1,554 $1,554

76.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

$1,481 $1,481

42.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,520

$1,594 $1,594

430.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,834

$1,538 $1,538

253.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

$3,361 $3,361

5.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

6.67

-43.03%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Scranton, PA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Scranton, PA

$1K 48.3% 8.5% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Scranton, PA

$321 15.2% 28.4% $128

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Scranton, PA

$300 14.2% 12.5% $43

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Scranton, PA

$228 10.8% 20.7% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Scranton, PA

$104 4.9% 40.5% $71

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Scranton, PA

$81 3.9% 26% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Scranton, PA

$55 2.6% 23.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $1,269 in Scranton, PA. 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 5% 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 $77.0 in Scranton, PA. Groceries tell a different story – $343 in Berlin vs $300 in Scranton, PA – so Scranton, PA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇺🇸 Scranton, PA

🕒 Local time

01:39 1:39 AM

19:39 7:39 PM

6 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

72,861

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Berlin Scranton, PA 6,430 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Scranton, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Berlin and $3,163 in Scranton, PA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Scranton, PA, 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 $2,551 in Berlin and $2,109 in Scranton, PA. That's a gap of about 21%.

Public transport costs about 17% less in Scranton, PA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Scranton, PA, where all-in costs run around $2,109, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Scranton, PA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Scranton, PA – 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 Scranton, PA. 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.