Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Sintra

For one person, living is cheaper in Sintra: $1,592 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
Learn more

Berlin Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Sintra
Learn more

Sintra Living Index

Jump to prices

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Sintra

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,592

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Sintra

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $1,592 in Sintra, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Sintra $1,592

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $2,317 in Sintra, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Sintra $2,317

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $3,041 in Sintra, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Sintra $3,041

Berlin costs about 60% more than Sintra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Berlin and Sintra sit above the global median – Berlin by 89%, Sintra by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$13.05 €11.61

27.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$55.4 €49.24

38.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$8.84 €7.87

52.38%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$1.28 €1.14

241.41%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$1.54 €1.37

125.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$1.21 €1.07

157.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$3.25 €2.89

64.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$2.74 €2.44

60.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.06 €0.95

19.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$1.26 €1.12

84.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$1.32 €1.17

157.58%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$2.60 €2.31

73.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$9.14 €8.13

83.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$6.91 €6.15

72.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$11.07 €9.85

61.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$1.83 €1.62

89.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.22 €1.09

59.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$1.34 €1.19

143.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$2.24 €2.00

65.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.25 €1.11

68.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.63 €1.45

28.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.59 €1.42

-10.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$0.63 €0.56

50.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$6.25 €5.56

67.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$3.28 €2.92

100.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.28 €1.14

-0.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.40 €1.24

48.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

$2.19 €1.94

98.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$41.73 €37.11

71.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$3.66 €3.26

43.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

$0.50 €0.44

518.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

$16.24 €14.45

123.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$2.07 €1.84

11.59%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$34.2K €30.4K

-5.08%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$38.2K €33.9K

1.20%

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

$382 €340

$129 €115

196.28%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$21.92 €19.50

-14.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$45.30 €40.30

7.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$41.17 €36.62

-2.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

$15.52 €13.81

124.87%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$8.89 €7.91

76.94%

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

$142 €126

$604 €538

-76.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$6,207 €5,522

154.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$74.5 €66.3

27.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$45.04 €40.07

2.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$108 €96.1

-3.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$49.27 €43.82

190.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$977 €869

50.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$774 €688

44.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$1,551 €1,379

77.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

$1,173 €1,043

79.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,520

$3,033 €2,698

178.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,834

$2,236 €1,989

143.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

$1,347 €1,198

163.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

3.54

7.34%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sintra: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Sintra

$774 48.6% 30.6% $341

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Sintra

$196 12.3% 56.3% $253

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Sintra

$204 12.8% 40.6% $139

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Sintra

$179 11.2% 37.8% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Sintra

$125 7.8% 28.8% $50

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Sintra

$57 3.6% 48.4% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Sintra

$59 3.7% 17.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $977 in Sintra. 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 163% 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 $55.0 in Sintra. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $204 – making Sintra the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇵🇹 Sintra

🕒 Local time

15:15 3:15 PM

14:15 2:15 PM

1 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

385,654

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Berlin Sintra 2,320 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Sintra

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 Sintra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 60%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Berlin and $2,389 in Sintra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sintra, 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 $1,592 in Sintra. That's a gap of about 60%.

Public transport costs about 72% less in Sintra. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sintra, where all-in costs run around $1,592, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Sintra it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sintra – 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 Sintra. 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.