Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Solingen

For one person, living is cheaper in Solingen: $2,001 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Berlin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Solingen
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Solingen Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Solingen

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,001

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Solingen

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $2,001 in Solingen, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Solingen $2,001

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $3,003 in Solingen, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Solingen $3,003

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $4,006 in Solingen, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Solingen $4,006

Berlin costs about 27% more than Solingen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Berlin and Solingen sit above the global median – Berlin by 89%, Solingen by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$19.24 €17.11

-13.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$73.5 €65.4

4.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$13.48 €11.99

-0.07%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$3.88 €3.45

12.63%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$3.13 €2.78

11.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$2.92 €2.59

6.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$5.11 €4.55

4.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$4.50 €4.00

-2.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.26 €1.12

0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.08 €1.85

12.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$2.96 €2.63

14.86%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$3.91 €3.48

15.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$16.36 €14.55

2.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$12.79 €11.38

-6.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$22.56 €20.06

-20.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$3.12 €2.77

10.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$2.12 €1.88

-8.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$2.13 €1.89

53.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$3.89 €3.46

-4.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.20 €1.06

75.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.30 €1.16

60.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.58 €1.41

-10.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$1.16 €1.04

-18.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$9.94 €8.84

5.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$5.64 €5.01

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.05 €0.94

20.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.46 €1.30

42.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

$3.43 €3.05

26.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$65.1 €57.9

10.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$5.01 €4.46

4.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

$3.04 €2.71

1.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

$38.45 €34.20

-5.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$2.20 €1.96

5.00%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$33.4K €29.7K

-2.95%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$37.6K €33.5K

2.62%

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

$382 €340

$330 €294

15.61%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$19.79 €17.61

-4.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$41.22 €36.66

17.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$39.77 €35.37

1.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

$23.78 €21.15

46.76%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$15.29 €13.60

2.88%

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

$142 €126

$470 €418

-69.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$9,286 €8,260

69.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$94.6 €84.2

0.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$41.74 €37.13

10.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$112 €99.2

-6.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$166 €148

-13.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$842 €749

74.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$611 €543

82.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$1,372 €1,220

100.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

$1,023 €910

105.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,520

$4,992 €4,441

69.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,834

$3,334 €2,966

62.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

$5,206 €4,631

-31.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

3.95

-3.80%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Solingen: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Solingen

$611 30.5% 45.2% $504

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Solingen

$391 19.6% 12.9% $58

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Solingen

$344 17.2% 0.3% $0.9

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Solingen

$300 15% 4% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Solingen

$186 9.3% 6.5% $11

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Solingen

$99 5% 9.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Solingen

$70 3.5% 1.8% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $842 in Solingen. 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 47% higher in Solingen, 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 $77.0 in Berlin versus $73.0 in Solingen. Groceries tell a different story – $343 in Berlin vs $344 in Solingen – so Berlin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇩🇪 Solingen

🕒 Local time

19:15 7:15 PM

Same time as Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

164,205

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Berlin Solingen 460 km

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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 Solingen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Berlin and $3,001 in Solingen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Solingen, 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 $2,001 in Solingen. That's a gap of about 27%.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Solingen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Solingen, where all-in costs run around $2,001, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Solingen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Solingen – 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 Solingen. 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.