Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Swansea

For one person, living is cheaper in Swansea: $2,196 a month against $2,547 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Swansea
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Swansea Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,547

/mo nomad

Swansea

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,196

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Swansea

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

A single person spends $2,547 per month in Berlin vs $2,196 in Swansea, rent included.

Berlin $2,547
Swansea $2,196

A couple spends around $3,875 per month in Berlin vs $3,130 in Swansea, rent included.

Berlin $3,875
Swansea $3,130

A family of three spends $5,204 per month in Berlin vs $4,065 in Swansea, rent included.

Berlin $5,204
Swansea $4,065

Berlin costs about 16% more than Swansea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Berlin and Swansea sit above the global median – Berlin by 87%, Swansea by 61%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.64 €14.94

$20.41 £15.36

-18.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 €70.1

$63.1 £47.46

23.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €12.02

$10.47 £7.88

27.79%

Cappuccino

$4.24 €3.80

$4.76 £3.59

-10.92%

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

$3.42 €3.07

$2.36 £1.78

44.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 €2.84

$1.26 £0.95

150.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 €4.90

$5.89 £4.43

-7.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 €3.91

$6.38 £4.80

-31.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.34 £1.01

-9.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.05 £1.54

14.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 €3.00

$2.06 £1.55

62.14%

Eggs

$4.45 €4.00

$3.52 £2.65

26.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.11 €15.37

$7.78 £5.86

119.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.12 €10.89

$8.33 £6.27

45.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.59 €15.80

$12.87 £9.69

36.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 €3.26

$2.32 £1.74

56.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.75

$1.24 £0.93

57.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 €2.97

$2.87 £2.16

15.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.34

$3.57 £2.69

3.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.92

$2.25 £1.69

-4.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$3.05 £2.30

-31.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.26

$1.27 £0.96

10.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.90

$2.29 £1.73

-56.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.60 €9.53

$23.23 £17.48

-54.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.75 €6.06

$10.63 £8.00

-36.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.17

$2.33 £1.75

-44.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.85

$3.40 £2.56

-39.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.60 €4.13

$4.12 £3.10

11.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 €62.3

$97.1 £73.1

-28.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 €4.81

$3.95 £2.97

35.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 €2.83

$2.68 £2.02

17.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.94 €33.18

$33.33 £25.08

10.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.08

$1.95 £1.47

18.97%

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

$33.7K €30.3K

$38.9K £29.3K

-13.38%

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

$38.8K €34.9K

$40.5K £30.5K

-4.03%

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

$378 €339

$306 £231

23.25%

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

$19.42 €17.44

$14.81 £11.15

31.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.13 €43.24

$43.20 £32.51

11.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.30 €35.31

$33.28 £25.05

18.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.65 €32.02

$15.52 £11.68

129.70%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 €12.97

$9.85 £7.41

46.60%

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

$146 €131

$1,777 £1,337

-91.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €14.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 €85.9

$89.7 £67.5

6.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.53 €42.70

$48.22 £36.29

-1.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.3

$122 £92.0

-14.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €129

$82.6 £62.1

73.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 €1,264

$1,112 £837

26.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 €1,003

$891 £671

25.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,718 €2,441

$1,500 £1,129

81.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,172 €1,951

$1,337 £1,007

62.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,339 €7,490

$3,563 £2,682

134.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,319 €4,778

$2,615 £1,968

103.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,507 €3,151

$3,263 £2,456

7.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

6.04

-37.09%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 27, 2026

Last update for Swansea: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.9%

Swansea

$891 40.6% 20.2% $226

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$445 17.5%

Swansea

$364 16.6% 18.1% $81

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$345 13.6%

Swansea

$293 13.4% 15.1% $52

Eating Out

Berlin

$286 11.2%

Swansea

$309 14.1% 7.8% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$176 6.9%

Swansea

$154 7% 12.4% $22

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Swansea

$131 6% 20.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$68 2.7%

Swansea

$53 2.4% 22.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,407 in Berlin versus $1,112 in Swansea. 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 8% 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 $78 in Berlin versus $63 in Swansea. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $293 – making Swansea the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇬🇧 Swansea

🕒 Local time

18:44 6:44 PM

17:44 5:44 PM

1 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

239,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Berlin Swansea 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Swansea

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 Swansea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,820 per month in Berlin and $3,293 in Swansea. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Swansea, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,112 there versus $1,407 in Berlin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,547 in Berlin and $2,196 in Swansea. That’s a gap of about 16%.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Berlin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,547 in Berlin and $2,196 in Swansea. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Swansea costs $2,196 versus $2,547 in Berlin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Swansea. 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.