Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Swindon

For one person, living is cheaper in Swindon: $2,391 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Berlin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Berlin
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,545
/mo nomad
Swindon
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,391
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Swindon

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

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Berlin vs $2,391 in Swindon, rent included.

  • Berlin $2,545
  • Swindon $2,391

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Berlin vs $3,423 in Swindon, rent included.

  • Berlin $3,901
  • Swindon $3,423

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Berlin vs $4,455 in Swindon, rent included.

  • Berlin $5,257
  • Swindon $4,455

Berlin costs about 6% more than Swindon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Berlin and Swindon sit above the global median – Berlin by 90%, Swindon by 78%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Berlin
Swindon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.81 €15.00
$20.32 £15.35
-17.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.6 €71.0
$61.9 £46.77
28.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.38 €11.94
$10.38 £7.85
28.90%
Cappuccino
$4.27 €3.81
$4.60 £3.48
-7.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.03
$2.67 £2.02
27.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 €2.79
$1.65 £1.25
89.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.48 €4.89
$5.43 £4.10
0.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.56 €4.07
$4.49 £3.39
1.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Berlin
Swindon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 €1.13
$1.51 £1.14
-15.89%
White Bread (500g)
$2.45 €2.19
$1.73 £1.30
41.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.30 €2.94
$1.87 £1.41
76.47%
Eggs
$4.45 €3.97
$4.21 £3.18
5.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.10 €15.26
$8.03 £6.07
112.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.19 €10.88
$8.90 £6.73
36.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.30 €16.33
$13.22 £9.99
38.43%
Apples (1kg)
$3.58 €3.19
$3.07 £2.32
16.61%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 €1.77
$1.81 £1.37
9.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.27 €2.92
$2.61 £1.97
25.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.81 €3.40
$4.18 £3.16
-8.85%
Potato (1kg)
$2.13 €1.90
$2.03 £1.54
4.93%
Onion (1kg)
$2.21 €1.97
$1.49 £1.13
48.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.21 £0.91
23.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.01 €0.90
$1.76 £1.33
-42.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.49 €9.37
$22.94 £17.34
-54.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.76 €6.03
$10.70 £8.08
-36.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.34 €1.20
$2.75 £2.08
-51.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 €1.87
$3.49 £2.64
-39.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Berlin
Swindon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.37 €3.90
$3.08 £2.33
41.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.0 €63.3
$89.5 £67.6
-20.69%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.29 €4.72
$3.39 £2.56
56.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.05 €2.73
$1.61 £1.21
89.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.30 €32.39
$21.70 £16.40
67.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$2.00 £1.51
14.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$37.7K £28.5K
-11.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.1K €34.9K
$39.8K £30.1K
-1.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
Swindon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$379 €339
$323 £244
17.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.31 €17.23
$15.61 £11.80
23.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.41 €43.20
$37.79 £28.56
28.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
Swindon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.31 €35.97
$37.19 £28.10
8.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.51 €31.69
$23.01 £17.39
54.32%
Cinema Ticket
$15.53 €13.86
$13.83 £10.45
12.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Berlin
Swindon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$144 €128
$1,180 £892
-87.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.8K €14.1K
$5,414 £4,091
190.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
Swindon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$94.6 €84.5
$89.2 £67.4
6.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.33 €41.34
$43.92 £33.19
5.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €92.2
$83.6 £63.2
23.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$141 €126
$87.5 £66.1
61.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Berlin
Swindon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,488 €1,328
$1,215 £918
22.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,098 €980
$1,124 £849
-2.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,665 €2,378
$1,903 £1,438
40.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,080 €1,856
$1,751 £1,323
18.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,578 €7,655
$2,632 £1,989
225.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,438 €4,853
$3,012 £2,276
80.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Berlin
Swindon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,487 €3,112
$2,941 £2,222
18.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.8
4.87
-21.97%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Swindon: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Berlin
$1.1K
Swindon
$1.1K 2.3% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
$447
Swindon
$376 15.9% $71
Groceries & Markets
Berlin
$351
Swindon
$300 14.5% $51
Eating Out
Berlin
$289
Swindon
$302 4.8% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
$174
Swindon
$137 21.1% $37
Getting Around
Berlin
$109
Swindon
$113 3.9% $4.2
Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
$71
Swindon
$65 9.2% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Berlin versus $1,215 in Swindon. 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 19% 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 $80.0 in Berlin versus $62.0 in Swindon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $300 – making Swindon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Berlin
🇬🇧 Swindon
🕒 Local time
03:04 3:04 AM
02:04 2:04 AM
1 h behind Berlin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,769,962 Capital
183,638
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Berlin Swindon 1,040 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Berlin
  • Swindon

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 Swindon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Swindon cheaper than Berlin?
Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,818 per month in Berlin and $3,586 in Swindon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Swindon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Berlin and in Swindon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,545 in Berlin and $2,391 in Swindon. That's a gap of about 6%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 26% less in Swindon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Berlin or in Swindon?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Swindon, where all-in costs run around $2,391, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Swindon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Berlin or Swindon more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Swindon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Berlin or Swindon?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Swindon. 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.

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