Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Sydney, NS

For one person, living is cheaper in Sydney, NS: $1,595 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
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Berlin Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sydney, NS
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Sydney, NS Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Sydney, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,595

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Sydney, NS

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $1,595 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Sydney, NS $1,595

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $2,519 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Sydney, NS $2,519

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $3,443 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Sydney, NS $3,443

Berlin costs about 60% more than Sydney, NS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$11.02 CA$15.57

51.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$63.5 CA$89.7

20.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$7.36 CA$10.40

83.02%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$2.84 CA$4.02

53.87%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$2.29 CA$3.23

51.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$2.06 CA$2.91

51.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$2.24 CA$3.16

-43.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.48 CA$3.51

-6.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$2.41 CA$3.41

41.08%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$3.19 CA$4.50

41.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$6.29 CA$8.89

166.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$8.04 CA$11.36

48.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$13.06 CA$18.47

37.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$7.04 CA$9.96

-50.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.19 CA$1.68

63.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$1.43 CA$2.02

159.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$0.78 CA$1.10

169.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.95 CA$2.76

7.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$6.41 CA$9.06

-77.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$17.79 CA$25.15

-41.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$4.21 CA$5.96

-50.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

$1.08 CA$1.53

301.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$47.58 CA$67.3

50.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$4.10 CA$5.80

28.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$1.17 CA$1.66

97.44%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$25.6K CA$36.2K

26.64%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$19.0K CA$26.9K

102.93%

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

$382 €340

$88.1 CA$124

333.42%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$34.80 CA$49.20

-45.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$73.5 CA$104

-33.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$47.87 CA$67.7

-16.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

$3.40 CA$4.80

926.47%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$6.93 CA$9.80

126.98%

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

$142 €126

$698 CA$987

-79.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$67.6 CA$95.6

40.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$66.2 CA$93.6

-30.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$99.2 CA$140

4.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$105 CA$149

36.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$900 CA$1,273

63.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$709 CA$1,002

57.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$1,770 CA$2,503

55.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

$1,367 CA$1,932

54.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,520

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,834

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

$2,501 CA$3,536

41.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

5.8

-34.48%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sydney, NS: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Sydney, NS

$709 44.5% 36.4% $405

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Sydney, NS

$196 12.3% 56.3% $253

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Sydney, NS

$258 * 16.2% 24.9% $85

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Sydney, NS

$162 * 10.1% 43.9% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Sydney, NS

$152 9.5% 13% $23

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Sydney, NS

$56 * 3.5% 48.9% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Sydney, NS

$62 3.9% 13.9% $9.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $900 in Sydney, NS. 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 42% 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 $63.0 in Sydney, NS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $258 – making Sydney, NS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇨🇦 Sydney, NS

🕒 Local time

21:19 9:19 PM

16:19 4:19 PM

5 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

30,960

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Berlin Sydney, NS 5,150 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Sydney, NS

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 Sydney, NS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 60%, 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 $2,392 in Sydney, NS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sydney, NS, 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 $1,595 in Sydney, NS. That's a gap of about 60%.

Public transport costs about 50% less in Sydney, NS. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sydney, NS, where all-in costs run around $1,595, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Sydney, NS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sydney, NS – 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 Sydney, NS. 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.