Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Tema

For one person, living is cheaper in Tema: $738 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $21,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Berlin
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,545
/mo nomad
Tema
🇬🇭 Ghana
$738
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Tema

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

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Berlin vs $738 in Tema, rent included.

  • Berlin $2,545
  • Tema $738

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Berlin vs $1,173 in Tema, rent included.

  • Berlin $3,901
  • Tema $1,173

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Berlin vs $1,608 in Tema, rent included.

  • Berlin $5,257
  • Tema $1,608

Berlin costs about 245% more than Tema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Berlin sits 90% above the global median, while Tema is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Berlin
Tema
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.81 €14.99
$7.03 GHS 82.4
139.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.6 €71.0
$27.88 GHS 327
185.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.38 €11.93
-
-
Cappuccino
$4.27 €3.81
$5.05 GHS 59.2
-15.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.03
$0.90 GHS 10.56
277.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 €2.78
$0.30 GHS 3.55
940.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.48 €4.88
$3.29 GHS 38.60
66.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.56 €4.06
$2.61 GHS 30.61
74.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Berlin
Tema
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 €1.13
$3.16 GHS 37.11
-59.81%
White Bread (500g)
$2.45 €2.18
$1.60 GHS 18.81
53.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.30 €2.94
$2.07 GHS 24.29
59.42%
Eggs
$4.45 €3.97
$2.30 GHS 27.02
93.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.10 €15.25
$4.38 GHS 51.4
290.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.19 €10.87
$3.17 GHS 37.14
284.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.30 €16.32
$3.38 GHS 39.66
441.42%
Apples (1kg)
$3.58 €3.19
$2.61 GHS 30.66
37.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 €1.76
$2.13 GHS 25.02
-7.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.27 €2.91
$2.21 GHS 25.97
47.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.81 €3.40
$3.49 GHS 40.95
9.17%
Potato (1kg)
$2.13 €1.90
$3.40 GHS 39.91
-37.35%
Onion (1kg)
$2.21 €1.97
$2.82 GHS 33.06
-21.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.49 €1.33
$0.45 GHS 5.25
231.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.01 €0.90
$0.67 GHS 7.84
50.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.49 €9.36
$1.26 GHS 14.83
732.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.76 €6.03
$8.54 GHS 100
-20.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.34 €1.20
$2.10 GHS 24.59
-36.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.96 GHS 34.74
-29.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Berlin
Tema
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.37 €3.90
$1.68 GHS 19.70
160.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.0 €63.3
$41.17 GHS 483
72.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.29 €4.72
$2.10 GHS 24.69
151.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.05 €2.72
$0.41 GHS 4.82
643.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.30 €32.36
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.19 GHS 13.96
91.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.6K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.1K €34.8K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
Tema
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$379 €338
$78.2 GHS 917
385.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.31 €17.22
$15.22 GHS 179
26.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.41 €43.17
$82.5 GHS 968
-41.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
Tema
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.31 €35.94
$24.06 GHS 282
67.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.51 €31.66
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.53 €13.85
$8.80 GHS 103
76.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Berlin
Tema
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$144 €128
$174 GHS 2,046
-17.63%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.8K €14.0K
$2,544 GHS 29.8K
519.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
Tema
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$94.6 €84.4
$13.07 GHS 153
624.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.33 €41.31
$15.40 GHS 181
200.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €92.1
$42.37 GHS 497
143.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$141 €126
$32.20 GHS 378
338.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Berlin
Tema
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,488 €1,327
$126 GHS 1,483
1077.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,098 €979
$71.3 GHS 836
1440.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,665 €2,376
$426 GHS 4,999
525.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,080 €1,855
$209 GHS 2,451
895.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,578 €7,648
$9,909 GHS 116.2K
-13.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,438 €4,849
$5,903 GHS 69.2K
-7.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Berlin
Tema
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,487 €3,109
$419 GHS 4,913
732.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.8
35
-89.14%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Tema: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Berlin
$1.1K
Tema
$71 93.5% $1K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
$447
Tema
$176 60.6% $271
Groceries & Markets
Berlin
$351
Tema
$216 38.5% $135
Eating Out
Berlin
$289
Tema
$143 * 50.3% $145
Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
$174
Tema
$46 73.3% $127
Getting Around
Berlin
$109
Tema
$52 52.3% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
$71
Tema
$42 41.7% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Berlin versus $126 in Tema. 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 733% 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 $28.00 in Tema. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $216 – making Tema the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Berlin
🇬🇭 Tema
🕒 Local time
06:50 6:50 AM
04:50 4:50 AM
2 h behind Berlin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,769,962 Capital
160,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11.73 GHS (100 GHS = 8.53 USD). 1 EUR = 13.16 GHS (100 GHS = 7.6 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Berlin Tema 5,350 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Berlin
  • Tema

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 Tema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tema cheaper than Berlin?
Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 245%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,818 per month in Berlin and $1,107 in Tema. 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 Tema, 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 Tema?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,545 in Berlin and $738 in Tema. That's a gap of about 245%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 72% less in Tema. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Berlin or in Tema?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tema, where all-in costs run around $738, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Tema it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Berlin or Tema more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Tema – 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 Tema?
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 Tema. 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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