Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Thompson

For one person, living is cheaper in Thompson: $1,808 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 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
86

Cost of Living Index in Thompson
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Thompson Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Thompson

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,808

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Thompson

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

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Berlin vs $1,808 in Thompson, rent included.

Berlin $2,545
Thompson $1,808

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Berlin vs $2,730 in Thompson, rent included.

Berlin $3,901
Thompson $2,730

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Berlin vs $3,652 in Thompson, rent included.

Berlin $5,257
Thompson $3,652

Berlin costs about 41% more than Thompson, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Berlin and Thompson sit above the global median – Berlin by 90%, Thompson by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.81 €14.99

$17.37 CA$24.71

-3.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €71.0

$63.3 CA$90.0

25.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.93

$10.63 CA$15.12

25.87%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.81

$3.62 CA$5.15

17.96%

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

$3.40 €3.03

$1.96 CA$2.79

73.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.78

$1.62 CA$2.30

92.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 €4.88

$5.33 CA$7.58

2.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €4.06

$5.60 CA$7.97

-18.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$2.13 CA$3.02

-40.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.18

$2.49 CA$3.55

-1.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 €2.94

$3.20 CA$4.56

3.12%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.97

$3.33 CA$4.74

33.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 €15.25

$10.09 CA$14.35

69.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.19 €10.87

$11.46 CA$16.30

6.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 €16.32

$14.70 CA$20.91

24.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 €3.19

$3.65 CA$5.19

-1.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.17 CA$1.67

69.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.91

$3.77 CA$5.37

-13.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.40

$4.16 CA$5.92

-8.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$2.40 CA$3.42

-11.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$2.20 CA$3.13

0.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.33

$2.42 CA$3.44

-38.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.90

$1.60 CA$2.27

-36.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.49 €9.36

$13.73 CA$19.53

-23.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.03

$12.67 CA$18.02

-46.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

$2.69 CA$3.83

-50.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.87

$3.04 CA$4.32

-30.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 €3.90

$2.20 CA$3.13

98.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 €63.3

$67.2 CA$95.5

5.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.72

$2.86 CA$4.07

84.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 €2.72

$1.38 CA$1.97

121.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.30 €32.36

$22.69 CA$32.27

59.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.12 CA$1.60

103.57%

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

$33.2K €29.6K

$27.8K CA$39.6K

19.42%

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

$39.1K €34.8K

$20.4K CA$29.1K

91.13%

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

$379 €338

$137 CA$195

176.76%

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

$19.31 €17.22

$37.96 CA$54.0

-49.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.41 €43.17

$53.0 CA$75.4

-8.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 €35.94

$41.03 CA$58.4

-1.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 €31.66

$15.67 CA$22.28

126.61%

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 €13.85

$10.96 CA$15.59

41.70%

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

$144 €128

$641 CA$911

-77.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$13.8K CA$19.6K

14.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.6 €84.4

$53.5 CA$76.0

77.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 €41.31

$38.21 CA$54.4

21.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.1

$84.0 CA$120

22.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

$102 CA$145

38.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,327

$672 CA$956

121.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €979

$674 CA$958

63.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 €2,376

$1,090 CA$1,551

144.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 €1,855

$1,116 CA$1,587

86.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,648

$4,094 CA$5,823

109.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,438 €4,849

$4,002 CA$5,693

35.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 €3,109

$1,531 CA$2,178

127.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

4.64

-18.10%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Thompson: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Thompson

$674 37.6% 38.7% $424

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$447 17.6%

Thompson

$228 12.7% 49% $219

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$351 13.8%

Thompson

$350 19.6% 0% $0

Eating Out

Berlin

$289 11.4%

Thompson

$266 14.9% 7.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$174 6.8%

Thompson

$125 7% 27.9% $48

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Thompson

$86 4.8% 21.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$71 2.8%

Thompson

$63 3.5% 11.8% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Berlin versus $672 in Thompson. 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 128% 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 $63.0 in Thompson. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $350 – making Thompson the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇨🇦 Thompson

🕒 Local time

08:00 8:00 AM

01:00 1:00 AM

7 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

12,829

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Berlin Thompson 6,440 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Thompson

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 Thompson: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 41%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,818 per month in Berlin and $2,712 in Thompson. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Thompson, 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 $2,545 in Berlin and $1,808 in Thompson. That's a gap of about 41%.

Public transport costs about 6% less in Thompson. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Thompson, where all-in costs run around $1,808, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Thompson it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Thompson – 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 Thompson. 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.