Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Ulm

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulm: $2,140 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
104

Cost of Living Index in Ulm
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Ulm Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Ulm

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,140

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Ulm

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $2,140 in Ulm, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Ulm $2,140

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $3,245 in Ulm, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Ulm $3,245

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $4,350 in Ulm, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Ulm $4,350

Berlin costs about 19% more than Ulm, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Berlin and Ulm sit above the global median – Berlin by 89%, Ulm by 59%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$16.80 €14.94

-0.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$66.6 €59.2

15.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$13.31 €11.84

1.20%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$3.84 €3.42

13.80%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$4.64 €4.13

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$1.92 €1.71

62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$4.62 €4.11

15.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$4.41 €3.92

-0.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.47 €1.30

-13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.05 €1.83

13.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$4.14 €3.68

-17.87%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$3.64 €3.24

23.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$14.34 €12.76

17.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$9.83 €8.74

21.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$25.54 €22.72

-29.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$3.44 €3.06

0.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$2.21 €1.96

-11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$1.92 €1.71

69.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$3.91 €3.48

-5.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.08 €0.96

94.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.12 €1.00

86.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.66 €1.48

-14.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$1.20 €1.06

-20.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$9.59 €8.53

8.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$5.67 €5.04

16.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.15 €1.02

10.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.52 €1.35

36.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

$3.10 €2.76

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$64.4 €57.3

11.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$2.13 €1.89

8.45%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$32.2K €28.6K

0.72%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$37.9K €33.7K

1.98%

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

$382 €340

$377 €336

1.18%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$34.04 €30.28

-44.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$52.9 €47.05

-8.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$33.61 €29.89

19.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

$22.70 €20.19

53.74%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$13.44 €11.95

17.04%

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

$142 €126

$441 €393

-67.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$13.0K €11.6K

21.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$90.3 €80.3

5.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$55.2 €49.08

-16.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$89.4 €79.6

16.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$148 €131

-2.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$931 €828

57.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$749 €666

48.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$1,830 €1,628

50.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

$1,471 €1,308

43.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,520

$5,901 €5,249

43.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,834

$3,961 €3,524

37.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

$3,737 €3,324

-5.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

3.97

-4.28%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ulm: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Ulm

$749 35% 32.8% $366

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Ulm

$464 21.7% 3.4% $15

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Ulm

$339 15.9% 1% $3.5

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Ulm

$279 13% 3.3% $9.4

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Ulm

$172 8% 1.6% $2.8

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Ulm

$77 * 3.6% 30% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Ulm

$60 2.8% 15.6% $11

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 $931 in Ulm. 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 5% higher in Ulm, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Berlin versus $67.0 in Ulm. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $339 – making Ulm the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇩🇪 Ulm

🕒 Local time

23:28 11:28 PM

Same time as Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

121,648

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Berlin Ulm 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Ulm

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 Ulm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Berlin and $3,211 in Ulm. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ulm, 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 $2,140 in Ulm. That's a gap of about 19%.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Ulm. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Ulm, where all-in costs run around $2,140, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Ulm it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ulm – 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 Ulm. 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.