Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Ulyanovsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulyanovsk: $886 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Ulyanovsk
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Ulyanovsk Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Ulyanovsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$886

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Ulyanovsk

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $886 in Ulyanovsk, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Ulyanovsk $886

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $1,363 in Ulyanovsk, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Ulyanovsk $1,363

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $1,840 in Ulyanovsk, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Ulyanovsk $1,840

Berlin costs about 188% more than Ulyanovsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Berlin sits 89% above the global median, while Ulyanovsk is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$8.26 ₽690

101.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$29.69 ₽2,478

158.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$6.32 ₽528

113.13%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$2.27 ₽190

92.51%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$0.90 ₽75.3

286.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$0.35 ₽29.18

791.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$1.81 ₽151

195.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$1.94 ₽162

126.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.02 ₽85.4

24.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$0.58 ₽48.04

301.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$1.04 ₽86.5

226.92%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$1.40 ₽117

221.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$14.19 ₽1,184

18.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$7.26 ₽606

64.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$7.26 ₽606

146.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$1.52 ₽127

127.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.51 ₽126

29.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$3.91 ₽326

-16.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$4.60 ₽384

-19.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.46 ₽122

43.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$0.82 ₽68.3

154.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$0.56 ₽46.50

69.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$3.04 ₽254

243.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.09 ₽90.9

16.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

$0.43 ₽36.28

909.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$3.53 ₽294

49.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

$3.64 ₽304

898.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$0.83 ₽68.9

178.31%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$26.0K ₽2.2M

48.60%

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

$382 €340

$139 ₽11.6K

174.84%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$4.73 ₽395

298.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$13.72 ₽1,145

254.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$36.45 ₽3,042

10.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

$24.86 ₽2,075

40.39%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$8.30 ₽693

89.52%

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

$142 €126

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$30.11 ₽2,513

216.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$35.99 ₽3,004

28.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$94.4 ₽7,875

10.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$59.3 ₽4,951

141.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$360 ₽30.0K

308.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$241 ₽20.1K

362.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$469 ₽39.1K

487.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

$423 ₽35.3K

398.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,520

$2,609 ₽217.8K

223.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,834

$1,463 ₽122.1K

271.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

$504 ₽42.1K

602.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

-83.48%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ulyanovsk: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Ulyanovsk

$241 27.2% 78.4% $873

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Ulyanovsk

$157 17.8% 65% $292

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Ulyanovsk

$200 * 22.6% 41.7% $143

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Ulyanovsk

$130 14.7% 54.8% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Ulyanovsk

$99 11.2% 43.5% $76

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Ulyanovsk

$5.3 * 0.6% 95.2% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Ulyanovsk

$53 6% 26% $19

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 $360 in Ulyanovsk. 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 602% 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 $30.00 in Ulyanovsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $200 – making Ulyanovsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇷🇺 Ulyanovsk

🕒 Local time

09:15 9:15 AM

11:15 11:15 AM

2 h ahead of Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

627,705

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Berlin Ulyanovsk 2,300 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Ulyanovsk

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 Ulyanovsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 188%, 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 $1,328 in Ulyanovsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ulyanovsk, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 72% more in Berlin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Berlin and $30.00 in Ulyanovsk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ulyanovsk, where all-in costs run around $886, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Ulyanovsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ulyanovsk – 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 Ulyanovsk. 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.