Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Wausau, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Wausau, WI: $1,726 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 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
85

Cost of Living Index in Wausau, WI
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Wausau, WI Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Wausau, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Wausau, WI

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

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Berlin vs $1,726 in Wausau, WI, rent included.

Berlin $2,545
Wausau, WI $1,726

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Berlin vs $2,735 in Wausau, WI, rent included.

Berlin $3,901
Wausau, WI $2,735

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Berlin vs $3,743 in Wausau, WI, rent included.

Berlin $5,257
Wausau, WI $3,743

Berlin costs about 47% more than Wausau, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Berlin and Wausau, WI sit above the global median – Berlin by 90%, Wausau, WI by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.81 €15.00

$19.87 $19.87

-15.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €71.0

$75.2 $75.2

5.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.94

$8.71 $8.71

53.62%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.81

$4.85 $4.85

-11.96%

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

$3.40 €3.03

$2.82 $2.82

20.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.79

$1.94 $1.94

60.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 €4.89

$5.62 $5.62

-2.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €4.07

$5.42 $5.42

-15.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$0.85 $0.85

49.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.19

$2.84 $2.84

-13.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 €2.94

$5.26 $5.26

-37.26%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.97

$4.66 $4.66

-4.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 €15.26

$8.62 $8.62

98.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.19 €10.87

$6.80 $6.80

79.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 €16.33

$13.53 $13.53

35.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 €3.19

$4.17 $4.17

-14.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.77

$1.53 $1.53

29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.92

$4.02 $4.02

-18.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.40

$4.10 $4.10

-7.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.86 $1.86

14.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$2.44 $2.44

-9.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.33

$2.25 $2.25

-33.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.90

$0.99 $0.99

2.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.49 €9.36

$8.60 $8.60

21.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.03

$8.92 $8.92

-24.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.95 $1.95

-31.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.20 $2.20

-4.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 €3.90

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 €63.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.72

$2.76 $2.76

91.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 €2.73

$1.58 $1.58

93.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.30 €32.39

$20.77 $20.77

74.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$0.81 $0.81

181.48%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$36.3K $36.3K

-8.51%

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

$39.1K €34.8K

$25.0K $25.0K

56.47%

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

$379 €338

$157 $157

141.10%

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

$19.31 €17.23

$68.3 $68.3

-71.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.41 €43.20

$71.5 $71.5

-32.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 €35.97

$30.56 $30.56

31.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 €31.69

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 €13.86

$5.93 $5.93

161.89%

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

$144 €128

$1,806 $1,806

-92.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.1K

$24.6K $24.6K

-36.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.6 €84.5

$24.53 $24.53

285.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 €41.34

$40.50 $40.50

14.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.2

$65.8 $65.8

57.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

$83.5 $83.5

69.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,328

$928 $928

60.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €980

$698 $698

57.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 €2,378

$1,565 $1,565

70.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 €1,856

$1,398 $1,398

48.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,654

$1,662 $1,662

415.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,438 €4,852

$1,714 $1,714

217.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 €3,111

$3,486 $3,486

0.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

6.65

-42.86%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Wausau, WI: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Wausau, WI

$698 39.8% 36.5% $401

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$447 17.6%

Wausau, WI

$297 17% 33.5% $150

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$351 13.8%

Wausau, WI

$307 17.5% 12.4% $44

Eating Out

Berlin

$289 11.4%

Wausau, WI

$301 17.2% 4.4% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$174 6.8%

Wausau, WI

$96 5.5% 44.4% $77

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Wausau, WI

$11 * 0.6% 90.2% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$71 2.8%

Wausau, WI

$42 2.4% 40.6% $29

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 $928 in Wausau, WI. 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 0% 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 $75.0 in Wausau, WI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $307 – making Wausau, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇺🇸 Wausau, WI

🕒 Local time

20:06 8:06 PM

13:06 1:06 PM

7 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

38,435

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Berlin Wausau, WI 6,940 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

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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 Wausau, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,818 per month in Berlin and $2,589 in Wausau, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Berlin and $75.0 in Wausau, WI. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Wausau, WI, where all-in costs run around $1,726, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Wausau, WI it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Wausau, WI – 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 Wausau, WI. 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.