Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bonn and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Bonn: $2,286 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Bonn
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Bonn Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index

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Bonn

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,286

/mo nomad

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bonn and in Berlin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bonn and in Berlin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,286 per month in Bonn vs $2,551 in Berlin, rent included.

Bonn $2,286
Berlin $2,551

A couple spends around $3,447 per month in Bonn vs $3,845 in Berlin, rent included.

Bonn $3,447
Berlin $3,845

A family of three spends $4,608 per month in Bonn vs $5,139 in Berlin, rent included.

Bonn $4,608
Berlin $5,139

Bonn is about 10% cheaper than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bonn and Berlin sit above the global median – Bonn by 69%, Berlin by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.61

$16.65 €14.81

5.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.2 €68.7

$76.7 €68.2

0.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.39 €11.02

$13.47 €11.98

-8.02%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.80

$4.37 €3.89

-2.29%

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

$3.27 €2.91

$3.48 €3.09

-6.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.19

$3.12 €2.77

-21.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.50 €4.89

$5.34 €4.75

3.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 €3.65

$4.39 €3.91

-6.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.25

$1.27 €1.13

10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 €2.50

$2.33 €2.07

20.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.03 €3.59

$3.40 €3.02

18.53%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.52

$4.50 €4.00

-12.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.13 €12.57

$16.78 €14.92

-15.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 €9.45

$11.91 €10.59

-10.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.18 €24.17

$17.90 €15.92

51.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 €3.02

$3.46 €3.07

-2.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$1.95 €1.73

31.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 €2.00

$3.26 €2.90

-30.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.29 €4.71

$3.71 €3.30

42.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 €1.98

$2.10 €1.87

6.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$2.09 €1.86

-18.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 €1.42

$1.42 €1.27

12.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$0.95 €0.84

33.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.96 €8.86

$10.44 €9.29

-4.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 €5.53

$6.58 €5.85

-5.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.27 €1.13

-0.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.63

$2.08 €1.85

-12.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.45 €3.96

$4.34 €3.86

2.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.2 €62.5

$71.6 €63.7

-1.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 €2.60

$5.26 €4.68

-44.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.81

$3.09 €2.75

-33.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.98 €27.56

$36.34 €32.32

-14.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 €2.09

$2.31 €2.05

1.73%

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

$32.3K €28.8K

$32.4K €28.8K

-0.32%

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

$38.6K €34.4K

$38.6K €34.3K

0.07%

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

$334 €297

$382 €339

-12.57%

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

$25.09 €22.32

$18.83 €16.75

33.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.50 €35.13

$48.57 €43.20

-18.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.25 €39.36

$40.21 €35.76

10.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.22 €28.65

$34.90 €31.04

-7.68%

Cinema Ticket

$15.39 €13.68

$15.73 €13.99

-2.16%

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

$542 €482

$142 €126

282.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €12.1K

$15.8K €14.0K

-13.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 €64.5

$95.4 €84.8

-23.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.39 €34.15

$46.32 €41.20

-17.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.0

$104 €92.4

1.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €101

$143 €127

-20.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 €917

$1,469 €1,306

-29.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 €803

$1,114 €991

-18.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,147 €1,910

$2,751 €2,447

-21.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,433

$2,107 €1,874

-23.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,242 €5,552

$8,454 €7,519

-26.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,364 €3,881

$5,435 €4,834

-19.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,525 €3,135

$3,543 €3,151

-0.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

3.8

4.21%

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

Last update for Bonn: October 11, 2026

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bonn

$903 39.5%

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7% 23.5% $212

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bonn

$398 17.4%

Berlin

$449 17.6% 12.7% $51

Groceries & Markets

Bonn

$373 16.3%

Berlin

$343 13.4% 8.1% $30

Eating Out

Bonn

$287 12.6%

Berlin

$288 11.3% 0.2% $0.5

Clothing & Footwear

Bonn

$149 6.5%

Berlin

$175 6.9% 17.7% $26

Getting Around

Bonn

$101 4.4%

Berlin

$110 4.3% 8.4% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Bonn

$75 3.3%

Berlin

$72 2.8% 4.5% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,031 in Bonn versus $1,469 in Berlin. 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 1% 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 Bonn versus $77.0 in Berlin. Groceries tell a different story – $373 in Bonn vs $343 in Berlin – so Berlin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Bonn

🇩🇪 Berlin

🕒 Local time

12:44 12:44 PM

Same time as Bonn

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

335,913

3,769,962 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bonn Berlin 480 km

From you

Bonn
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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

Bonn vs Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,429 per month in Bonn and $3,826 in Berlin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bonn, 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 $2,286 in Bonn and $2,551 in Berlin. That's a gap of about 12%.

Public transport costs about 2% less in Bonn. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bonn, where all-in costs run around $2,286, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Bonn it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bonn – 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 Bonn. 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.