Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Berlin: $2,551 a month against $2,738 in Burnaby, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Burnaby
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Burnaby Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index

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Burnaby

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,738

/mo nomad

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Burnaby 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 Burnaby and in Berlin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,738 per month in Burnaby vs $2,551 in Berlin, rent included.

Burnaby $2,738
Berlin $2,551

A couple spends around $3,928 per month in Burnaby vs $3,845 in Berlin, rent included.

Burnaby $3,928
Berlin $3,845

A family of three spends $5,117 per month in Burnaby vs $5,139 in Berlin, rent included.

Burnaby $5,117
Berlin $5,139

Burnaby costs about 7% more than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Burnaby and Berlin sit above the global median – Burnaby by 103%, Berlin by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.18 CA$29.94

$16.65 €14.81

27.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.7 CA$118

$76.7 €68.2

9.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 CA$12.64

$13.47 €11.98

-33.63%

Cappuccino

$4.66 CA$6.59

$4.37 €3.89

6.64%

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

$2.30 CA$3.26

$3.48 €3.09

-33.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 CA$2.38

$3.12 €2.77

-46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.45 CA$11.95

$5.34 €4.75

58.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 CA$8.21

$4.39 €3.91

32.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 CA$3.25

$1.27 €1.13

81.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 CA$3.83

$2.33 €2.08

16.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 CA$4.99

$3.40 €3.02

3.82%

Eggs

$3.08 CA$4.36

$4.50 €4.00

-31.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 CA$19.08

$16.78 €14.93

-19.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.49 CA$19.08

$11.91 €10.59

13.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.16 CA$35.57

$17.90 €15.92

40.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 CA$6.30

$3.46 €3.07

28.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.84

$1.95 €1.73

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.52 CA$6.38

$3.26 €2.90

38.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 CA$6.54

$3.71 €3.30

24.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$2.10 €1.87

33.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.90

$2.09 €1.86

66.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 CA$3.79

$1.42 €1.27

88.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 CA$2.99

$0.95 €0.84

122.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.99 CA$19.78

$10.44 €9.29

34.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.46 CA$19.03

$6.58 €5.85

104.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 CA$2.94

$1.27 €1.13

63.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 CA$3.22

$2.08 €1.85

9.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$4.34 €3.86

-46.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.5 CA$112

$71.6 €63.7

11.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 CA$4.05

$5.26 €4.68

-45.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.13

$3.09 €2.75

-51.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.37 CA$37.27

$36.34 €32.32

-27.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 CA$1.84

$2.31 €2.05

-43.72%

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

$27.6K CA$39.0K

$32.4K €28.8K

-14.93%

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

$18.7K CA$26.4K

$38.6K €34.3K

-51.67%

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

$120 CA$170

$382 €340

-68.46%

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

$43.55 CA$61.6

$18.83 €16.75

131.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 CA$75.1

$48.57 €43.20

9.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.72 CA$42.01

$40.21 €35.76

-26.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.33 CA$14.61

$34.90 €31.04

-70.40%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 CA$19.67

$15.73 €14.00

-11.57%

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

$634 CA$897

$142 €126

347.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 CA$73.1

$95.4 €84.8

-45.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 CA$73.0

$46.32 €41.20

11.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 CA$144

$104 €92.4

-2.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.4 CA$109

$143 €128

-45.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 CA$2,302

$1,469 €1,306

10.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 CA$2,108

$1,114 €991

33.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 CA$3,469

$2,751 €2,447

-10.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,187 CA$3,092

$2,107 €1,875

3.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,588 CA$9,313

$8,454 €7,520

-22.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,530 CA$7,817

$5,435 €4,834

1.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,144 CA$4,445

$3,543 €3,151

-11.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.76

3.8

25.26%

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

Last update for Burnaby: 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

Burnaby

$1.5K 54.4%

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7% 25.3% $376

Groceries & Markets

Burnaby

$425 15.5%

Berlin

$343 13.4% 19.2% $82

Eating Out

Burnaby

$322 11.8%

Berlin

$288 11.3% 10.6% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burnaby

$217 7.9%

Berlin

$449 17.6% 107% $232

Clothing & Footwear

Burnaby

$127 4.6%

Berlin

$175 6.9% 37.7% $48

Getting Around

Burnaby

$99 3.6%

Berlin

$110 4.3% 10.6% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Burnaby

$58 2.1%

Berlin

$72 2.8% 24.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,628 in Burnaby 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 13% higher in Berlin, 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 $84.0 in Burnaby versus $77.0 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $425 vs $343 – making Berlin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Burnaby

🇩🇪 Berlin

🕒 Local time

14:04 2:04 PM

23:04 11:04 PM

9 h ahead of Burnaby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

249,125

3,769,962 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

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

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Burnaby Berlin 7,980 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Burnaby
Berlin

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

Burnaby vs Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Burnaby is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,108 per month in Burnaby 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 Berlin, 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 $2,738 in Burnaby and $2,551 in Berlin. That's a gap of about 7%.

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

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,738 in Burnaby and $2,551 in Berlin. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Berlin – 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 Berlin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Burnaby makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.