Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Davis, CA and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Berlin: $2,551 a month against $3,382 in Davis, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Davis, CA
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Davis, CA Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index

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Davis, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,382

/mo nomad

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,382 per month in Davis, CA vs $2,551 in Berlin, rent included.

Davis, CA $3,382
Berlin $2,551

A couple spends around $5,016 per month in Davis, CA vs $3,845 in Berlin, rent included.

Davis, CA $5,016
Berlin $3,845

A family of three spends $6,650 per month in Davis, CA vs $5,139 in Berlin, rent included.

Davis, CA $6,650
Berlin $5,139

Davis, CA costs about 33% more than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Davis, CA and Berlin sit above the global median – Davis, CA by 151%, Berlin by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.16 $22.16

$16.65 €14.81

33.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$76.7 €68.2

32.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.90 $12.90

$13.47 €11.98

-4.23%

Cappuccino

$5.30 $5.30

$4.37 €3.89

21.28%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.48 €3.09

6.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.12 €2.77

-23.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$5.34 €4.75

53.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 $8.10

$4.39 €3.91

84.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.27 €1.13

3.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.70 $3.70

$2.33 €2.07

58.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$3.40 €3.02

22.94%

Eggs

$5.20 $5.20

$4.50 €4.00

15.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 $11.16

$16.78 €14.92

-33.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.47 $15.47

$11.91 €10.59

29.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$17.90 €15.92

-3.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.46 €3.07

48.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.95 €1.73

-16.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$3.26 €2.90

30.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.71 €3.30

24.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.10 €1.87

30.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.09 €1.86

38.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.42 €1.27

55.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.95 €0.84

142.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.44 €9.29

-3.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.86 $15.86

$6.58 €5.85

141.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.27 €1.13

36.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.08 €1.85

60.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 $1.48

$4.34 €3.86

-65.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.89 $37.89

$71.6 €63.7

-47.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$5.26 €4.68

-43.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$3.09 €2.75

-49.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.28 $28.28

$36.34 €32.32

-22.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.31 €2.05

-39.83%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$32.4K €28.8K

12.68%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$38.6K €34.3K

-33.83%

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

$293 $293

$382 €339

-23.22%

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

$59.1 $59.1

$18.83 €16.75

213.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.7 $75.7

$48.57 €43.20

55.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.3 $58.3

$40.21 €35.76

45.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

Cinema Ticket

$15.57 $15.57

$15.73 €13.99

-1.02%

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

$1,403 $1,403

$142 €126

890.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$15.8K €14.0K

32.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 $54.6

$95.4 €84.8

-42.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.84 $41.84

$46.32 €41.20

-9.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 $97.4

$104 €92.4

-6.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$143 €127

-20.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 $2,203

$1,469 €1,306

49.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 $1,887

$1,114 €991

69.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,761 $3,761

$2,751 €2,447

36.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,355 $3,355

$2,107 €1,874

59.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,760 $2,760

$8,454 €7,519

-67.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,418 $2,418

$5,435 €4,834

-55.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,017 $5,017

$3,543 €3,151

41.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

3.8

60.53%

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

Last update for Davis, CA: 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

Davis, CA

$1.9K 55.8%

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7% 41% $773

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Davis, CA

$428 12.7%

Berlin

$449 17.6% 5% $21

Groceries & Markets

Davis, CA

$423 12.5%

Berlin

$343 13.4% 19% $80

Eating Out

Davis, CA

$361 10.7%

Berlin

$288 11.3% 20.3% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Davis, CA

$138 4.1%

Berlin

$175 6.9% 26.5% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Davis, CA

$89 2.6%

Berlin

$72 2.8% 19.9% $18

Getting Around

Davis, CA

$55 1.6%

Berlin

$110 4.3% 101% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,203 in Davis, CA 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 42% higher in Davis, CA, 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 $102 in Davis, CA versus $77.0 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $423 vs $343 – making Berlin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Davis, CA

🇩🇪 Berlin

🕒 Local time

12:23 12:23 PM

21:23 9:23 PM

9 h ahead of Davis, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,850

3,769,962 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Davis, CA Berlin 9,000 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Davis, CA
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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

Davis, CA vs Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Davis, CA is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,073 per month in Davis, CA 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 $3,382 in Davis, CA and $2,551 in Berlin. That's a gap of about 33%.

Public transport costs about 89% 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 $3,382 in Davis, CA 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, Davis, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.