Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dortmund and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Dortmund: $2,050 a month against $2,547 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Berlin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Dortmund
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Dortmund Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index

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Dortmund

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,050

/mo nomad

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,547

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,050 per month in Dortmund vs $2,547 in Berlin, rent included.

Dortmund $2,050
Berlin $2,547

A couple spends around $3,121 per month in Dortmund vs $3,875 in Berlin, rent included.

Dortmund $3,121
Berlin $3,875

A family of three spends $4,192 per month in Dortmund vs $5,204 in Berlin, rent included.

Dortmund $4,192
Berlin $5,204

Dortmund is about 19% cheaper than Berlin.

Both Dortmund and Berlin sit above the global median – Dortmund by 51%, Berlin by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.99 €15.26

$16.64 €14.95

2.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 €70.6

$78.0 €70.1

0.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.39 €11.13

$13.38 €12.02

-7.40%

Cappuccino

$3.79 €3.40

$4.24 €3.81

-10.61%

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

$3.05 €2.74

$3.42 €3.07

-10.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 €2.56

$3.16 €2.84

-9.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.71 €5.13

$5.45 €4.90

4.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 €4.53

$4.35 €3.91

15.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.24

$1.21 €1.08

14.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.13

$2.34 €2.10

1.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 €3.36

$3.34 €3.00

11.98%

Eggs

$3.84 €3.45

$4.45 €4.00

-13.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.18 €13.64

$17.11 €15.38

-11.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.48 €10.32

$12.12 €10.89

-5.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.96 €20.63

$17.59 €15.80

30.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 €2.97

$3.63 €3.26

-9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.98

$1.95 €1.75

12.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 €1.98

$3.31 €2.97

-33.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 €3.57

$3.71 €3.34

7.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 €1.17

$2.14 €1.92

-39.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 €1.43

$2.09 €1.88

-23.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.39

$1.40 €1.26

10.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.98

$1.00 €0.90

9.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.45 €8.49

$10.60 €9.53

-10.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.59 €5.92

$6.75 €6.06

-2.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.30 €1.17

-15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.53

$2.06 €1.85

-16.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.06 €3.65

$4.60 €4.13

-11.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.4 €64.2

$69.3 €62.3

3.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.75

$5.35 €4.81

-1.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.83 €2.55

$3.15 €2.83

-10.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.59 €33.77

$36.94 €33.19

1.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.93

$2.32 €2.08

-7.76%

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

$32.3K €29.0K

$33.7K €30.3K

-4.25%

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

$38.1K €34.2K

$38.8K €34.9K

-1.86%

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

$405 €364

$378 €339

7.14%

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

$30.78 €27.66

$19.42 €17.45

58.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 €45.56

$48.13 €43.25

5.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.43 €33.63

$39.30 €35.31

-4.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 €23.63

$35.65 €32.03

-26.23%

Cinema Ticket

$16.61 €14.92

$14.44 €12.97

15.03%

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

$406 €365

$146 €131

178.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K €25.4K

$15.9K €14.3K

77.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.5 €82.2

$95.6 €85.9

-4.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 €47.20

$47.53 €42.71

10.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 €78.8

$105 €94.3

-16.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 €153

$143 €129

18.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 €647

$1,407 €1,264

-48.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 €520

$1,117 €1,003

-48.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 €1,146

$2,718 €2,442

-53.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 €995

$2,172 €1,952

-49.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,345 €3,006

$8,339 €7,492

-59.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,379 €2,138

$5,319 €4,779

-55.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,269 €2,937

$3,507 €3,151

-6.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

3.8

3.95%

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

Last update for Dortmund: October 27, 2026

Last update for Berlin: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dortmund

$578 28.2%

Berlin

$1.1K 43.9% 93.1% $538

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dortmund

$486 23.7%

Berlin

$445 17.5% 8.4% $41

Groceries & Markets

Dortmund

$346 16.9%

Berlin

$345 13.6% 0.3% $1

Eating Out

Dortmund

$281 13.7%

Berlin

$286 11.2% 2% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Dortmund

$181 8.8%

Berlin

$176 6.9% 2.6% $4.8

Getting Around

Dortmund

$107 5.2%

Berlin

$109 4.3% 1.6% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Dortmund

$71 3.5%

Berlin

$68 2.7% 3.5% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $720 in Dortmund versus $1,407 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 7% 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 $79 in Dortmund versus $78 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $345 – making Berlin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Dortmund

🇩🇪 Berlin

🕒 Local time

07:25 7:25 AM

Same time as Dortmund

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

600,933

3,769,962 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Dortmund Berlin 420 km

From you

Dortmund
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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

Dortmund vs Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Berlin costs about 24% more than Dortmund, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,076 per month in Dortmund and $3,820 in Berlin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dortmund, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $720 there versus $1,407 in Berlin.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Berlin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $406 per month in Dortmund and $146 in Berlin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,050 in Dortmund and $2,547 in Berlin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Berlin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,050 in Dortmund to $2,547 in Berlin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Dortmund. 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.