Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elizabeth, NJ and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Berlin: $2,553 a month against $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Elizabeth, NJ
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Elizabeth, NJ Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index

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Elizabeth, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,186

/mo nomad

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,553

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,186 per month in Elizabeth, NJ vs $2,553 in Berlin, rent included.

Elizabeth, NJ $3,186
Berlin $2,553

A couple spends around $4,453 per month in Elizabeth, NJ vs $3,856 in Berlin, rent included.

Elizabeth, NJ $4,453
Berlin $3,856

A family of three spends $5,720 per month in Elizabeth, NJ vs $5,159 in Berlin, rent included.

Elizabeth, NJ $5,720
Berlin $5,159

Elizabeth, NJ costs about 25% more than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Elizabeth, NJ and Berlin sit above the global median – Elizabeth, NJ by 135%, Berlin by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.71 $19.71

$16.97 €15.09

16.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 $80.4

$77.5 €68.9

3.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 $11.89

$13.47 €11.98

-11.73%

Cappuccino

$5.45 $5.45

$4.35 €3.87

25.29%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$3.53 €3.14

-31.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.16 €2.81

-52.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 $7.78

$5.60 €4.98

38.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 $7.15

$4.44 €3.95

61.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.23 €1.09

3.25%

White Bread (500g)

$4.50 $4.50

$2.44 €2.17

84.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$3.41 €3.04

74.78%

Eggs

$6.52 $6.52

$4.55 €4.05

43.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$17.23 €15.33

-11.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 $11.83

$12.24 €10.89

-3.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.73 $19.73

$17.98 €15.99

9.73%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$3.52 €3.13

69.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.03 €1.81

74.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.27 €2.91

28.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$3.72 €3.31

45.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.05 €1.82

45.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.19 €1.95

34.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.42 €1.26

111.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$0.98 €0.87

157.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.62 $14.62

$10.37 €9.22

40.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$6.78 €6.03

125.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.32 €1.17

104.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.09 €1.86

63.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 $2.88

$4.52 €4.02

-36.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 $76.0

$69.8 €62.1

8.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$5.19 €4.62

-43.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$3.23 €2.87

-34.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.39 $42.39

$37.61 €33.46

12.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.33 €2.07

-53.22%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$33.2K €29.5K

-15.79%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$39.2K €34.8K

-32.87%

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

$247 $247

$384 €342

-35.64%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$19.27 €17.14

164.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 $50.1

$49.17 €43.74

1.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.78 $24.78

$39.54 €35.17

-37.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.56 €30.74

Cinema Ticket

$20.03 $20.03

$14.37 €12.78

39.39%

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

$2,012 $2,012

$146 €130

1278.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$16.1K €14.4K

0.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.63 $49.63

$95.1 €84.6

-47.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.6 $77.6

$47.83 €42.54

62.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 $87.9

$104 €92.6

-15.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$143 €127

-15.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 $2,181

$1,398 €1,244

55.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 $1,718

$1,106 €984

55.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 $2,668

$2,727 €2,426

-2.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,492 $2,492

$2,104 €1,871

18.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,297 $1,297

$8,578 €7,630

-84.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,143 $1,143

$5,545 €4,932

-79.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,997 $3,997

$3,451 €3,070

15.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

3.8

75.53%

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

Last update for Elizabeth, NJ: October 18, 2026

Last update for Berlin: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Elizabeth, NJ

$1.7K 53.9%

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3% 35.6% $612

Groceries & Markets

Elizabeth, NJ

$475 14.9%

Berlin

$349 13.7% 26.5% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elizabeth, NJ

$348 10.9%

Berlin

$453 17.7% 29.9% $104

Eating Out

Elizabeth, NJ

$328 10.3%

Berlin

$292 11.4% 10.8% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Elizabeth, NJ

$152 4.8%

Berlin

$176 6.9% 15.9% $24

Getting Around

Elizabeth, NJ

$101 3.2%

Berlin

$109 4.3% 8.1% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Elizabeth, NJ

$65 2%

Berlin

$68 2.7% 5.3% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $1,398 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 16% higher in Elizabeth, NJ, 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 Elizabeth, NJ versus $77.0 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $475 vs $349 – making Berlin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elizabeth, NJ

🇩🇪 Berlin

🕒 Local time

16:47 4:47 PM

22:47 10:47 PM

6 h ahead of Elizabeth, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,179

3,769,962 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Elizabeth, NJ Berlin 6,400 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Elizabeth, NJ
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

Elizabeth, NJ vs Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Elizabeth, NJ is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,779 per month in Elizabeth, NJ and $3,829 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 $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ and $2,553 in Berlin. That's a gap of about 25%.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Berlin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Berlin, where all-in costs run around $2,553, than in Elizabeth, NJ at $3,186. In Berlin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Elizabeth, NJ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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, Elizabeth, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.