Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erfurt and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Erfurt: $2,200 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Erfurt
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Erfurt Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index

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Erfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,200

/mo nomad

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,200 per month in Erfurt vs $2,551 in Berlin, rent included.

Erfurt $2,200
Berlin $2,551

A couple spends around $3,222 per month in Erfurt vs $3,845 in Berlin, rent included.

Erfurt $3,222
Berlin $3,845

A family of three spends $4,244 per month in Erfurt vs $5,139 in Berlin, rent included.

Erfurt $4,244
Berlin $5,139

Erfurt is about 14% cheaper than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Erfurt and Berlin sit above the global median – Erfurt by 63%, Berlin by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.11 €13.44

$16.65 €14.81

-9.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.3 €59.8

$76.7 €68.2

-12.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 €9.86

$13.47 €11.98

-17.67%

Cappuccino

$3.29 €2.93

$4.37 €3.89

-24.71%

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

$4.23 €3.76

$3.48 €3.09

21.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.56 €6.73

$3.12 €2.77

142.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.94

$5.34 €4.75

-17.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 €4.54

$4.39 €3.91

16.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.27 €1.13

4.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.33 €2.08

-9.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 €2.94

$3.40 €3.02

-2.65%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.87

$4.50 €4.00

-28.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.20 €12.63

$16.78 €14.93

-15.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 €9.25

$11.91 €10.59

-12.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 €16.06

$17.90 €15.92

0.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 €2.90

$3.46 €3.07

-5.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.95 €1.73

4.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 €3.01

$3.26 €2.90

3.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 €3.37

$3.71 €3.30

2.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.10 €1.87

3.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$2.09 €1.86

-34.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.41

$1.42 €1.27

11.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.78

$0.95 €0.84

-8.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 €8.79

$10.44 €9.29

-5.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.69 €5.95

$6.58 €5.85

1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.27 €1.13

-11.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.08 €1.85

-25.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 €2.91

$4.34 €3.86

-24.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 €63.2

$71.6 €63.7

-0.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 €4.83

$5.26 €4.68

3.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.10 €3.65

$3.09 €2.75

32.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.43 €40.41

$36.34 €32.32

25.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.81

$2.31 €2.05

-11.69%

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

$32.9K €29.2K

$32.4K €28.8K

1.34%

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

$37.9K €33.7K

$38.6K €34.3K

-1.93%

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

$666 €592

$382 €340

74.44%

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

$27.90 €24.82

$18.83 €16.75

48.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.83 €30.10

$48.57 €43.20

-30.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.47 €36.00

$40.21 €35.76

0.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.22 €25.99

$34.90 €31.04

-16.28%

Cinema Ticket

$14.77 €13.14

$15.73 €14.00

-6.10%

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

$443 €394

$142 €126

212.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.8 €83.5

$95.4 €84.8

-1.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.91 €28.38

$46.32 €41.20

-31.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 €107

$104 €92.4

15.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 €97.7

$143 €128

-23.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$728 €648

$1,469 €1,306

-50.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 €480

$1,114 €991

-51.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 €1,435

$2,751 €2,447

-41.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 €992

$2,107 €1,875

-47.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,693 €4,175

$8,454 €7,520

-44.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,386 €2,122

$5,435 €4,834

-56.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,987 €2,657

$3,543 €3,151

-15.69%

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 Erfurt: October 13, 2026

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erfurt

$728 33.1%

Berlin

$449 17.6% 38.3% $278

Accommodation & Living

Erfurt

$540 24.6%

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7% 106% $574

Groceries & Markets

Erfurt

$318 14.5%

Berlin

$343 13.4% 7.7% $24

Eating Out

Erfurt

$273 12.4%

Berlin

$288 11.3% 5.4% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Erfurt

$160 7.3%

Berlin

$175 6.9% 9.2% $15

Getting Around

Erfurt

$110 5%

Berlin

$110 4.3% 0.3% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Erfurt

$70 3.2%

Berlin

$72 2.8% 2.4% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $728 in Erfurt 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 19% 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 $67.0 in Erfurt versus $77.0 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $343 – making Erfurt the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Erfurt

🇩🇪 Berlin

🕒 Local time

07:31 7:31 AM

Same time as Erfurt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,000

3,769,962 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Erfurt vs Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,299 per month in Erfurt 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 Erfurt, 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 $2,200 in Erfurt and $2,551 in Berlin. That's a gap of about 16%.

Public transport costs about 1% less in Erfurt. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Erfurt, where all-in costs run around $2,200, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Erfurt it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Erfurt – 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 Erfurt. 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.