Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Heraklion and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Heraklion: $1,609 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Heraklion
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,609
/mo nomad
Berlin
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,545
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,609 per month in Heraklion vs $2,545 in Berlin, rent included.

  • Heraklion $1,609
  • Berlin $2,545

A couple spends around $2,492 per month in Heraklion vs $3,901 in Berlin, rent included.

  • Heraklion $2,492
  • Berlin $3,901

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Heraklion vs $5,257 in Berlin, rent included.

  • Heraklion $3,374
  • Berlin $5,257

Heraklion is about 37% cheaper than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Heraklion and Berlin sit above the global median – Heraklion by 20%, Berlin by 90%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Heraklion
Berlin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.02 €11.62
$16.81 €15.00
-22.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.5 €50.4
$79.6 €71.0
-29.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.03 €8.96
$13.38 €11.94
-25.04%
Cappuccino
$3.80 €3.39
$4.27 €3.81
-11.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 €2.17
$3.40 €3.03
-28.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 €0.68
$3.12 €2.79
-75.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.62 €5.02
$5.48 €4.89
2.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.48 €4.89
$4.56 €4.07
20.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Heraklion
Berlin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.79 €1.60
$1.27 €1.13
40.94%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 €1.32
$2.45 €2.19
-40.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.73 €2.43
$3.30 €2.94
-17.27%
Eggs
$4.38 €3.91
$4.45 €3.97
-1.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.75 €14.06
$17.10 €15.26
-7.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.42 €9.30
$12.19 €10.88
-14.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.23 €13.59
$18.30 €16.33
-16.78%
Apples (1kg)
$2.23 €1.99
$3.58 €3.19
-37.71%
Banana (1kg)
$2.08 €1.86
$1.98 €1.77
5.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.34 €1.20
$3.27 €2.92
-59.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.76 €1.57
$3.81 €3.40
-53.81%
Potato (1kg)
$1.18 €1.05
$2.13 €1.90
-44.60%
Onion (1kg)
$1.22 €1.09
$2.21 €1.97
-44.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.94 €0.84
$1.49 €1.33
-36.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 €0.63
$1.01 €0.90
-29.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.12 €4.57
$10.49 €9.37
-51.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.80 €6.96
$6.76 €6.03
15.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.03
$1.34 €1.20
69.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 €2.57
$2.10 €1.87
37.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Heraklion
Berlin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.47 €1.31
$4.37 €3.90
-66.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.0 €59.8
$71.0 €63.3
-5.58%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.51 €4.02
$5.29 €4.72
-14.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.13 €1.01
$3.05 €2.73
-62.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.08 €9.89
$36.30 €32.39
-69.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.24 €2.00
$2.28 €2.03
-1.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €25.0K
$33.2K €29.7K
-15.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K €21.5K
$39.1K €34.9K
-38.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Heraklion
Berlin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$195 €174
$379 €339
-48.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.21 €26.96
$19.31 €17.23
56.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$37.66 €33.61
$48.41 €43.20
-22.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Heraklion
Berlin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.93 €44.56
$40.31 €35.97
23.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$39.72 €35.44
$35.51 €31.69
11.86%
Cinema Ticket
$9.05 €8.07
$15.53 €13.86
-41.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Heraklion
Berlin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$410 €366
$144 €128
185.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,089 €3,649
$15.8K €14.1K
-74.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Heraklion
Berlin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.0 €79.4
$94.6 €84.5
-6.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.78 €38.18
$46.33 €41.34
-7.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.6 €73.7
$103 €92.2
-20.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$136 €122
$141 €126
-3.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Heraklion
Berlin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$652 €582
$1,488 €1,328
-56.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$505 €450
$1,098 €980
-54.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,105 €986
$2,665 €2,378
-58.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,005 €897
$2,080 €1,856
-51.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,070 €3,632
$8,578 €7,655
-52.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,799 €2,498
$5,438 €4,853
-48.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Heraklion
Berlin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,111 €992
$3,487 €3,112
-68.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.44
3.8
16.84%

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

Last update for Heraklion: October 3, 2026

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Heraklion
$505
Berlin
$1.1K 118% $593
Groceries & Markets
Heraklion
$295
Berlin
$351 18.8% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Heraklion
$263
Berlin
$447 70% $184
Eating Out
Heraklion
$232
Berlin
$289 24.5% $57
Clothing & Footwear
Heraklion
$158
Berlin
$174 10% $16
Getting Around
Heraklion
$83
Berlin
$109 31.3% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Heraklion
$68
Berlin
$71 4.9% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $652 in Heraklion versus $1,488 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 214% 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 $56.0 in Heraklion versus $80.0 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $351 – making Heraklion the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Heraklion
🇩🇪 Berlin
🕒 Local time
09:26 9:26 AM
08:26 8:26 AM
1 h behind Heraklion
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
140,730
3,769,962 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Heraklion Berlin 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Heraklion
  • 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
Heraklion vs Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Berlin cheaper than Heraklion?
Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,414 per month in Heraklion and $3,818 in Berlin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Heraklion, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Heraklion and in Berlin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,609 in Heraklion and $2,545 in Berlin. That's a gap of about 58%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 6% less in Heraklion. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Heraklion or in Berlin?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Heraklion, where all-in costs run around $1,609, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Heraklion it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Heraklion or Berlin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Heraklion – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Heraklion or Berlin?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Heraklion. 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.

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