Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krefeld and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Krefeld: $1,899 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Krefeld
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,899
/mo nomad
Berlin
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,551
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,899 per month in Krefeld vs $2,551 in Berlin, rent included.

  • Krefeld $1,899
  • Berlin $2,551

A couple spends around $2,932 per month in Krefeld vs $3,845 in Berlin, rent included.

  • Krefeld $2,932
  • Berlin $3,845

A family of three spends $3,964 per month in Krefeld vs $5,139 in Berlin, rent included.

  • Krefeld $3,964
  • Berlin $5,139

Krefeld is about 26% cheaper than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Krefeld and Berlin sit above the global median – Krefeld by 41%, Berlin by 89%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Krefeld
Berlin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.81 €14.95
$16.65 €14.81
0.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.6 €63.7
$76.7 €68.2
-6.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.93 €11.50
$13.47 €11.98
-4.01%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$4.37 €3.89
-7.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.69 €3.28
$3.48 €3.09
6.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 €2.85
$3.12 €2.77
2.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$5.34 €4.75
7.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.46 €4.85
$4.39 €3.91
24.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Krefeld
Berlin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 €1.12
$1.27 €1.13
-0.79%
White Bread (500g)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.33 €2.08
-9.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.62 €3.22
$3.40 €3.02
6.47%
Eggs
$3.74 €3.33
$4.50 €4.00
-16.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.16 €11.70
$16.78 €14.93
-21.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.34 €10.98
$11.91 €10.59
3.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.32 €20.75
$17.90 €15.92
30.28%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 €2.68
$3.46 €3.07
-13.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.99 €1.77
$1.95 €1.73
2.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.39 €2.12
$3.26 €2.90
-26.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.17 €3.71
$3.71 €3.30
12.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.40 €1.25
$2.10 €1.87
-33.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.19 €1.06
$2.09 €1.86
-43.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.61 €1.43
$1.42 €1.27
13.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 €0.92
$0.95 €0.84
9.47%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.98 €8.88
$10.44 €9.29
-4.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.58 €5.86
$6.58 €5.85
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.27 €1.13
-14.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 €1.38
$2.08 €1.85
-25.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Krefeld
Berlin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.42 €3.04
$4.34 €3.86
-21.20%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.6 €53.9
$71.6 €63.7
-15.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.06 €4.50
$5.26 €4.68
-3.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.20 €1.95
$3.09 €2.75
-28.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.02 €30.26
$36.34 €32.32
-6.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.31 €2.05
-2.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K €28.8K
$32.4K €28.8K
-0.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$38.6K €34.3K
-0.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Krefeld
Berlin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$300 €267
$382 €340
-21.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.28 €22.49
$18.83 €16.75
34.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.06 €36.52
$48.57 €43.20
-15.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Krefeld
Berlin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.80 €35.41
$40.21 €35.76
-1.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.10 €20.55
$34.90 €31.04
-33.81%
Cinema Ticket
$13.54 €12.05
$15.73 €14.00
-13.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Krefeld
Berlin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$465 €414
$142 €126
228.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.8K €19.4K
$15.8K €14.0K
37.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Krefeld
Berlin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.8 €79.0
$95.4 €84.8
-6.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.10 €36.56
$46.32 €41.20
-11.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$104 €92.4
0.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$130 €116
$143 €128
-9.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Krefeld
Berlin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 €637
$1,469 €1,306
-51.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$584 €519
$1,114 €991
-47.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,425 €1,267
$2,751 €2,447
-48.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,128 €1,004
$2,107 €1,875
-46.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,248 €2,889
$8,454 €7,520
-61.58%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,481 €3,985
$5,435 €4,834
-17.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Krefeld
Berlin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,002 €1,781
$3,543 €3,151
-43.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.96
3.8
4.21%

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

Last update for Krefeld: October 13, 2026

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Krefeld
$583
Berlin
$1.1K 91% $531
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Krefeld
$366
Berlin
$449 22.5% $83
Groceries & Markets
Krefeld
$339
Berlin
$343 1.2% $4.1
Eating Out
Krefeld
$289
Berlin
$288 0.3% $0.7
Clothing & Footwear
Krefeld
$164
Berlin
$175 6.6% $11
Getting Around
Krefeld
$90
Berlin
$110 21.4% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Krefeld
$67
Berlin
$72 7.1% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Krefeld 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 77% 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 $72.0 in Krefeld versus $77.0 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $343 – making Krefeld the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Krefeld
🇩🇪 Berlin
🕒 Local time
15:00 3:00 PM
15:00 3:00 PM
Same time as Krefeld
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
222,058
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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Krefeld Berlin 490 km
From you
  • Krefeld
  • 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
Krefeld vs Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Berlin cheaper than Krefeld?
Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,848 per month in Krefeld and $3,826 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 Krefeld, 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 Krefeld and in Berlin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,899 in Krefeld and $2,551 in Berlin. That's a gap of about 34%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 18% less in Krefeld. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Krefeld or in Berlin?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Krefeld, where all-in costs run around $1,899, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Krefeld it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Krefeld or Berlin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Krefeld – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Krefeld 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 Krefeld. 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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