Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in London: $2,312 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index

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London

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,312

/mo nomad

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,312 per month in London vs $2,545 in Berlin, rent included.

London $2,312
Berlin $2,545

A couple spends around $3,278 per month in London vs $3,901 in Berlin, rent included.

London $3,278
Berlin $3,901

A family of three spends $4,243 per month in London vs $5,257 in Berlin, rent included.

London $4,243
Berlin $5,257

London is about 9% cheaper than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both London and Berlin sit above the global median – London by 73%, Berlin by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.22 CA$30.24

$16.81 €15.00

26.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 CA$89.3

$79.6 €71.0

-21.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.36 CA$17.61

$13.38 €11.94

-7.62%

Cappuccino

$3.65 CA$5.20

$4.27 €3.81

-14.52%

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

$2.18 CA$3.10

$3.40 €3.03

-35.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 CA$2.94

$3.12 €2.79

-33.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 CA$9.22

$5.48 €4.89

18.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.47 CA$9.23

$4.56 €4.07

41.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 CA$2.78

$1.27 €1.13

53.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 CA$3.72

$2.45 €2.19

6.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.94 CA$5.62

$3.30 €2.94

19.39%

Eggs

$3.74 CA$5.34

$4.45 €3.97

-15.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 CA$14.02

$17.10 €15.26

-42.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.28 CA$16.08

$12.19 €10.88

-7.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 CA$21.40

$18.30 €16.33

-17.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 CA$6.04

$3.58 €3.19

18.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 CA$1.84

$1.98 €1.77

-34.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.85 CA$5.49

$3.27 €2.92

17.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.79

$3.81 €3.40

6.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.17 CA$4.53

$2.13 €1.90

48.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.31

$2.21 €1.97

36.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CA$3.68

$1.49 €1.33

73.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.09

$1.01 €0.90

44.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 CA$17.08

$10.49 €9.37

14.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.50 CA$17.82

$6.76 €6.03

84.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 CA$3.43

$1.34 €1.20

79.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 CA$4.09

$2.10 €1.87

36.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 CA$3.22

$4.37 €3.90

-48.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 CA$110

$71.0 €63.3

9.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 CA$3.58

$5.29 €4.72

-52.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 CA$2.29

$3.05 €2.73

-47.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.83 CA$31.11

$36.30 €32.39

-39.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.67

$2.28 €2.03

-48.68%

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

$27.8K CA$39.6K

$33.2K €29.7K

-16.45%

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

$22.7K CA$32.4K

$39.1K €34.9K

-41.75%

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

$135 CA$193

$379 €339

-64.40%

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

$39.06 CA$55.7

$19.31 €17.23

102.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 CA$80.3

$48.41 €43.20

16.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.00 CA$52.7

$40.31 €35.97

-8.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.27 CA$40.29

$35.51 €31.69

-20.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.41 CA$14.84

$15.53 €13.86

-32.97%

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

$407 CA$579

$144 €128

182.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K CA$28.8K

$15.8K €14.1K

28.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 CA$74.1

$94.6 €84.5

-45.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.12 CA$54.3

$46.33 €41.34

-17.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 CA$118

$103 €92.2

-19.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.7 CA$129

$141 €126

-35.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 CA$1,810

$1,488 €1,328

-14.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 CA$1,636

$1,098 €980

4.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 CA$2,870

$2,665 €2,378

-24.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 CA$2,428

$2,080 €1,856

-18.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,440 CA$4,904

$8,578 €7,655

-59.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,519 CA$5,015

$5,438 €4,853

-35.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,882 CA$4,108

$3,487 €3,112

-17.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

3.8

24.21%

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

Last update for London: October 4, 2026

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$1.1K 49.4%

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3% 4.3% $50

Groceries & Markets

London

$358 15.4%

Berlin

$351 13.8% 2.1% $7.6

Eating Out

London

$313 13.5%

Berlin

$289 11.4% 7.8% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$230 9.9%

Berlin

$447 17.6% 94% $217

Clothing & Footwear

London

$119 5.1%

Berlin

$174 6.8% 46.3% $55

Getting Around

London

$97 4.2%

Berlin

$109 4.3% 12.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

London

$58 2.5%

Berlin

$71 2.8% 23.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,270 in London 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 21% 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 $63.0 in London versus $80.0 in Berlin. Groceries tell a different story – $358 in London vs $351 in Berlin – so Berlin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 London

🇩🇪 Berlin

🕒 Local time

01:27 1:27 AM

07:27 7:27 AM

6 h ahead of London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

383,822

3,769,962 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

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

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

London Berlin 6,640 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

London vs Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,469 per month in London and $3,818 in Berlin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in London, 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 $2,312 in London and $2,545 in Berlin. That's a gap of about 10%.

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

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in London, where all-in costs run around $2,312, than in Berlin at $2,545. In London it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward London – 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 London. 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.