Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Markham and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Markham: $2,416 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Berlin despite lower rent and utilities.

118

Cost of Living Index in Markham
Learn more

Markham Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
Learn more

Berlin Living Index

Jump to prices

Markham

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,416

/mo nomad

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,416 per month in Markham vs $2,551 in Berlin, rent included.

Markham $2,416
Berlin $2,551

A couple spends around $3,465 per month in Markham vs $3,845 in Berlin, rent included.

Markham $3,465
Berlin $3,845

A family of three spends $4,514 per month in Markham vs $5,139 in Berlin, rent included.

Markham $4,514
Berlin $5,139

Markham is about 5% cheaper than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Markham and Berlin sit above the global median – Markham by 79%, Berlin by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.37 CA$24.70

$16.65 €14.87

4.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.4 CA$76.0

$76.7 €68.5

-30.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 CA$14.89

$13.47 €12.03

-22.27%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.42

$4.37 €3.91

-12.81%

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

$1.70 CA$2.42

$3.48 €3.11

-51.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 CA$1.67

$3.12 €2.79

-62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 CA$5.10

$5.34 €4.77

-32.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 CA$7.99

$4.39 €3.93

28.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 CA$2.76

$1.27 €1.13

52.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.33 €2.08

-4.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.70

$3.40 €3.04

-44.12%

Eggs

$2.99 CA$4.25

$4.50 €4.02

-33.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.99

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.70 CA$16.64

$11.91 €10.63

-1.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.81 CA$9.68

$17.90 €15.99

-61.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 CA$5.25

$3.46 €3.09

6.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 CA$1.80

$1.95 €1.74

-35.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 CA$3.31

$3.26 €2.91

-28.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.63

$3.71 €3.32

-12.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 CA$2.92

$2.10 €1.87

-2.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 CA$2.79

$2.09 €1.87

-6.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 CA$4.08

$1.42 €1.27

102.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$0.95 €0.85

55.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.44 CA$19.11

$10.44 €9.33

28.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.53 CA$20.66

$6.58 €5.88

120.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 CA$3.41

$1.27 €1.13

88.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 CA$4.54

$2.08 €1.85

53.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 CA$4.32

$4.34 €3.88

-29.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$127

$71.6 €64.0

24.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 CA$4.71

$5.26 €4.70

-37.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.76

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.60 CA$26.44

$36.34 €32.46

-48.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.61

$2.31 €2.06

-51.08%

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

$28.1K CA$40.0K

$32.4K €29.0K

-13.31%

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

$18.1K CA$25.8K

$38.6K €34.5K

-53.06%

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

$125 CA$178

$382 €341

-67.14%

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

$26.20 CA$37.26

$18.83 €16.82

39.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.69 CA$65.0

$48.57 €43.38

-5.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.62 CA$60.6

$40.21 €35.91

5.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.28 CA$30.26

$34.90 €31.17

-39.03%

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 CA$14.49

$15.73 €14.05

-35.22%

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

$870 CA$1,237

$142 €126

514.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.5K CA$39.0K

$15.8K €14.1K

74.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.21 CA$61.4

$95.4 €85.2

-54.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.22 CA$52.9

$46.32 €41.37

-19.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 CA$130

$104 €92.8

-12.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$149

$143 €128

-26.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,554 CA$2,210

$1,469 €1,312

5.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 CA$1,978

$1,114 €995

24.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,699 CA$3,838

$2,751 €2,457

-1.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,236 CA$3,179

$2,107 €1,882

6.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,896 CA$8,382

$8,454 €7,551

-30.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,309 CA$7,549

$5,435 €4,854

-2.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,132 CA$4,453

$3,543 €3,165

-11.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.56

3.8

20.00%

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

Last update for Markham: October 11, 2026

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Markham

$1.4K 57.6%

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7% 19.9% $277

Groceries & Markets

Markham

$279 * 11.5%

Berlin

$343 13.4% 23.1% $64

Eating Out

Markham

$257 10.6%

Berlin

$288 11.3% 12.1% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Markham

$197 8.2%

Berlin

$449 17.6% 128% $252

Clothing & Footwear

Markham

$124 5.2%

Berlin

$175 6.9% 40.7% $51

Getting Around

Markham

$105 * 4.3%

Berlin

$110 4.3% 4.6% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Markham

$63 2.6%

Berlin

$72 2.8% 13.8% $8.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,554 in Markham 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 13% 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 $53.0 in Markham versus $77.0 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $279 vs $343 – making Markham the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Markham

🇩🇪 Berlin

🕒 Local time

19:26 7:26 PM

01:26 1:26 AM

6 h ahead of Markham

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

338,503

3,769,962 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Markham Berlin 6,460 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Markham
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

Markham vs Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,624 per month in Markham 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 Markham, 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 $2,416 in Markham and $2,551 in Berlin. That's a gap of about 6%.

Public transport costs about 25% less in Markham. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Markham, where all-in costs run around $2,416, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Markham it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Markham – 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 Markham. 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.