For one person, living is cheaper in Perm: $917 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Perm and in Berlin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $917 per month in Perm vs $2,545 in Berlin, rent included.
Perm $917
Berlin $2,545
A couple spends around $1,387 per month in Perm vs $3,901 in Berlin, rent included.
Perm $1,387
Berlin $3,901
A family of three spends $1,858 per month in Perm vs $5,257 in Berlin, rent included.
Perm $1,858
Berlin $5,257
🙂
Perm is about 64% cheaper than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Perm sits 32% below the global median, while Berlin is 90% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Perm
Berlin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.05₽684
$16.81€14.99
-52.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$26.22₽2,229
$79.6€71.0
-67.05%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.06₽515
$13.38€11.93
-54.71%
Cappuccino
$2.18₽186
$4.27€3.81
-48.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78₽66.7
$3.40€3.03
-77.06%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40₽33.93
$3.12€2.78
-87.18%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.21₽103
$5.48€4.88
-77.92%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55₽131
$4.56€4.06
-66.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Perm
Berlin
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.07₽91.3
$1.27€1.13
-15.75%
White Bread(500g)
$0.83₽70.8
$2.45€2.18
-66.12%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.25₽106
$3.30€2.94
-62.12%
Eggs
$1.28₽109
$4.45€3.97
-71.24%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.83₽666
$17.10€15.25
-54.21%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.23₽445
$12.19€10.87
-57.10%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.68₽993
$18.30€16.32
-36.17%
Apples(1kg)
$2.15₽182
$3.58€3.19
-39.94%
Banana(1kg)
$2.10₽178
$1.98€1.76
6.06%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.09₽178
$3.27€2.91
-36.09%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.29₽195
$3.81€3.40
-39.90%
Potato(1kg)
$0.56₽47.90
$2.13€1.90
-73.71%
Onion(1kg)
$0.44₽37.10
$2.21€1.97
-80.09%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.86₽73.0
$1.49€1.33
-42.28%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82₽69.4
$1.01€0.90
-18.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.62₽222
$10.49€9.36
-75.02%
Wine(Bottle)
$9.26₽787
$6.76€6.03
36.98%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.87₽74.0
$1.34€1.20
-35.07%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63₽139
$2.10€1.87
-22.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Perm
Berlin
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.52₽44.51
$4.37€3.90
-88.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$24.53₽2,085
$71.0€63.3
-65.43%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.75₽149
$5.29€4.72
-66.92%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.45₽38.66
$3.05€2.72
-85.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.16₽354
$36.30€32.36
-88.54%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.81₽68.7
$2.28€2.03
-64.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.7K₽3.5M
$33.2K€29.6K
22.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K₽3.3M
$39.1K€34.8K
0.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perm
Berlin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$128₽10.8K
$379€338
-66.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.68₽483
$19.31€17.22
-70.59%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.33₽708
$48.41€43.17
-82.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Perm
Berlin
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$27.00₽2,295
$40.31€35.94
-33.02%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.23₽1,125
$35.51€31.66
-62.74%
Cinema Ticket
$8.30₽706
$15.53€13.85
-46.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Perm
Berlin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$233₽19.8K
$144€128
62.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$4,398₽373.9K
$15.8K€14.0K
-72.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Perm
Berlin
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3₽4,534
$94.6€84.4
-43.65%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.85₽2,793
$46.33€41.31
-29.10%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$61.9₽5,266
$103€92.1
-40.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$69.9₽5,943
$141€126
-50.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Perm
Berlin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$471₽40.0K
$1,488€1,327
-68.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$265₽22.5K
$1,098€979
-75.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$603₽51.3K
$2,665€2,376
-77.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$479₽40.8K
$2,080€1,855
-76.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,358₽200.5K
$8,578€7,648
-72.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,543₽131.2K
$5,438€4,849
-71.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Perm
Berlin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$973₽82.7K
$3,487€3,109
-72.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
23.33
3.8
513.95%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Perm: October 3, 2026
Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Perm
$265 29.4%
Berlin
$1.1K 43.3% ↑ 315%$833
🛒Groceries & Markets
Perm
$199 22.1%
Berlin
$351 13.8% ↑ 76.2%$152
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perm
$142 15.7%
Berlin
$447 17.6% ↑ 216%$305
🍽Eating Out
Perm
$123 13.6%
Berlin
$289 11.4% ↑ 135%$166
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Perm
$98 10.9%
Berlin
$174 6.8% ↑ 76.9%$75
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Perm
$44 4.8%
Berlin
$71 2.8% ↑ 63.7%$28
🚌Getting Around
Perm
$31 3.4%
Berlin
$109 4.3% ↑ 256%$78
🏠Accommodation & Living
Perm
$479 25.9%
Berlin
$2.1K 40.5% ↑ 334%$1.6K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Perm
$461 24.9%
Berlin
$831 16.2% ↑ 80.3%$370
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perm
$147 8%
Berlin
$466 9.1% ↑ 217%$319
🍽Eating Out
Perm
$382 20.6%
Berlin
$971 18.9% ↑ 155%$590
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Perm
$218 11.8%
Berlin
$386 7.5% ↑ 76.9%$168
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Perm
$100 5.4%
Berlin
$178 3.5% ↑ 77.5%$78
🚌Getting Around
Perm
$62 3.4%
Berlin
$227 4.4% ↑ 264%$164
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $471 in Perm 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 258% 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 $26.00 in Perm versus $80.0 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $351 – making Perm the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)
The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Perm vs Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Berlin cheaper than Perm?
Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 178%, 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 $1,375 per month in Perm 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 Perm, 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 Perm and in Berlin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $917 in Perm and $2,545 in Berlin. That's a gap of about 178%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 189% less in Perm. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Perm or in Berlin?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Perm, where all-in costs run around $917, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Perm it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Perm or Berlin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Perm – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Perm 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 Perm. 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.