Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Elizabeth: $1,182 a month against $2,535 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Port Elizabeth
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Port Elizabeth Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index

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Port Elizabeth

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,182

/mo nomad

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,535

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,182 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $2,535 in Berlin, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $1,182
Berlin $2,535

A couple spends around $1,939 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $3,888 in Berlin, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $1,939
Berlin $3,888

A family of three spends $2,696 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $5,241 in Berlin, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $2,696
Berlin $5,241

Port Elizabeth is about 53% cheaper than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Port Elizabeth sits 13% below the global median, while Berlin is 88% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.66 R 176

$16.50 €14.69

-35.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.58 R 685

$79.1 €70.4

-47.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.04 R 99.6

$13.98 €12.45

-56.80%

Cappuccino

$2.07 R 34.16

$4.38 €3.90

-52.74%

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

$1.06 R 17.45

$3.20 €2.85

-66.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R 12.57

$3.08 €2.74

-75.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 R 43.62

$5.38 €4.79

-50.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 R 52.4

$4.38 €3.90

-27.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R 18.66

$1.24 €1.11

-8.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 R 17.30

$2.51 €2.23

-58.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.66

$3.36 €2.99

-55.36%

Eggs

$2.72 R 44.79

$4.68 €4.16

-41.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.83 R 146

$18.28 €16.28

-51.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R 89.2

$12.25 €10.91

-55.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.27 R 136

$18.10 €16.12

-54.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 R 35.63

$3.36 €2.99

-35.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.40

$1.97 €1.76

-21.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.07

$3.39 €3.02

-49.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.72

$3.61 €3.22

-50.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.44

$2.02 €1.80

-14.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 R 23.45

$1.92 €1.71

-26.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.34

$1.48 €1.32

-12.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 R 16.25

$0.90 €0.81

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 R 52.6

$10.48 €9.33

-69.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.95 R 81.6

$6.68 €5.95

-25.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 R 20.70

$1.31 €1.17

-3.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 R 29.92

$2.01 €1.79

-9.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R 18.04

$4.53 €4.03

-75.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.03 R 594

$70.2 €62.5

-48.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 R 34.77

$4.85 €4.32

-56.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 R 7.74

$3.11 €2.77

-84.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.51 R 140

$37.21 €33.14

-77.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 R 25.22

$2.33 €2.08

-34.33%

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

$34.7K R 571.1K

$33.3K €29.7K

3.98%

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

$34.3K R 564.4K

$39.4K €35.1K

-13.01%

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

$123 R 2,029

$390 €347

-68.41%

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

$34.77 R 573

$19.74 €17.58

76.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.39 R 732

$49.03 €43.66

-9.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.97 R 527

$40.21 €35.80

-20.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.16 R 382

$35.15 €31.30

-34.11%

Cinema Ticket

$10.47 R 172

$15.36 €13.67

-31.84%

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

$178 R 2,933

$145 €130

22.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,168 R 101.6K

$18.0K €16.0K

-65.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 R 1,169

$100.0 €89.0

-29.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.13 R 645

$47.89 €42.64

-18.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 R 1,848

$103 €91.6

9.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.0 R 1,615

$141 €126

-30.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 R 8,266

$1,427 €1,270

-64.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 R 6,350

$1,082 €964

-64.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 R 15.7K

$2,717 €2,420

-64.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$932 R 15.4K

$2,170 €1,932

-57.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$757 R 12.5K

$8,523 €7,589

-91.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$534 R 8,806

$5,436 €4,840

-90.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,624 R 26.8K

$3,543 €3,155

-54.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

3.8

214.21%

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

Last update for Port Elizabeth: November 3, 2026

Last update for Berlin: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Elizabeth

$385 32.6%

Berlin

$1.1K 42.7% 181% $697

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Elizabeth

$202 17.1%

Berlin

$459 18.1% 127% $256

Groceries & Markets

Port Elizabeth

$198 16.7%

Berlin

$351 13.8% 77.4% $153

Eating Out

Port Elizabeth

$155 13.1%

Berlin

$287 11.3% 85.2% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Port Elizabeth

$144 12.2%

Berlin

$176 7% 22.5% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Port Elizabeth

$53 4.5%

Berlin

$71 2.8% 34.1% $18

Getting Around

Port Elizabeth

$45 3.8%

Berlin

$109 4.3% 142% $64

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $502 in Port Elizabeth versus $1,427 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 in Berlin are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Port Elizabeth versus $79 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $351 – making Port Elizabeth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth

🇩🇪 Berlin

🕒 Local time

12:30 12:30 PM

11:30 11:30 AM

1 h behind Port Elizabeth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,050,000

3,769,962 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.51 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Elizabeth Berlin 9,690 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Elizabeth
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

Port Elizabeth vs Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 114%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,774 per month in Port Elizabeth and $3,803 in Berlin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Elizabeth, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $502 there versus $1,427 in Berlin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,182 in Port Elizabeth and $2,535 in Berlin. That makes Port Elizabeth about 53% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 49% less in Port Elizabeth. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,182 in Port Elizabeth and $2,535 in Berlin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Berlin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,182 in Port Elizabeth to $2,535 in Berlin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Port Elizabeth. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.