Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portsmouth and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Berlin: $2,551 a month against $2,763 in Portsmouth, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Portsmouth outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

134

Cost of Living Index in Portsmouth
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Portsmouth Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index

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Portsmouth

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,763

/mo nomad

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,763 per month in Portsmouth vs $2,551 in Berlin, rent included.

Portsmouth $2,763
Berlin $2,551

A couple spends around $3,798 per month in Portsmouth vs $3,845 in Berlin, rent included.

Portsmouth $3,798
Berlin $3,845

A family of three spends $4,834 per month in Portsmouth vs $5,139 in Berlin, rent included.

Portsmouth $4,834
Berlin $5,139

Portsmouth costs about 8% more than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Portsmouth and Berlin sit above the global median – Portsmouth by 105%, Berlin by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 £14.86

$16.65 €14.81

18.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.4 £49.78

$76.7 €68.2

-13.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 £7.76

$13.47 €11.98

-23.24%

Cappuccino

$4.79 £3.59

$4.37 €3.89

9.61%

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

$2.66 £1.99

$3.48 €3.09

-23.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 £1.71

$3.12 €2.77

-27.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.18 £4.63

$5.34 €4.75

15.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 £4.38

$4.39 €3.91

32.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 £1.06

$1.27 €1.13

11.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 £1.18

$2.33 €2.08

-32.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 £2.77

$3.40 €3.02

8.53%

Eggs

$3.39 £2.55

$4.50 €4.00

-24.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.26 £9.95

$16.78 €14.93

-20.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.32 £6.24

$11.91 €10.59

-30.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.02 £9.77

$17.90 €15.92

-27.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 £2.90

$3.46 €3.07

11.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 £1.43

$1.95 €1.73

-2.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 £2.14

$3.26 €2.90

-12.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 £2.51

$3.71 €3.30

-9.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 £1.23

$2.10 €1.87

-21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 £1.23

$2.09 €1.86

-22.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.90

$1.42 €1.27

-15.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.14

$0.95 €0.84

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.07 £17.31

$10.44 €9.29

120.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.29 £8.47

$6.58 €5.85

71.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 £2.21

$1.27 €1.13

131.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 £1.60

$2.08 €1.85

2.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.08 £3.06

$4.34 €3.86

-5.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 £66.0

$71.6 €63.7

22.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.16 £3.87

$5.26 €4.68

-1.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 £1.20

$3.09 €2.75

-48.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.02 £15.02

$36.34 €32.32

-44.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.56

$2.31 €2.05

-9.96%

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

$38.6K £29.0K

$32.4K €28.8K

19.12%

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

$40.1K £30.1K

$38.6K €34.3K

3.95%

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

$654 £491

$382 €340

71.46%

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

$14.83 £11.12

$18.83 €16.75

-21.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.05 £31.55

$48.57 €43.20

-13.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.39 £28.80

$40.21 €35.76

-4.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 £12.86

$34.90 €31.04

-50.86%

Cinema Ticket

$10.65 £7.99

$15.73 €14.00

-32.29%

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

$1,249 £937

$142 €126

782.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K £15.0K

$15.8K €14.0K

26.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 £67.9

$95.4 €84.8

-5.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.83 £29.88

$46.32 €41.20

-14.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.6 £74.0

$104 €92.4

-5.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 £89.8

$143 €128

-16.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 £1,093

$1,469 €1,306

-0.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 £824

$1,114 €991

-1.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,091 £1,569

$2,751 €2,447

-23.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 £1,286

$2,107 €1,875

-18.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,504 £3,378

$8,454 €7,520

-46.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,703 £2,778

$5,435 €4,834

-31.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,350 £2,513

$3,543 €3,151

-5.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.16

3.8

35.79%

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

Last update for Portsmouth: October 12, 2026

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Portsmouth

$1.1K 39.8%

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7% 1.5% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portsmouth

$711 25.7%

Berlin

$449 17.6% 36.9% $262

Groceries & Markets

Portsmouth

$310 11.2%

Berlin

$343 13.4% 10.5% $33

Eating Out

Portsmouth

$309 11.2%

Berlin

$288 11.3% 6.9% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Portsmouth

$157 5.7%

Berlin

$175 6.9% 11.5% $18

Getting Around

Portsmouth

$118 4.3%

Berlin

$110 4.3% 6.7% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Portsmouth

$60 2.2%

Berlin

$72 2.8% 20.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,457 in Portsmouth 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 6% higher in Berlin, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Portsmouth versus $77.0 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $310 vs $343 – making Portsmouth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Portsmouth

🇩🇪 Berlin

🕒 Local time

18:28 6:28 PM

19:28 7:28 PM

1 h ahead of Portsmouth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

198,974

3,769,962 Capital

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to GBP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Portsmouth Berlin 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Portsmouth
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

Portsmouth vs Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Portsmouth is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,144 per month in Portsmouth 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 Berlin, 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 $2,763 in Portsmouth and $2,551 in Berlin. That's a gap of about 8%.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Berlin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Berlin, where all-in costs run around $2,551, than in Portsmouth at $2,763. In Berlin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Portsmouth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Berlin – 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 Berlin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Portsmouth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.