Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rethymno and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Rethymno: $1,345 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Rethymno
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Rethymno Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index

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Rethymno

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,345

/mo nomad

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,345 per month in Rethymno vs $2,551 in Berlin, rent included.

Rethymno $1,345
Berlin $2,551

A couple spends around $2,021 per month in Rethymno vs $3,845 in Berlin, rent included.

Rethymno $2,021
Berlin $3,845

A family of three spends $2,697 per month in Rethymno vs $5,139 in Berlin, rent included.

Rethymno $2,697
Berlin $5,139

Rethymno is about 47% cheaper than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rethymno and Berlin sit above the global median – Rethymno by 0%, Berlin by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.58 €11.19

$16.65 €14.81

-24.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.6 €49.49

$76.7 €68.2

-27.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 €8.79

$13.47 €11.98

-26.65%

Cappuccino

$3.56 €3.17

$4.37 €3.89

-18.54%

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

$1.65 €1.47

$3.48 €3.09

-52.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 €0.47

$3.12 €2.77

-83.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.94

$5.34 €4.75

-17.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 €4.82

$4.39 €3.91

23.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.27 €1.13

19.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 €1.12

$2.33 €2.08

-45.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$3.40 €3.02

-36.18%

Eggs

$4.55 €4.04

$4.50 €4.00

1.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 €13.03

$16.78 €14.93

-12.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 €8.29

$11.91 €10.59

-21.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.06 €13.40

$17.90 €15.92

-15.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 €1.81

$3.46 €3.07

-41.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.79

$1.95 €1.73

3.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 €1.08

$3.26 €2.90

-62.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$3.71 €3.30

-52.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 €0.86

$2.10 €1.87

-53.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 €0.84

$2.09 €1.86

-54.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 €0.57

$1.42 €1.27

-54.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.64

$0.95 €0.84

-24.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 €3.88

$10.44 €9.29

-58.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.57

$1.27 €1.13

39.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.68

$2.08 €1.85

-9.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 €1.63

$4.34 €3.86

-57.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 €3.91

$5.26 €4.68

-16.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$3.09 €2.75

-64.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.32 €10.07

$36.34 €32.32

-68.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.31 €2.05

-2.60%

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

$22.4K €19.9K

$32.4K €28.8K

-30.99%

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

$24.4K €21.7K

$38.6K €34.3K

-36.77%

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

$193 €171

$382 €340

-49.54%

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

$17.94 €15.96

$18.83 €16.75

-4.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.02

$48.57 €43.20

-37.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 €53.6

$40.21 €35.76

49.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

Cinema Ticket

$8.50 €7.56

$15.73 €14.00

-45.96%

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

$364 €324

$142 €126

157.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,938 €3,503

$15.8K €14.0K

-75.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 €79.7

$95.4 €84.8

-6.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.17 €9.94

$46.32 €41.20

-75.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.93 €39.96

$104 €92.4

-56.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.80 €38.96

$143 €128

-69.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 €489

$1,469 €1,306

-62.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 €392

$1,114 €991

-60.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 €808

$2,751 €2,447

-67.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 €633

$2,107 €1,875

-66.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,079 €3,628

$8,454 €7,520

-51.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,948 €2,622

$5,435 €4,834

-45.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,222 €1,087

$3,543 €3,151

-65.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

3.8

13.16%

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

Last update for Rethymno: October 10, 2026

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rethymno

$441 32.8%

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7% 153% $673

Groceries & Markets

Rethymno

$268 20%

Berlin

$343 13.4% 27.9% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rethymno

$241 17.9%

Berlin

$449 17.6% 86.4% $208

Eating Out

Rethymno

$215 16%

Berlin

$288 11.3% 34.1% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Rethymno

$85 6.3%

Berlin

$175 6.9% 105% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Rethymno

$77 5.7%

Berlin

$72 2.8% 7.2% $5.5

Getting Around

Rethymno

$17 * 1.3%

Berlin

$110 4.3% 539% $93

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $549 in Rethymno 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 190% 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 $56.0 in Rethymno versus $77.0 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $343 – making Rethymno the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Rethymno

🇩🇪 Berlin

🕒 Local time

18:11 6:11 PM

17:11 5:11 PM

1 h behind Rethymno

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,763

3,769,962 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Rethymno Berlin 2,100 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Rethymno
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

Rethymno vs Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 90%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,017 per month in Rethymno 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 Rethymno, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Rethymno and $77.0 in Berlin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Berlin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Rethymno, where all-in costs run around $1,345, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Rethymno it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rethymno – 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 Rethymno. 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.