Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sunderland and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Sunderland: $1,841 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sunderland
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,841
/mo nomad
Berlin
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,551
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,841 per month in Sunderland vs $2,551 in Berlin, rent included.

  • Sunderland $1,841
  • Berlin $2,551

A couple spends around $2,749 per month in Sunderland vs $3,845 in Berlin, rent included.

  • Sunderland $2,749
  • Berlin $3,845

A family of three spends $3,656 per month in Sunderland vs $5,139 in Berlin, rent included.

  • Sunderland $3,656
  • Berlin $5,139

Sunderland is about 28% cheaper than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sunderland and Berlin sit above the global median – Sunderland by 36%, Berlin by 89%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sunderland
Berlin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.40 £13.80
$16.65 €14.81
10.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.3 £52.0
$76.7 €68.2
-9.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.69 £6.52
$13.47 €11.98
-35.49%
Cappuccino
$5.06 £3.79
$4.37 €3.89
15.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 £1.71
$3.48 €3.09
-34.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 £1.51
$3.12 €2.77
-35.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.59 £3.44
$5.34 €4.75
-14.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 £3.19
$4.39 €3.91
-3.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sunderland
Berlin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.43 £1.08
$1.27 €1.13
12.60%
White Bread (500g)
$1.42 £1.07
$2.33 €2.08
-39.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.26 £1.69
$3.40 €3.02
-33.53%
Eggs
$3.53 £2.65
$4.50 €4.00
-21.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.64 £7.23
$16.78 €14.93
-42.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.75 £6.56
$11.91 €10.59
-26.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.05 £10.54
$17.90 €15.92
-21.51%
Apples (1kg)
$3.22 £2.42
$3.46 €3.07
-6.94%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 £1.43
$1.95 €1.73
-2.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.79 £2.09
$3.26 €2.90
-14.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.67 £2.75
$3.71 €3.30
-1.08%
Potato (1kg)
$1.71 £1.29
$2.10 €1.87
-18.57%
Onion (1kg)
$1.47 £1.10
$2.09 €1.86
-29.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 £0.86
$1.42 €1.27
-19.01%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.57 £1.18
$0.95 €0.84
65.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$22.77 £17.08
$10.44 €9.29
118.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.26 £7.70
$6.58 €5.85
55.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.59 £2.70
$1.27 €1.13
182.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.53 £2.65
$2.08 €1.85
69.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Sunderland
Berlin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.14 £1.60
$4.34 €3.86
-50.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$119 £89.4
$71.6 €63.7
66.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.37 £3.28
$5.26 €4.68
-16.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.55 £1.17
$3.09 €2.75
-49.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.71 £20.79
$36.34 €32.32
-23.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.02 £1.51
$2.31 €2.05
-12.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.7K
$32.4K €28.8K
17.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.4K £30.3K
$38.6K €34.3K
4.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sunderland
Berlin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$243 £182
$382 €340
-36.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.67 £12.51
$18.83 €16.75
-11.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.88 £31.42
$48.57 €43.20
-13.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sunderland
Berlin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.37 £30.29
$40.21 €35.76
0.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.00 £9.00
$34.90 €31.04
-65.62%
Cinema Ticket
$10.43 £7.83
$15.73 €14.00
-33.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sunderland
Berlin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$798 £598
$142 €126
463.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.8K £13.4K
$15.8K €14.0K
12.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sunderland
Berlin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.7 £67.3
$95.4 €84.8
-5.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.91 £35.19
$46.32 €41.20
1.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 £81.5
$104 €92.4
4.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.2 £70.7
$143 €128
-34.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sunderland
Berlin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$775 £582
$1,469 €1,306
-47.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$603 £452
$1,114 €991
-45.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,304 £978
$2,751 €2,447
-52.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$973 £730
$2,107 €1,875
-53.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$8,454 €7,520
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$5,435 €4,834
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sunderland
Berlin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,599 £2,700
$3,543 €3,151
1.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.15
3.8
35.53%

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

Last update for Sunderland: 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
Sunderland
$603
Berlin
$1.1K 84.9% $512
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sunderland
$301
Berlin
$449 49% $148
Groceries & Markets
Sunderland
$301
Berlin
$343 14.1% $42
Eating Out
Sunderland
$283
Berlin
$288 1.9% $5.4
Clothing & Footwear
Sunderland
$153
Berlin
$175 14.6% $22
Getting Around
Sunderland
$140
Berlin
$110 21.6% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Sunderland
$61
Berlin
$72 17% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $775 in Sunderland 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 2% higher in Sunderland, 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 $69.0 in Sunderland versus $77.0 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $343 – making Sunderland the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Sunderland
🇩🇪 Berlin
🕒 Local time
10:10 10:10 AM
11:10 11:10 AM
1 h ahead of Sunderland
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
275,300
3,769,962 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sunderland Berlin 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Sunderland
  • 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
Sunderland vs Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Berlin cheaper than Sunderland?
Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,762 per month in Sunderland and $3,826 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 Sunderland, 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 Sunderland and in Berlin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,841 in Sunderland and $2,551 in Berlin. That's a gap of about 39%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 66% less in Sunderland. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Sunderland or in Berlin?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Sunderland, where all-in costs run around $1,841, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Sunderland it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Sunderland or Berlin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Sunderland – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Sunderland 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 Sunderland. 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.

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