Berlin is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world, the capital of Germany, and one of the largest in the continent in terms of population. The city enjoys a central location in Europe, and is quite attractive for expats willing to relocate to Europe.
Unlike other larger German cities which have a bigger focus on industry, Berlin’s economy is heavily based in the services sector. During recent years the city increased the number of jobs considerably, and its unemployed has consequently declined.
Berlin has some of the most thriving start-up scenes in Europe. There are many tech companies based in Berlin, and a good part of them is interesting in hiring highly qualified expats. Other than that, the Berlin tourism sector is also quite strong, as the German capital is one of the most visited the continent.
Read Also: Reasons why to Study in Germany
The German capital used to be famous for its relatively low cost of living, but that has considerably changed in the past years. While food continues to be more affordable than other cities in German, accommodation and transport are now comparable to any other commercial hub in the country.
Cost of living in Berlin, Germany
| Restaurants | |
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 8.00 € |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 40.00 € |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 7.00 € |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught) | 3.50 € |
| Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) | 3.50 € |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 2.74 € |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) | 2.12 € |
| Water (0.33 liter bottle) | 1.73 € |
| Food | |
| Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district | €10 |
| Combo meal in fast food restaurant (Big Mac Meal or similar) | €7 |
| 1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk | €1.00 |
| 12 eggs, large | €3.26 |
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes | €2.41 |
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of apples | €2.36 |
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes | €1.71 |
| 0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket | €0.87 |
| 1 bottle of red table wine, good quality | €6 |
| 2 liters of Coca-Cola | €1.75 |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) | 1.40 € |
| Rice (white), (1kg) | 1.82 € |
| Local Cheese (1kg) | 7.94 € |
| Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg) | 7.73 € |
| Beef Round (1kg) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 11.64 € |
| Banana (1kg) | 1.49 € |
| Oranges (1kg) | 2.12 € |
| Onion (1kg) | 1.28 € |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 1.03 € |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 0.52 € |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 0.83 € |
| Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) | 1.23 € |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 6.40 € |
| Housing | |
| Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 Sqft) furnished accommodation in EXPENSIVE area | €1,400 |
| Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 Sqft) furnished accommodation in NORMAL area | €1,066 |
| Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas …) for 2 people in 85m2 flat | €207 |
| Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 Sqft) furnished studio in EXPENSIVE area | €988 |
| Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 Sqft) furnished studio in NORMAL area | €614 |
| Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas …) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 Sqft) studio | €106 |
| Internet 8 Mbps (1 month) | €23 |
| 40” flat screen TV | €358 |
| Microwave 800/900 Watt (Bosch, Panasonic, LG, Sharp, or equivalent brands) | €95 |
| Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) | €5.06 |
| Hourly rate for cleaning help | €13 |
| Clothes | |
| 1 pair of jeans (Levis 501 or similar) | €69 |
| 1 summer dress in a High Street Store (Zara, H&M or similar retailers) | €30 |
| 1 pair of sport shoes (Nike, Adidas, or equivalent brands) | €72 |
| 1 pair of men’s leather business shoes | €91 |
| Transportation | |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI 150 CV (or equivalent), with no extras, new | €19,113 |
| Toyota Corolla 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 19,526.67 € |
| 1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas | €1.45 |
| Monthly ticket public transport | €80 |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.80 € |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.90 € |
| Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) | 2.00 € |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 30.00 € |
| Taxi trip on a business day, basic tariff, 8 km. (5 miles) | €18 |
| Personal Care | |
| Cold medicine for 6 days (Tylenol, Frenadol, Coldrex, or equivalent brands) | €5.76 |
| 1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) | €6 |
| Short visit to private Doctor (15 minutes) | €72 |
| 1 box of 32 tampons (Tampax, OB, …) | €3.23 |
| Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) | €2.15 |
| Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) | €1.90 |
| 4 rolls of toilet paper | €1.58 |
| Tube of toothpaste | €1.67 |
| Standard men’s haircut in expat area of the city | €18 |
| Entertainment | |
| Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub | €29 |
| 2 tickets to the movies | €20 |
| 2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) | €82 |
| Dinner for two at an Italian restaurant in the expat area including appetisers, main course, wine and dessert | €49 |
| 1 cocktail drink in downtown club | €8 |
| Cappuccino in expat area of the city | €3.06 |
| 1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) | €3.15 |
| iPad Wi-Fi 128GB | €441 |
| 1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) | €0.13 |
| 1 month of gym membership in business district | €26 |
| 1 package of Marlboro cigarettes | €6 |
| Sports And Leisure | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 25.64 € |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 17.81 € |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 10.90 € |
| Childcare | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 200.44 € |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 7,627.92 € |
| Buy Apartment Price | |
| Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 5,508.82 € |
| Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 3,773.38 € |
| Salaries And Financing | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 2,178.23 € |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 1.9 |
Summary about cost of living in Berlin:
- Four-person family monthly costs: 203,646.59Rs (2,614.86€) without rent (using our estimator).
- A single person monthly costs: 60,073.71Rs (771.36€) without rent.
- Cost of living index in Berlin is 141.22% higher than in Delhi.
Now that you know in detail what to expect when moving to Berlin it is only simple maths to add up all expenses.
In our opinion you can live happily in Berlin with a monthly budget of 770€.
If you want to enjoy some more luxus you should be able to do so with a monthly budget of 3.000€.
Read Also: How much is the cost of living in Germany?
