Berlin vs Chicago - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Berlin Chicago
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2104
$2667
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$5039
$6807
🏠 One person rent
$1143
$1579
🏘️ Family rent
$2202
$3056
🍽️ Food expenses
$534
$700
🚐 Transport expenses
$288
$205
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$3287
$4901
😷 Air quality
Good
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
19 km
15 km
🎓 Higher education
100
100
😀 Quality of life
95
96
🏙️ Population
3.76M
2.75M

The cost of living in Berlin is 21% less expensive than in Chicago. Cities ranked 1583rd and 483rd ($2104 vs $2667) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd and 425th in Germany and the United States, respectively. Check Germany vs the United States comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.6 months in Berlin compared to 1.8 months in Chicago. Berlin ranked 3rd best city to live in Germany vs Chicago ranked 3rd in the United States, while ranked 23rd and 20th among best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Berlin vs Chicago infographic

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Prices in Berlin vs Chicago

Prices for goods and services in Berlin and Chicago are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Berlin Chicago
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$14.5
$21
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$67
$87.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12.2
$11.7
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$4.48
$7.62
☕ Cappuccino
$4.15
$5.4
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.93
$3.12
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1178
$1974
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$855
$1280
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2408
$3828
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1752
$2594
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$178
$102
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$274
$156
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$44.8
$59.1
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
3.92%
6.61%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$8742
$3554
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$6444
$3158
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$3.9
$2.49
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$55.1
$76.5
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$29.1
$16.6
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$2
$1.12
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.3
$1.02
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.14
$3.92
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.01
$5
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.8
$3.69
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.9
$14.8
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.8
$12.8
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$17.5
$19.9
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.02
$4.97
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.89
$1.91
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.38
$4.81
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.99
$4.56
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.93
$2.34
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.83
$3.08
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.62
$1.93
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.93
$2.86
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$6.43
$14.8
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.15
$2.9
🚬 Cigarette pack
$9.05
$16.6
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$10.5
$11.6
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.69
$6.03
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.06
$3.65
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.26
$1.81
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$36.7
$63.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$13.9
$15
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$57.8
$126
💇 Haircut, simple
$18.5
$29.3
👖 Brand Jeans
$93.4
$62.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$98.8
$95.5
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$322
$2457
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$8961
$19423

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Berlin

Distance City Cost of living
15 km or 9.2 mi Teltow
$1739
18 km or 11 mi Hohen Neuendorf
$1783
18 km or 11 mi Hennigsdorf
$1775
20 km or 13 mi Falkensee
$1739
21 km or 13 mi Bernau bei Berlin
$1786
25 km or 16 mi Potsdam
$1730
25 km or 16 mi Ludwigsfelde
$1717
28 km or 18 mi Oranienburg
$1780
30 km or 19 mi Konigs Wusterhausen
$1739
34 km or 21 mi Werder
$1690
34 km or 21 mi Strausberg
$1752
46 km or 29 mi Eberswalde
$1737
49 km or 31 mi Furstenwalde
$1671
50 km or 31 mi Luckenwalde
$1687
57 km or 36 mi Brandenburg an der Havel
$1713
60 km or 37 mi Neuruppin
$1734
72 km or 44 mi Rathenow
$1714
81 km or 50 mi Frankfurt
$1574
86 km or 53 mi Schwedt
$1692
88 km or 55 mi Wittenberg
$1421
97 km or 60 mi Neustrelitz
$1482
97 km or 60 mi Eisenhuttenstadt
$1469
104 km or 65 mi Stendal
$1393
106 km or 66 mi Cottbus
$1261
107 km or 67 mi Burg bei Magdeburg
$1386
107 km or 67 mi Zerbst
$1387
109 km or 68 mi Dessau-Rolau
$1396
109 km or 68 mi Torgau
$1345
116 km or 72 mi Neubrandenburg
$1513
119 km or 74 mi Senftenberg
$1390
121 km or 75 mi Waren
$1470
124 km or 77 mi Bitterfeld-Wolfen
$1372
124 km or 77 mi Schonebeck
$1386
125 km or 78 mi Spremberg
$1349
127 km or 79 mi Magdeburg
$1365
128 km or 79 mi Szczecin
$1169
128 km or 80 mi Kothen
$1384
128 km or 80 mi Gorzow Wielkopolski
$931
131 km or 81 mi Delitzsch
$1387
134 km or 83 mi Hoyerswerda
$1369

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2427
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2463
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2424
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2375
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2376
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2177
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2307
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2344
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2352
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2326
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2367
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2412
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2393
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2292
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2313
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2305
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2360
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2358
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2292
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2268
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2292
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1950
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2293
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2296
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2295
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2224
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1975
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2276
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2392
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2363
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2276
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2380
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2290
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2269
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2280
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2134
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2331
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$2002
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2274
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2357