San Francisco vs Berlin Cost of Living
San Francisco (United States) · Overall index 95.1 — Berlin (Germany) · Overall index 60.5
Summary
- Overall, Berlin is 36% cheaper than San Francisco.
- Rent in Berlin is 55% cheaper than in San Francisco.
- Transport in Berlin is 34% cheaper than in San Francisco.
| Item | San Francisco | Berlin | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -55% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,208 | $1,809 | -44% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,609 | $1,061 | -59% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $7,487 | $3,318 | -56% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $4,864 | $1,981 | -59% |
| Groceries | -26% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.31 | $1.08 | -18% |
| White bread (500g) | $4.2 | $2.73 | -35% |
| Rice (1kg) | $5.82 | $4.17 | -28% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.57 | $3.78 | -17% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $16.3 | $10.7 | -34% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $12.6 | $10.3 | -18% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $22.3 | $16 | -28% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.88 | $3.81 | -35% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $2.46 | $1.58 | -36% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.54 | $3.71 | -18% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.5 | $4.02 | -27% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $3.06 | $2.23 | -27% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.72 | $2.26 | -17% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.75 | $2 | -27% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.41 | $2 | -17% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $15.4 | $11.1 | -28% |
| Transport | -34% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $3.1 | $1.87 | -40% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $139 | $84.3 | -39% |
| Taxi, base fare | $4.48 | $2.71 | -40% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.91 | $1.27 | -34% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.99 | $0.74 | -25% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $27,640 | $21,143 | -24% |
| Dining out | -33% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $21.5 | $15.6 | -27% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $115 | $88.5 | -23% |
| Fast food combo meal | $11.6 | $8.01 | -31% |
| Cappuccino | $5.52 | $3.38 | -39% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.04 | $2.05 | -33% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $8.59 | $4.83 | -44% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $8.71 | $6.19 | -29% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.32 | $1.43 | -38% |
| Telecom | -24% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $68.5 | $47.6 | -31% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $71.8 | $58.3 | -19% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.37 | $0.26 | -30% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $15.8 | $12.9 | -18% |
| Utilities & household | -30% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $176 | $144 | -18% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.23 | $0.15 | -35% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $5.1 | $3.66 | -28% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.47 | $1.08 | -27% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $25.8 | $16.9 | -34% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $94.8 | $62.1 | -34% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $17.5 | $10.3 | -41% |
| Men's haircut | $33.2 | $26.9 | -19% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $29.6 | $17.6 | -41% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $2,199 | $1,733 | -21% |
3,279 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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