Living in Berlin: cost of living, rent and salary
Updated 3 October 2026
In Berlin, a one-bedroom home costs about €490 a month. To keep the lifestyle of someone living in London, you need about €1,380 net a month. Here is the rent by type of home, the month’s budget line by line, and the sources.
Example: the same life, elsewhere
A single person living in London in a one-bedroom home, with the average spending of a similar household, spends about £3,350 a month. To keep the same life in Berlin, they would need about €1,380 net a month locally (−65%), i.e. 0.8 times the Mindestlohn.
For a couple with two children in a two-bedroom home (state school), it would take about €2,600 net a month in Berlin, i.e. 1.5 times the Mindestlohn.
Calculated on 3 October 2026 with the official averages of London and the destination’s prices. Yours depends on your city, home and habits: the calculator works it out in a few minutes, no sign-up.
Rent in Berlin
A one-bedroom home in Berlin costs about 14% less than the median of the 11 other cities tracked in the country.
| Type of home | Outside sought-after areas |
|---|---|
| Studio | €310 |
| 1 bedroom | €490 |
| 2 bedrooms | €710 |
| 3-bedroom house | €1,040 |
Monthly rent in EUR, outside the most sought-after areas. Studio 28 m², 1 bedroom 45 m², 2 bedrooms 65 m², house 95 m² where rent is known per m². Destatis, 2022 census: average rent per m² in each municipality, adjusted to what tenants who moved in since 2019 pay (2022 microcensus), including building charges, updated with the Eurostat rent index (August 2026).
A month’s budget in Berlin, line by line
For a single person renting a one-bedroom home and keeping the average habits of a household in London, here is what each line would cost in Berlin.
| Item | London | Berlin | Berlin (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | £2,550 | £420 | €490 |
| Housing tax | £50 | £20 | €20 |
| Electricity, water, gas | £100 | £130 | €150 |
| Groceries | £200 | £210 | €240 |
| Restaurants and outings | £110 | £110 | €130 |
| Transport | £100 | £70 | €80 |
| Health | £40 | £0 | €0 |
| Phone and internet | £50 | £60 | €70 |
| Sport | £60 | £50 | €60 |
| Clothes | £60 | £60 | €70 |
| Hairdresser and beauty | £40 | £30 | €40 |
| Trips back to London | £0 | £20 | €20 |
| Total per month | £3,350 | £1,180 | €1,380 |
Estimate: lines without an answer take the official average of the departure city, then the destination’s prices. The calculator starts from your real amounts.
Visa, healthcare, school, electricity
These rules are the same across the country: find them on the page Living in Germany.
Frequently asked questions
What salary do you need to live in Berlin?
For a single person keeping the same life as in London: about €1,380 net a month, i.e. 0.8 times the Mindestlohn.
How much is rent in Berlin?
About €490 a month for a one-bedroom home and €710 for a two-bedroom home, according to Destatis, 2022 census.
Is it expensive to live in Berlin?
In London, a single person spends about £3,350 a month; with the same life in Berlin, it would be about £1,180 (−65%).