Cost of Living in Berlin

Safe by most standards, enjoying all of the conveniences of a modern capital city but with a uniquely European character, Berlin offers a secure but exciting environment either as a base or a stepping stone towards the "wild east". This, along with the well-founded German reputation for reliability, helps to minimise the culture shock that can come with relocation.

Compared to other major European cities such as Paris, Rome, Barcelona or Madrid, the cost of living in Berlin is still low. Depending on your personal lifestyle, you can manage to get by with as little as 500 Euros a month. Of course, this won't be your ultimate goal but if you are intending to do your Tesol course on a tight budget Berlin offers one of the most doable possibilities e.g. 64 Euros for one month's transportation across the entire city.

These are some examples of approximate costs:

Rent will cost you 200 - 300 Euro per person depending on area, length of lease and number of people sharing. This compares very favourably with most city locations in both West and Eastern Europe.

Eating at home should cost around 20 - 40 Euros per week ,while you can easily eat out 2 - 8 Euro for a main meal (e.g. Italian, Chinese restaurants, Turkish fast food). If you really do have expensive tastes we can point you in the direction of some excellent restaurants... Beer in Germany is of famously excellent quality and costs around 1,80 - 2,50 (large), depending on where you go. Cafes charge about 2 - 3 Euro per coffee.

Movie tickets range from 4,50 - 9 Euro, depending on the time and day. Films are widely dubbed into German, but English-language originals can always be found with a quick look at the listings. Concert tickets are generally 10 - 40 Euro, depending on the show. Most major live acts, companies and orchestras include Berlin in their itineraries as a matter of course so it is always possible to find top quality entertainment here that would not be available in the rest of central and eastern Europe.

If your tastes are more intimate there are hundreds of music clubs charging less than 10 Euro for entry.

Major exhibitions will cost 5 - 10 Euro ( many museums are free one day a week), but Berlin's reputation as a cultural centre ensures that there is a continual stream of free events also available.