A comparison of the cost of living in the ten largest capitals worldwide
Have you ever wondered which capital cities around the world are more and less expensive to live in? We conducted a study comparing the cost of living in 10 major capitals. The conclusions are in the article.
We compared the cost of living in ten major world capitals: Washington, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Warsaw, Vienna, Madrid, Lisbon, and Rome. We evaluated these cities according to the following parameters: the price of food, transport, clothing, rent and purchase of housing, the cost of utilities, and the Internet. At the end, we give a rating to these cities based on the total cost of living in them. In our analysis, we relied on the traveltables.com database.
Washington (U.S.)
| Food prices | Milk for €0.92, chicken (1 kg) for €10.62, eggs (12 pieces) for €2.59, bananas for €1.45. |
| Prices for renting and buying housing |
You can buy a 90-square-meter apartment in Washington for €331,380–€635,040. A one-bedroom apartment in Washington can cost between €1800-€2350 to rent, while a three-bedroom apartment can cost between €3217-€4230. |
| Utility and internet | €208.87. |
| Transport | A monthly pass costs €97.12, a cab ride (1 km) costs €1.52, and a liter of gasoline costs €0.68. |
| The health club membership fee for a month | €85.79. |
| Clothing |
A pair of jeans in a department store costs €57.27. A pair of sneakers cost €83.82. |
| The total cost of living | €1550 per month (no rent price included). |
London
| Food prices | Milk for €1.27; chicken (1 kg) for €8.22; eggs (12 pieces) for €2.94; bananas for €1.59. |
| Prices for renting and buying housing |
You can buy a 90-square-meter apartment in London for €731,340–€1,414,440. Renting a one-bedroom apartment in London can cost between €1687 and €2286 per month, while a three-bedroom apartment can cost between €2796 and €4269. |
| Utility and internet | €283. |
| Transport | A monthly pass costs €201.57, a cab ride (1 km) costs €2.29, and a liter of gasoline costs €1.67. |
| The health club membership fee for a month | €59.52. |
| Clothing |
A pair of jeans in a department store costs €90.72. A pair of sneakers costs €96.29. |
| The total cost of living | €1827 (no rent price included). |
Amsterdam
| Food prices | Milk for €1.23, chicken (1 kg) for €9.26, eggs (12 pieces) for €3.28, bananas for €1.94. |
| Prices for renting and buying housing |
You can buy a 90-square-meter apartment in Amsterdam for €541,440–€788,850. Renting a one-bedroom apartment in Amsterdam can cost between €1481 and €1838, while a three-bedroom apartment can cost between €2321 and €3083. |
| Utility and internet | €248. |
| Transport | A monthly pass costs €112.53, a cab ride (1 km) costs €2.71, and a liter of gasoline costs €1.91. |
| The health club membership fee for a month | €45.56. |
| Clothing |
A pair of jeans in a chain store costs €111.32. A pair of sneakers cost €117.72. |
| The total cost of living | about €1789 (no rent price included). |
Paris
| Food prices | Milk for €1.24, chicken (1 kg.) for €14.27, eggs (12 pieces) for €4.51, bananas for €2.44. |
| Prices for renting and buying housing |
You can buy a 90-square-meter apartment in Paris for €954,990–€1,272,600. To rent a one-bedroom apartment in Paris, it costs €1010-€1409; a three-bedroom apartment costs €2040-€3182. |
| Utility and internet | €218. |
| Transport | A monthly pass costs €86.56, a cab ride (1 km) costs €1.73, and a liter of gasoline costs €1.79. |
| The health club membership fee for a month | €45.33 |
| Clothing |
A pair of jeans in a department store costs €100.89. A pair of sneakers costs €105.48. |
| The total cost of living | about €1734 (no rent price included). |
Berlin
| Food prices | Milk for €1.07, chicken (1 kg) for €8.04, eggs (12 pieces) for €2.53, bananas for €1.70. |
| Prices for renting and buying housing |
You can buy an apartment in Berlin with 90 square meters for €379,530–€613,800. Rent a one-bedroom apartment in Berlin for between €756 and €1020 per month, while a three-bedroom apartment can cost between €1390 and €1967. |
| Utility and internet | €286. |
| Transport | A monthly pass costs €94.64, a cab ride (1 km) costs €2.31, and a liter of gasoline costs €1.58. |
| The health club membership fee for a month | €34.45 |
| Clothing |
A pair of jeans in a chain store costs €97.04. A pair of sneakers costs €95.30. |
| The total cost of living | about €1401 (no rent price included). |
Madrid
| Food prices | Milk for €0.96, chicken (1 kg) for €7.17, eggs (12 pieces) for €2.39, bananas for €2.16. |
| Prices for renting and buying housing |
You can buy a 90-square-meter apartment in Madrid for €318,600–€544,860. Rent a one-bedroom apartment in Madrid for €800–€1076, or a three-bedroom apartment for €1324–€1940. |
| Utility and internet | €206. |
| Transport | A monthly pass costs €63.02, a cab ride (1 km) costs €1.27, and a liter of gasoline costs €1.50. |
| The health club membership fee for a month | €44.03. |
| Clothing |
A pair of jeans in a chain store costs €84.23. A pair of sneakers costs €88.36. |
| The total cost of living | about €1236 (no rent price included). |
Warsaw
| Food prices | Milk for €0.73, chicken (1 kg.) for €4.39, eggs (12 pieces) for €2.20, bananas for €1.31. |
| Prices for renting and buying housing |
It is possible to buy an apartment in Warsaw of 90 sq.m. within the limits of €228,780-€363,060. Renting a one-bedroom apartment in Warsaw is possible for €578–€740, a three-bedroom apartment—for €1023–€1409. |
| Utility and internet | €190. |
| Transport | A monthly pass costs €27.74, a cab ride (1 km) costs €0.63, and a liter of gasoline costs €1.24. |
| The health club membership fee for a month | €29.20. |
| Clothing |
A pair of jeans in a department store costs €90.14. A pair of sneakers costs €79.88. |
| The total cost of living | about €907 (no rent price included). |
Vienna
| Food prices | Milk for €1.30, chicken (1 kg) for €9.73, eggs (12 pieces) for €3.28, bananas for €2.05. |
| Prices for renting and buying housing |
Buy a 90-square-meter apartment in Vienna for €472,950–€797,850. To rent a one-bedroom apartment in Vienna, it costs €737–€1030; a three-bedroom apartment costs €1337–€1879. |
| Utility and internet | €270. |
| Transport |
A monthly pass costs €55.40, a cab (1 km) costs €1.64, and a liter of gasoline costs €1.38. |
| The health club membership fee for a month | €31.61. |
| Clothing |
A pair of jeans in a chain store costs €91.29. A pair of sneakers costs €95.83. |
| The total cost of living | about €1361 (no rent price included). |
Lisbon
| Food prices | Milk for €0.77, chicken (1 kg.) for €5.71, eggs (12 pieces) for 2.17, bananas for €1.27. |
| Prices for renting and buying housing |
Buy a 90-square-meter apartment in Lisbon for between €264,060 and €448,200. Rent a one-bedroom apartment in Lisbon from €744–€945, with three bedrooms from €1206–€1809. |
| Utility and internet | €240. |
| Transport | A monthly pass costs €46.17, a cab ride (1 km) costs €0.54, and a liter of gasoline costs €1.78. |
| The health club membership fee for a month | €38.25. |
| Clothing |
A pair of jeans in a department store cost €88.23. A pair of sneakers costs €82.14. |
| The total cost of living | about €980 (no rent price included). |
Rome
| Food prices | Milk €1.65, chicken (1 kg) €9.94, eggs (12 pieces) €4.19, bananas €1.95. |
| Prices for renting and buying housing |
Buy a 90-square-meter apartment in Rome for €334,530-€714,780. Rent a one-bedroom apartment in Rome for €738-€1082, three-bedroom for €1391-€2290. |
| Utility and internet | €240. |
| Transport | A monthly pass costs €40.40, a cab (1 km) costs €1.73, a liter of gasoline costs €1.75. |
| The health club membership fee for a month | €74.99. |
| Clothing |
A pair of jeans in a chain store costs €95.75. A pair of sneakers costs €97.52 |
| The total cost of living | approximately €1454 (no rent price included). |
Comparison table of the ten capitals by cost of living (from the lowest to the most expensive option)
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Author
I am responsible for editorial work. I write expert interviews and guides.
