A comparison of the cost of living in the ten largest capitals worldwide

Updated at: 02/10/2023, 16:07

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).

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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).

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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).

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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).

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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).

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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).

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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).

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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).

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Comparison table of the ten capitals by cost of living (from the lowest to the most expensive option)

The capital	Total cost of living (no rent price included)
1. Warsaw	€907
2. Lisbon	€980
3. Madrid	€1236
4. Vienna	€1361
5. Berlin	€1401
6. Rome	€1454
7. Washington	€1550
8. Paris	€1734
9. Amsterdam	€1789
10. London	€1827

Author

Yuliya Yanukovich

Editor-in-chief

I am responsible for editorial work. I write expert interviews and guides.