116 cities compared · 2026

🇺🇸 United States vs 🇩🇪 Germany

Germany is 21.7% cheaper, but purchasing power is 3.5% weaker. Lower prices help, but you'll likely take home less overall.

-21.7%

Cost of Living

-46.5%

Rent

-18.8%

Groceries

-14.9%

Restaurants

-3.5%

Purchasing Power

Compared to United States. Green = cheaper or better in Germany. All indices relative to NYC = 100.

Every Category, Side by Side

Averaged across 116 cities. All indices relative to NYC = 100.

Category	🇺🇸 United States	🇩🇪 Germany	Diff
Cost of Living	57.7	45.2	-21.7%
Rent	41.3	22.1	-46.5%
Groceries	80	65	-18.8%
Restaurants	81.8	69.6	-14.9%
Purchasing Power	144.2	139.2	-3.5%

What You Actually Keep After Taxes

Same gross salary, different tax systems. Annual take-home pay in New York vs Berlin.

Gross	🇺🇸 Net in United States	🇩🇪 Net in Germany	Diff
$40,000 ≈ €35,000	$31,557	€24,088	-$4,294
$60,000 ≈ €53,000	$45,741	€33,928	-$7,341
$80,000 ≈ €71,000	$58,565	€43,142	-$9,736
$100,000 ≈ €88,000	$70,702	€52,219	-$11,600

Single person, no children. Tax rates for New York and Berlin (2026). Try the full calculator

Tax Calculators

See detailed income tax brackets and net salary calculations for United States and Germany.

🇺🇸

United States Tax Calculator

Income tax rates, brackets & net salary

🇩🇪

Germany Tax Calculator

Income tax rates, brackets & net salary

These are averages. What about your salary?

Enter your exact numbers and see your real take-home pay in both countries.

Calculate Your Take-Home Pay

Top Cities in Each Country

National averages hide a lot. These are the cities most people actually move to.

🇺🇸

United States

City	CoL	Rent	PP
New York	100	100	100
San Francisco	84.1	75.9	153
Los Angeles	75.5	67.7	98.2
Chicago	67.7	52.6	141.4
San Jose	86.2	67.1	149.6

🇩🇪

Germany

City	CoL	Rent	PP
Berlin	51.6	34.4	124.7
Munich	56.8	38.2	136.8
Frankfurt	52.1	32.8	148.8
Hamburg	51.4	28.7	140.3
Mainz	50.8	23.1	128.6

City-to-City Comparisons

See exact take-home pay for specific cities between United States and Germany.

New York → Berlin

New York → Munich

New York → Frankfurt

San Francisco → Berlin

San Francisco → Munich

San Francisco → Frankfurt

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Germany more expensive than United States?

Germany is 21.7% cheaper than United States overall. Rent is 46.5% lower, and groceries are 18.8% cheaper. These figures are averages across 34 cities in Germany and 82 cities in United States.

Which country has better purchasing power, United States or Germany?

United States has an average purchasing power index of 144.2 while Germany has 139.2 (NYC = 100). United States offers better purchasing power, meaning your salary goes further relative to local prices.

Is rent cheaper in United States or Germany?

Average rent in United States has an index of 41.3 vs 22.1 in Germany (NYC = 100). Rent in Germany is 46.5% lower than in United States.

How many cities are compared between United States and Germany?

Our comparison covers 82 cities in United States and 34 cities in Germany, with data on cost of living, rent, groceries, restaurants, and purchasing power.