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Living in Berlin

In Berlin, the median gross salary is €4,250 a month (2026), the official rent index for existing tenancies is €7.71 per m² a month (2025) and unemployment is 10.2% (2025).

Berlin had 3,701,307 residents in November 2025 across 891.8 km². Population density was 4,135.5 people per km² in 2024, and the foreign population count was 994,590 at the end of 2025.

Last checked 2026-09-1947 sources

Population3,701,307people30 Nov 2025Official source · Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg — SB_A01-07_00_2025m11_BE.pdf
Median gross salary4,250EUR/month1 Jan 2026Official source · Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit Entgeltatlas
Average net rent7.71EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.81 — 33% aboveOfficial source · Berlin Senate — Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung, Bauen und Wohnen — Berliner Mietspiegel 2026
Unemployment rate10.2%country median 5.1% — 100% aboveOfficial source · Bundesagentur für Arbeit Berlin-Brandenburg — Weiter Stagnation am Arbeitsmarkt in Berlin und Brandenburg
Recorded crime13,900incidents per 100,000country median 9,397 — 48% aboveOfficial source · Polizei Berlin Kriminalitätsatlas — HZ 2024 Berlin (PKS gesamt)
PM2.5, annual mean11.31µg/m³country median 8.0 — 41% aboveOfficial source · Umweltbundesamt Air Data API

Pricier rent than 88% of German cities that publish it, higher unemployment than any other German city that publishes it and more recorded crime than 94% of German cities that publish it.

Can I move to Berlin?

EU/EEA citizens can live and work in Berlin under free-movement rules, subject to their conditions.[48] Other citizens usually need a residence route for work, study or family.[49] Visa-free entry is not permission to settle or work. Select your citizenship and reason for moving to find your starting point.

Residence rules and exceptions
General starting points; personal circumstances and exceptions still apply.
Citizenship / situationStarting point
EU / EEA citizenshipFree movement; longer residence has conditions.[48]
Other citizenshipCheck work, study or family requirements. Some nationalities can apply after entry; this is not permission to start work.[50][49]
Existing status or family rightsA passport alone cannot establish your eligibility. Check the relevant authority’s guidance.

These are German residence rules, not a separate Berlin visa. Existing residence status, family rights or a special document may change the answer.

Can I afford to live here?

Berlin’s median gross pay for full-time employees covered by social insurance was €4,459 a month in 2025, according to the Federal Employment Agency.[52] Our illustrative 2026 employee calculation gives about €2,850 take-home.[53][54] For one adult, the five essential categories below total €1,671 a month, leaving about €1,178. This is a planning example, not a complete household budget.

Income and five monthly expenses

How take-home pay is estimated

€1,178/ month

Remaining after listed costs

  • Rent, heating & home bills
  • Groceries
  • Public transport
  • Home internet
  • Mobile plan
  • Remaining
Gross income
€4,459.00
Estimated income tax
−€639.58
Social contributions
−€969.84
Estimated take-home
€2,849.58
Five listed costs
−€1,671.15

Full income and expense breakdown
Monthly amounts in euros. The public example stays fixed; your inputs change only “Your calculation”.
Monthly itemPublic exampleYour calculationBasis
Gross income€4,459.00€4,459.00Berlin workplace-based median gross pay, 2025.[52]
Income tax & solidarity surcharge€639.58€639.58Illustrative 2026 employee calculation; not a payslip.[53][54][58]
Employee social contributions€969.84€969.84Employee pension, unemployment, statutory health and care contributions.[55][56][57]
Take-home income€2,849.58€2,849.58Gross income minus estimated tax and employee contributions.
Rent, heating & home bills€1,196.80€1,196.80€946.80 cold rent for the separate 60 m² example, plus €190 charges and €60 home bills. The last two values are assumptions; internet and mobile are separate.[59]
Groceries€350.00€350.00Editable planning allowance, not an observed complete food basket.
Public transport€63.00€63.00One Deutschlandticket at the 2026 tariff.[60]
Home internet€44.44€44.44Supplemental city-data snapshot, 26 July 2026.[46]
Mobile plan€16.91€16.91Supplemental city-data snapshot, 26 July 2026.[46]
Five listed costs€1,671.15€1,671.15Sum of the five listed expense categories.
Remaining after listed costs€1,178.43€1,178.43Take-home income minus the five listed expense categories.

Includes housing, groceries, public transport, home internet and mobile. Leisure, separately paid insurance, personal commitments and savings are outside this five-category calculation.

How the take-home estimate works

Gross mode uses an illustrative German employee model for 2026, not the complete BMF payroll program. Tax class I; age 23–64; no children or church tax; statutory health insurance with the official supplementary-contribution reference. Individual insurer rates and payroll can differ.[53][54][55][56][57][58]

The model covers regular gross pay above €2,000 and up to €20,000 a month. It treats the statistical monthly wage as twelve equal payments. For other circumstances, use known take-home income; net mode does not deduct tax again.

Potsdam had lower advertised cold rent in the same 2025 IBB series: about €104 less a month at 60 m². This is a housing comparison, not a comparison of overall disposable income.[59]

How much does it cost to rent in Berlin?

Berlin’s advertised median cold rent was €15.78/m² a month in 2025, according to IBB.[59] At that rate, a 60 m² flat works out at €946.80 before heating and service charges. The table applies the same city median to three example sizes.

€15.78/ m² / month

Median advertised cold rent.
Berlin, 2025.

At the same rate, by floor area
Example sizeCold rent / month
40 m²€631.20
60 m²€946.80
80 m²€1,262.40

The 60 m² row is the starting example. These are size × median calculations, not observed prices for each size band.

Calculate your monthly housing cost

Housing calculation
Monthly housing cost

€1,196.80 / month — €946.80 cold rent + €190.00 charges + €60.00 separate bills.

  • Cold rent
  • Charges & heating
  • Separate bills

Deposit: up to €2,840.40, paid separately.

The €190 in charges and €60 in separate bills are editable assumptions. Separate bills exclude internet and mobile; enter 0 for bills already included.

Cold rent (Kaltmiete) excludes service charges and heating. Warm rent (Warmmiete) includes the charges stated in the contract, but some bills can remain separate.[63]

A residential cash deposit is generally capped at three monthly cold rents and can be paid in three monthly instalments. It is move-in cash, not recurring spending.[62]

Rent index and checks before signing

The Berlin Mietspiegel 2026 figure of €7.71/m² describes a different set of tenancies, not newly advertised homes.[64] Do not treat it as an alternative asking price or a universal legal limit; check the specific property in the official rent-index tool.[3]

Before signing, check included bills, the deposit schedule, lease terms and the landlord’s address-registration confirmation.[63]

Cost of living

Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat were about €1,185 in the latest published figures. From a median gross salary of €4,250, that leaves €3,065 before income tax and social contributions.

Where a Berlin salary goesfixed monthly costs, share of the €1,185 basket · median gross salary €4,250/month
  • Net rent, 85 m² · 55%€655
  • Utilities, 85 m² · 30%€355
  • Transport pass · 10%€113
  • Internet and mobile · 5%€61

One person, 85 m² flat; the ring splits the €1,185 fixed basket before income tax and social contributions, latest published figures (checked 2026-07-26).

Is Berlin a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker67%strong on work, weak on safety · range 59–75%
Skilled employee66%strong on work, weak on education · range 58–74%
Student64%strong on cost, weak on education · range 55–73%
Family48%strong on family, weak on education · range 40–56%
Retirement58%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 49–67%

Which Germany-wide rules apply when you move to Berlin?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in GermanyNational rates and thresholds that apply in Berlin.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Average net cold rent was €7.71 per m² per month in September 2025.

How much does it cost to rent in Berlin?

Average net cold rent is 7.71 EUR/m² per month (September 2025), excluding heating and operating charges.

Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.

  • Average net rent (nettokalt): 7.71 EUR/m²/month · Berlin Senate — Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung, Bauen und Wohnen — Berliner Mietspiegel 20263
What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Berlin recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Utilities, 85 m² flat€355
Private kindergarten€136
Transport pass€113
Internet, 60 Mbps€44
Fitness club€35
Mobile plan, 10 GB€17

Supplemental estimate lane, not official statistics: Utilities, 85 m² flat, Private kindergarten, Fitness club, Internet, 60 Mbps, Mobile plan, 10 GB. The others are published prices.

Net rent across major citiesBerlin highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Berlin highlighted

net rent, € / m² / month

Munich€15.38
Hamburg€9.94
Stuttgart€9.72
Berlin€7.71
Leipzig€6.27
Dortmund€6.00
Show the other 6 cities
Augsburg€9.10
Mannheim€9.09
Dresden€7.20
Brunswick€6.79
Bielefeld€6.72
Duisburg€6.66
MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly34.65 EUR/month26 Jul 2026Numbeo city cost table46Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Grocery basket, monthly82.45 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo45Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited44.44 EUR/month26 Jul 2026Numbeo city cost table46Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly136.1 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Lebenshaltungskosten in Berlin46Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant15 EUR26 Jul 2026Numbeo city cost table46Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB16.91 EUR/month26 Jul 2026Numbeo city cost table46Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass113 EUR/month26 Jul 2026BVG Berlin AB monthly ticket, regular rate, tariff page10Official
Basic utilities, 85 m² home355 EUR/month26 Jul 2026Numbeo city cost table46Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings2,018,831 dwellings31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder31Official
Housing vacancy rate1.97 %31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder31Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)7.71 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.811 Sept 2025Berlin Senate — Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung, Bauen und Wohnen — Berliner Mietspiegel 20263Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)Alternative estimate17 EUR/m²/month2024BBSR INKAR — advertised asking rent for re-let flats (indicator 2113)19Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · district-level figure

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 463 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 7.71 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.

Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.

Source period: September 2025

Is rent affordable on a local salary?

A 60 m² flat at the published average rent is about 463 EUR a month, which is 11% of the published median gross salary of 4,250 (January 2026). Gross, not take-home, and before heating and operating charges.

Source period: September 2025

Work and income

Median gross salary was €4,250 per month from January 2026. The city unemployment rate was 10.2% in November 2025.

What is the typical salary in Berlin?

The median gross salary is 4,250 EUR/month (January 2026). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024) is a separate labelled row in the table.

City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions.

  • Median gross salary: 4,250 EUR/month · Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit Entgeltatlas6
  • Median gross salary (regional): 4,150 EUR/month · 2026-07-29 · BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich — Medianentgelt Kreise Wohnort 20242

What is the unemployment rate in Berlin?

The unemployment rate is 10.2 % (November 2025). Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit Berlin-Brandenburg — Weiter Stagnation am Arbeitsmarkt in Berlin und Brandenburg8

Unemployment across cities in GermanyUnemployment in Berlin is 10.2%. Of 3,080 cities with data, 1,332 have unemployment of 4 to under 6%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Public employment offices12 count15 Sept 2026Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Dienststellenverzeichnis7Official
People in employment1,772,180 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder32Official
Median gross salary4,250 EUR/month1 Jan 2026Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit Entgeltatlas6Official
Median gross salary (regional)4,150 EUR/month31 Dec 2024BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich — Medianentgelt Kreise Wohnort 20242Official · regional context
Average net monthly salary2,977 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/de/berlin/46Community estimate · Supplemental context
Unemployment rate10.2 %country median 5.1%1 Nov 2025Bundesagentur für Arbeit Berlin-Brandenburg — Weiter Stagnation am Arbeitsmarkt in Berlin und Brandenburg8Official
Unemployment rate over time25 published observations, 1991–2025

Unemployment rate rose 34.4% between 1991 and 2025, from 7.6% to 10.2%.

What does a salary buy in Berlin?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Berlin median gross pay: €4,250 (Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit Entgeltatlas, 2026-01-01).
Left over each month€1,186of €2,735 take-home
  • Rent
  • Utilities
  • Transport
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
Each month€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions.€2,735
Rent, 60 m²€17.00/m² advertised for new lettings (market price · INKAR · 2024). Official average for existing leases: €7.71/m² (official · Berlin Senate · 2025-09-01).− €1,020
Public transport pass€113 · official · BVG Berlin AB monthly ticket, regular rate, tariff page · 2026-07-26− €113
Utilities, 85 m²€355 · market price · Numbeo city cost table · 2026-07-26− €355
Internet€44 · market price · Numbeo city cost table · 2026-07-26− €44
Mobile plan€17 · market price · Numbeo city cost table · 2026-07-26− €17
Left over€1,186
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Berlin Salary needed to live in Berlin

Public employment offices in Berlin

Bundesagentur für Arbeit lists 12 public employment offices in Berlin (checked 2026-09-16). Use the official office finder for addresses and appointments; registration and job search are also available online through the national service below.

Office count verified

Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Public employment service

Bundesagentur für Arbeit

Job Search
Search jobs
Open the Germany service overview

The office count comes from the service's own directory. Individual addresses and opening hours are not listed here yet. Sources checked through 16 Sept 2026.

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Hospital beds per 100,000 residents487.4 beds per 100,00031 Dec 2024Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Bundesklinik-Atlas)9Official
Hospitals98 count31 Dec 2024Krankenhausverzeichnis 202421Official

Yes — migrants receive medical care in Berlin through valid health insurance.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open Berlin health-insurance guide
Hospital beds per 100,000 residents487.4 beds per 100,000Verified 2026-08-03
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

How safe is Berlin?

Police recorded about 13,900 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Polizei Berlin Kriminalitätsatlas — HZ 2024 Berlin (PKS gesamt)27

Recorded crime across major citiesBerlin highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Berlin highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Bremen15,424
Frankfurt14,600
Berlin13,900
Hanover13,192
Cologne12,343
Dortmund12,283
Dusseldorf12,172
Leipzig11,129
Essen9,619
Dresden8,853
Stuttgart8,552
Munich6,214
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents13,900 incidents per 100,000country median 9,39731 Dec 2024Polizei Berlin Kriminalitätsatlas — HZ 2024 Berlin (PKS gesamt)27Official
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residentsAlternative estimate14,309 incidents per 100,0002022INKAR — Indikatoren und Karten zur Raum- und Stadtentwicklung, district (Kreis) indicator table19Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · district-level figure
Total recorded incidents502,743 incidents1 Jan 2025Polizei Berlin / Kriminalitätsatlas Berlin — Fallzahlen_202526Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context
Months covered by crime statistics12 months/year31 Dec 2025BKA PKS T01 Staedte-Falltabelle5Official

Mobility and administration

Car density was 330 vehicles per 1,000 residents in 2026. BER airport was 18.8 km away in June 2026.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Nearest airportBER13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv25Official
Distance to nearest airport18.8 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv25Official
Public transport monthly pass63 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo45Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Language courses and integration in Berlin

0 exact private or nonprofit provider records are linked to this city as supplemental evidence. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Verified locally

German-course guidance for immigrants in Berlin — Integration course

Land Berlin / Willkommenszentrum

For immigrants, refugees, adult newcomers.

GermanIn Person, Online
Open official information
Check courses in BerlinHow the country programme works
Exact city-linked records checked 2026-08-10. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Berlin

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperature moved from 1°C in January to 19.4°C in July. Average July precipitation was 77 mm; annual 2024 NO₂ was 15.255 µg/m³ and PM2.5 was 11.314 µg/m³.

Is the air quality good in Berlin?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 11.3 µg/m³ (January 2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

  • PM2.5 — annual mean: 11.31 µg/m³ · Umweltbundesamt Air Data API33
Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in GermanyAnnual PM2.5 in Berlin is 11.3 µg/m³. Of 477 cities with data, 164 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean15.26 µg/m³country median 13.71 Jan 2024Umweltbundesamt Air Data API33Official
NO₂ — latest reading6.07 µg/m³27 May 2026Umweltbundesamt Air Data API33Official
PM10 — annual mean18.09 µg/m³country median 13.51 Jan 2024Umweltbundesamt Air Data API33Official
PM10 — latest reading20.08 µg/m³26 May 2026Umweltbundesamt Air Data API33Official
PM2.5 — annual mean11.31 µg/m³country median 8.01 Jan 2024Umweltbundesamt Air Data API33Official
PM2.5 — latest reading7.83 µg/m³26 May 2026Umweltbundesamt Air Data API33Official
Annual mean temperature (modelled)9.68 °C2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology22Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
Annual precipitation (modelled)602.7 mm/year2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology22Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
January mean temperature (modelled)-0.73 °C2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology22Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
January minimum temperature (modelled)-23.93 °C2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology22Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
July maximum temperature (modelled)37.63 °C2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology22Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
July mean temperature (modelled)20.47 °C2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology22Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
Daily precipitation rate (modelled)1.65 mm/day2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology22Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
Solar exposure (modelled)2.83 kWh/m²/day2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology22Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
Average daytime high by monthJan 3.2 · Feb 4.9 · Mar 9 · Apr 15.1 · May 19.6 · Jun 22.9 · Jul 25 · Aug 24.8 · Sep 19.8 · Oct 13.9 · Nov 7.7 · Dec 4.1 °C1991–2020DWD CLIMAT multi-annual station normals 1991-202014Official
Average night-time low by monthJan -2.2 · Feb -1.8 · Mar 0.4 · Apr 4 · May 8.2 · Jun 11.7 · Jul 14 · Aug 13.5 · Sep 9.8 · Oct 5.6 · Nov 1.9 · Dec -0.9 °C1991–2020DWD CLIMAT multi-annual station normals 1991-202015Official
Average temperature by monthJan 1 · Feb 1.9 · Mar 4.9 · Apr 10 · May 14.3 · Jun 17.4 · Jul 19.4 · Aug 18.9 · Sep 14.5 · Oct 9.6 · Nov 5.1 · Dec 2 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV47Independent
Average precipitation by monthJan 47 · Feb 35.7 · Mar 40.8 · Apr 28.9 · May 53.8 · Jun 58.8 · Jul 77 · Aug 62.2 · Sep 45.8 · Oct 44.6 · Nov 42.2 · Dec 45.6 mm1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV47Independent
Average sunshine by monthJan 56.4 · Feb 80 · Mar 131.8 · Apr 199.4 · May 232.3 · Jun 237.5 · Jul 244.4 · Aug 228.4 · Sep 173.9 · Oct 121.3 · Nov 60.9 · Dec 46.3 hours1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV47Independent
Annual mean temperature10 °C31 Dec 2020DWD Climate Data Center — Klimanormal 1991-2020, Jahresmittel Lufttemperatur 2m (1×1 km Raster)16Official · land
Annual PM2.5 over time9 published observations, 2014–2024

Annual PM2.5 fell 43.4% between 2014 and 2024, from 20.0 to 11.3.

Similar climate. In Germany: Teltow ±0.3 °C. Elsewhere: Gorzów Wielkopolski (Poland) ±0.4 °C, Zürich (Switzerland) ±0.7 °C, Winterthur (Switzerland) ±0.7 °C, Bytom (Poland) ±0.8 °C, Chorzów (Poland) ±0.8 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

How many people live in Berlin?

The published population was 3,701,307 people in November 2025. Source: Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg — SB_A01-07_00_2025m11_BE.pdf1

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents330 cars/1000 residents1 Jan 2026Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt — FZ 3 vehicle stock by municipality20Official
City area891.8 km²15 May 2022Destatis Gemeindeverzeichnis12Official
Foreign-resident share21.9 %31 Dec 2024Eurostat17Official
Foreign residents994,590 people31 Dec 2025Destatis — foreign population by Land and years11Official
Population density4,136 people/km²31 Dec 2024Official municipality population divided by official municipality area from the same Destatis row.24Official
Female residents1,839,986 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder30Official
Male residents1,757,012 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder30Official
Population3,701,307 people30 Nov 2025Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg — SB_A01-07_00_2025m11_BE.pdf1Official
Population covered by crime statistics3,782,202 people31 Dec 2024BKA PKS Bevölkerungsdaten (04-KR-BV-insg, Quelle Statistisches Bundesamt)4Official
Population over time31 published observations, 1992–2025

Population rose 6.8% between 1992 and 2025, from 3,465,748 to 3,701,307.

Foreign residents over time13 published observations, 2013–2025

Foreign residents rose 133.3% between 2013 and 2025, from 426,263 to 994,590.

People and communities

In 2022, the composition was 78.9% in the other-or-no-religion category, 13.6% Protestant and 7.6% Catholic.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Global city class (GaWC)Beta+31 Dec 2020GaWC World Cities 202044Independent
Catholic residents272,397 people15 May 2022Destatis Zensus 2022 religion by municipality13Official
Catholic share7.6 %15 May 2022Destatis Zensus 2022 religion by municipality13Official
No religion or other2,837,114 people15 May 2022Destatis Zensus 2022 religion by municipality13Official
No religion or other, share78.9 %15 May 2022Destatis Zensus 2022 religion by municipality13Official
Protestant residents487,488 people15 May 2022Destatis Zensus 2022 religion by municipality13Official
Protestant share13.6 %15 May 2022Destatis Zensus 2022 religion by municipality13Official

International community in Berlin

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Persons · 2022-05-15

Published groupPeopleShare
Turkey94,4872.6%
Poland94,1952.6%
Russian Federation50,1401.4%
Syrian Arab Republic44,5941.2%
Ukraine40,4621.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source29

Citizenship

Persons · 2022-05-15

Published groupPeopleShare
Turkey82,1462.3%
Poland45,2281.3%
Syrian Arab Republic39,4481.1%
Ukraine33,1010.9%
Italy27,7510.8%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source28

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Owner-occupied homes16.35 %31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder31Official
Labour force1,920,930 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder32Official
Local business-tax multiplier410 %31 Dec 2022www.statistikportal.de34Official
Local property-tax multiplier810 %31 Dec 2022www.statistikportal.de34Official

Alternatives for people set on Berlin

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Potsdam as a Berlin alternative in the same region

25 km away, better on 3 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2. Rent cannot be compared like for like.

  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 6,949 Potsdam vs 14,309 Berlin−51%
  • Rent: €7.85/m² (2022) Potsdam vs €7.71/m² (2025) Berlinno percentage
  • Foreign residents: 11.7% Potsdam vs 21.9% Berlin−47%
  • Nearest airport: 29.9 km Potsdam vs 18.8 km Berlin+59%
  • Hospital beds, per 100k: 647.9 Potsdam vs 487.4 Berlin+33%
  • Empty flats: 2.5% Potsdam vs 2.0% Berlin+25%
  • Median gross pay, region: €4,100 Potsdam vs €4,150 Berlinsame level
Full comparisonMore about Potsdam

Stuttgart as a Berlin alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 510 km, better on 6 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Median gross pay, city cannot be compared like for like.

  • Empty flats: 3.5% Stuttgart vs 2.0% Berlin+76%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 8,451 Stuttgart vs 14,309 Berlin−41%
  • Rent: €15.00/m² Stuttgart vs €17.00/m² Berlin−12%
  • Median gross pay, region: €4,950 Stuttgart vs €4,150 Berlin+19%
  • Median gross pay, city: €5,128 (2025) Stuttgart vs €4,250 (2026) Berlinno percentage
  • Hospital beds, per 100k: 631.5 Stuttgart vs 487.4 Berlin+30%
  • Nearest airport: 10.0 km Stuttgart vs 18.8 km Berlin−47%
Full comparisonMore about Stuttgart

Prague as a Berlin alternative in another country

A move, not a commute, at 280 km, better on 2 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Rent and median gross pay, city cannot be compared like for like.

  • Rent: €8.25/m² (2017) Prague vs €7.71/m² (2025) Berlinno percentage
  • Median gross pay, city: €2,176 (2025) Prague vs €4,250 (2026) Berlinno percentage
  • Transport pass: €23 Prague vs €63 Berlin−64%
  • Nearest airport: 13.0 km Prague vs 18.8 km Berlin−31%
Full comparisonMore about Prague

Alternatives with a better balance

same official-source families, comparable grain — left of gross salary after the same fixed costs
Berlin€3,065this cityStuttgart€3,901+€836Brunswick€3,782+€716Mainz€3,509+€443Mannheim€3,412+€347Augsburg€3,056−€9

Nearby is not always better: the greyed row leaves less than Berlin at the same fixed-cost basket. Every alternative publishes the same metric families, each with its own source and date.

Cities near Berlin

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Blankenfelde-Mahlow Satellite · 18.6 km away
Rent
8.04 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Großbeeren Satellite · 18.7 km away
Rent
7.63 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Stahnsdorf Satellite · 19.0 km away
Rent
7.41 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Teltow Commuting Zone · 14.8 km away
Rent
7.29 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Hohen Neuendorf Commuting Zone · 18.0 km away
Rent
8.09 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Hennigsdorf Commuting Zone · 18.1 km away
Rent
6.14 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Falkensee Commuting Zone · 20.3 km away
Rent
8.4 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Bernau bei Berlin Commuting Zone · 21.5 km away
Rent
7.17 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15

Alternative cities in Germany

Other cities in Germany to compare with Berlin, nearest in population first.

All Germany cities
Hamburg1,862,565 residentsMunich1,604,731 residentsCologne1,100,076 residentsFrankfurt781,337 residentsDusseldorf659,615 residentsLeipzig633,592 residents

How does Berlin compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Berlin's.

Open the full comparison

Berlin in rankings

#1 of 30 in Largest cities in Germany #6 of 30 in Cities with the largest foreign populations #7 of 30 in Largest cities in ImmigrationDB #10 of 30 in Major cities with the lowest modelled annual precipitation #12 of 30 in Major cities with the lowest modelled solar exposure #17 of 30 in Highest salary cities in Germany

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 6 to 15, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Länder Sprachförderung (e.g. Sprachlernklassen BW/Berlin; vorklassen); Starting Opportunities Programme. How to enrol a child (kmk.org).

A country-wide rule for Germany; Berlin's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

Is Berlin expensive?

Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat — net rent, utilities, a transport pass, internet and mobile — came to about €1,185 against a median gross salary of €4,250, leaving about €3,065 before income tax. Sources: the rent, recurring-cost and salary series published on this page, each with its own source and date.

How many people live in Berlin?

The published population was 3,701,307 people in November 2025. Source: Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg — SB_A01-07_00_2025m11_BE.pdf.

How much does it cost to rent in Berlin?

Average net cold rent is 7.71 EUR/m² per month (September 2025), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 540 EUR a month before utilities. Source: Berlin Senate — Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung, Bauen und Wohnen — Berliner Mietspiegel 2026.

Is the air quality good in Berlin?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 11.3 µg/m³ (January 2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Umweltbundesamt Air Data API.

How safe is Berlin?

Police recorded about 13,900 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Polizei Berlin Kriminalitätsatlas — HZ 2024 Berlin (PKS gesamt).

What is the typical salary in Berlin?

The median gross salary is 4,250 EUR/month (January 2026). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024) is a separate labelled row in the table. Source: Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit Entgeltatlas.

What is the unemployment rate in Berlin?

The unemployment rate is 10.2 % (November 2025). Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit Berlin-Brandenburg — Weiter Stagnation am Arbeitsmarkt in Berlin und Brandenburg.

Is Berlin a good place to live?

Berlin may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Which cities are near Berlin?

Blankenfelde-Mahlow, Großbeeren, Stahnsdorf, Teltow, Hohen Neuendorf are near Berlin. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Turkey live in Berlin?

The official country of birth distribution records 94,487 people (2.6%) in the source-defined population for 2022-05-15. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 25). Berlin, Germany: population, cost of living, rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 4aeee0984a2199f5a0ae1f60665d3aeb]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/berlin/ Retrieved 2026-10-25. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_berlin-germany-population-cost-of-living-rent-salary_1dab5b193fd4,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Berlin, Germany: population, cost of living, rent, salary},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-25},
  version = {4aeee0984a2199f5a0ae1f60665d3aeb},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/berlin/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-25. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Berlin, Germany: population, cost of living, rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/berlin/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 4aeee0984a2199f5a0ae1f60665d3aeb; retrieved 2026-10-25; built 2026-10-25.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg — SB_A01-07_00_2025m11_BE.pdf Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg · download.statistik-berlin-brandenburg.de · checked 2026-07-14
  2. BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich — Medianentgelt Kreise Wohnort 2024 BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich · statistik.arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-07-29
  3. Berlin Senate — Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung, Bauen und Wohnen — Berliner Mietspiegel 2026 Berlin Senate · mietspiegel.berlin.de · checked 2026-07-14
  4. BKA PKS Bevölkerungsdaten (04-KR-BV-insg, Quelle Statistisches Bundesamt) bka.de · checked 2026-09-05
  5. BKA PKS T01 Staedte-Falltabelle polizei.de · checked 2026-09-05
  6. Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit Entgeltatlas web.arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-07-14
  7. Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Dienststellenverzeichnis Bundesagentur für Arbeit · arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-09-15
  8. Bundesagentur für Arbeit Berlin-Brandenburg — Weiter Stagnation am Arbeitsmarkt in Berlin und Brandenburg Bundesagentur für Arbeit Berlin-Brandenburg · arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-07-14
  9. Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Bundesklinik-Atlas) bundes-klinik-atlas.de · checked 2026-08-03
  10. BVG Berlin AB monthly ticket, regular rate, tariff page bvg.de · checked 2026-07-26
Show 53 more sources
  1. Destatis — foreign population by Land and years Destatis · destatis.de · checked 2026-07-14
  2. Destatis Gemeindeverzeichnis destatis.de · checked 2026-07-14
  3. Destatis Zensus 2022 religion by municipality destatis.de · checked 2026-07-14
  4. DWD CLIMAT multi-annual station normals 1991-2020 opendata.dwd.de · checked 2026-07-26
  5. DWD CLIMAT multi-annual station normals 1991-2020 opendata.dwd.de · checked 2026-07-26
  6. DWD Climate Data Center — Klimanormal 1991-2020, Jahresmittel Lufttemperatur 2m (1×1 km Raster) DWD Climate Data Center · opendata.dwd.de · checked 2026-06-05
  7. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
  8. GISCO Urban Audit 2021 — Functional Urban Areas (URAU_RG_100K_2021_4326_FUA) GISCO Urban Audit 2021 · gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-19
  9. INKAR — Indikatoren und Karten zur Raum- und Stadtentwicklung, district (Kreis) indicator table INKAR · inkar.de · checked 2026-07-16
  10. Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt — FZ 3 vehicle stock by municipality Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt · kba.de · checked 2026-07-14
  11. Krankenhausverzeichnis 2024 statistikportal.de · checked 2026-09-19
  12. NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology NASA POWER · power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-10-25
  13. oecd.org place coordinates oecd.org · checked 2026-08-28
  14. Official municipality population divided by official municipality area from the same Destatis row. destatis.de · checked 2024-12-31
  15. OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
  16. Polizei Berlin / Kriminalitätsatlas Berlin — Fallzahlen_2025 Polizei Berlin / Kriminalitätsatlas Berlin · kriminalitaetsatlas.berlin.de · checked 2026-07-14
  17. Polizei Berlin Kriminalitätsatlas — HZ 2024 Berlin (PKS gesamt) Polizei Berlin Kriminalitätsatlas · kriminalitaetsatlas.berlin.de · checked 2026-07-29
  18. Statistical Offices of the Federation and the Länder, Germany citizenship distribution ergebnisse.zensus2022.de · checked 2026-08-28
  19. Statistical Offices of the Federation and the Länder, Germany country of birth distribution ergebnisse.zensus2022.de · checked 2026-08-28
  20. Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder destatis.de · checked 2026-08-07
  21. Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder destatis.de · checked 2026-08-07
  22. Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder destatis.de · checked 2026-08-07
  23. Umweltbundesamt Air Data API umweltbundesamt.de · checked 2026-07-14
  24. www.statistikportal.de statistikportal.de · checked 2026-08-08
  25. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  26. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  27. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  28. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  29. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  30. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  31. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  32. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  33. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  34. GaWC World Cities 2020 lboro.ac.uk · checked 2026-07-14
  35. Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03
  36. Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/de/berlin/ Numbeo city cost-of-living page · de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-09-05
  37. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
  38. Berlin Immigration Office — EU, EEA and Swiss citizens

    National residence context. Carried over from the previous prototype; no new eligibility assessment.

  39. Make it in Germany — visa and residence routes

    National guidance; check the actual route and personal conditions before acting.

  40. Residence Ordinance, §41

    Entry and in-country residence-title applications. The employment limitations remain relevant.

  41. Berlin — address registration

    Official local procedure, not a residence-permit decision.

  42. Bundesagentur für Arbeit — median earnings, 2025

    2025 workplace-based median gross pay for full-time employees covered by social insurance in Berlin: €4,459/month. Published 20 July 2026; source rechecked 10 September 2026. Includes special remuneration; not an observed net salary.

  43. BMF — income tax tariff, §32a EStG, 2026

    2026 progressive tariff. The prototype applies a simplified standard-employee model, not the complete BMF payroll program. Checked 10 September 2026.

  44. BMF — wage withholding and allowances, §39b EStG

    Annualisation and insurance allowances. €1,230 employee allowance and €36 special-expense allowance are used for the standard case. Checked 10 September 2026.

  45. Techniker Krankenkasse — employee social-contribution rates, 2026

    Employee shares used: pension 9.3%, unemployment 1.3%, general health 7.3%, childless care 2.4%. The model uses the official 2.9% supplementary-health reference, not TK’s own rate. Checked 10 September 2026.

  46. Federal Government — contribution ceilings, 2026

    Monthly ceilings: €5,812.50 health/care and €8,450 pension/unemployment. Above the insurance threshold, the example assumes continued statutory insurance. Checked 10 September 2026.

  47. Federal Health Ministry — statutory health contributions, 2026

    Official supplementary-contribution reference 2.9%; the employee pays half. Actual insurer rates differ. Checked 10 September 2026.

  48. Solidarity Surcharge Act, §§3–4

    2026 single-person tax threshold €20,350; 5.5% surcharge with the statutory transition limit. Not a threshold on gross pay.

  49. IBB Housing Market Report 2025

    Advertised median cold rent, 2025: Berlin €15.78/m²; Potsdam €14.04/m². Examples by floor area are calculations, not observed size-band medians. Source rechecked 10 September 2026.

  50. BVG — Deutschlandticket

    €63/month from 1 January 2026. One person; subscription; local and regional transport, not ICE/IC/EC. Checked 10 September 2026.

  51. German Civil Code, §551 — rental security

    General residential deposit limit and cash instalments. Deposit is refundable security, not recurring spending. Legal copy is carried over from the previous prototype.

  52. Make it in Germany — housing and registration

    Read the contract for included bills, tenancy conditions and address-registration documents. Carried over from the previous prototype.

  53. Berlin Senate — Mietspiegel 2026 publication

    Published 28 May 2026. €7.71/m² refers to the rent-index population, not advertised flats; it is not a universal legal ceiling. Carried over from the previous prototype.

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.