Life in London vs. Berlin
Two major Western countries, two powerhouse cities: London and Berlin. What are the differences between them?
Well, let’s get over the most obvious first – which is the majority of people speak English in the first, and German in the second.
What we’re talking about here are the realities of one city versus the other. Let’s look at life in general at first, and then take a look at the cost of living.
What’s to See?
London is one of the ‘must see’ cities of the world, and one that many people aspire to live and work in. It’s home to amazing historical buildings, such as The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and The Houses of Parliament.
Even on the shortest of commutes to work you’ll be likely to walk past multiple places of interest, such as one of the Royal Parks, or get to spot the blue plaques that are dotted around the city courtesy of English Heritage and show us the buildings where famous people have lived and worked.
But Berlin too is steeped in history. The famous Reichstag (parliamentary building), the Brandeburg Gate, Charlottenburg Palace, and even the small part of the Berlin Wall that remains standing – the German capital city is no slouch in the famous landmark stakes.
The Pace of Life
There’s no getting away from it; London is a frenetic city. If you live and work here, you can’t help but be caught up in the speed of life.
There’s a reason why people stand on the right on the escalators when using the London Underground – and that’s to give the many thousands of commuters some passing space as they rush to and from appointments.
If you fail to give way, you’ll likely face some very strong ‘tuts’ and maybe some exasperated huffs and puffs, not to mention some grumpy excuse me’s (this is the UK, after all, and we do like to show good manners, even when we’re somewhat cheesed off!).
Travelling around in Berlin, however, is somewhat more relaxed, even on their underground train system, the U-Bahn.
People tend to be in less of a rush, and the European way of taking coffee during a working day is a definite difference to the British way of grabbing a sandwich at your desk (if you can persuade someone to go out and get you one, that is).
The Weather
If you don’t like the cold, then Berlin is not going to be the city for you. Winters here are, to say the least, somewhat on the Arctic side.
Cold winds blow in from Siberia – in fact, cold is a generous word – think bone achingly body heat sapping and you might be getting somewhere close.
And then there’s the snow. Proper snow – inches, if not feet of the stuff. But on the plus side, Berlin in the summer is delightful.
London, on the other hand, has a more temperate climate. But, it has to be said, we do have rain. All types of rain. Drizzle, spitting, cats and dogs, pouring, teeming down…
The Brits have more terms and words for the wet stuff than anyone else. It honestly doesn’t rain all the time, and London on a summer’s day is perhaps one of the best city locations in the world.
Cost of Living
According to real time price comparison website, Numbeo, the average monthly salary (after tax) in London is £1,960 against the Berlin average of £1,417. However, in virtually all cases, the cost of living in Germany is less than the UK.
For example, looking at renting a comparable apartment in both cities, in Berlin you’ll be paying around 65-70% less per month than in London. Rents have become more expensive in Berlin over recent year as the city’s become more popular.
However, there has been a price cap put in place on maximum rental prices. And when it comes to buying your own place, Berlin’s properties are between 78-82% cheaper than London’s.
Once you’ve found your property, you’ll need to pay for your utilities. This is one area where Berlin fails to top the leader board, with the basic costs of electricity, gas, water, council tax etc. coming in at around 10% more costly than those in London.
Food (groceries) costs less in Berlin in most cases, with one exception being bread. But for other staples such as milk, rice, eggs, fruit and chicken, expect to pay around 15-30% less in the German capital.
It’s also cheaper to eat out here too, with meals in restaurants coming in at a pricy 45-55% less than similar restaurants in London.
There is one difference, however, and that’s if you have a penchant for a McDonalds – because in Berlin you’ll pay a little more for the privilege – around 3.5%.
A monthly public transport pass in London costs £130, versus a paltry sounding £58 in Berlin. Taxis are also cheaper in Berlin by around 6%.
When it comes to sports and leisure, if you want to join a gym then it’s far more affordable in Berlin, by around 50%.
For example, an average gym membership in London will set you back around £50 per month, against around £23 in Berlin.
If you want to go to see the latest blockbuster at the movies, it’ll cost you around £12 in London versus £7.50 in Berlin.
The purchase of clothing is also cheaper in Berlin, by anything from 5% to 35%. All of the large chain stores all have a presence in both cities, such as Zara, H&M etc.
As you can see, when it comes to the cost of living, Berlin certainly wins hands down. It’s also a fact that with so many English speaking people moving to Berlin, the need to speak the language has become less necessary.
However, for good integration into your new home, at least attempting to learn the local language is not only polite, but pretty much a necessity.
Employment opportunities in both cities are booming, and both London and Berlin have their attractions. When it comes to which city is the better, it really does come down to personal choice.