Berlin Price Guide | Calculating The Daily Costs to Visit Berlin

Berlin is one of the cheapest capital cities in Western Europe, so it’s a great place for budget travelers seeking world-class museums, cheap food, crazy nightlife, and affordable accommodation. Prices are slowly rising but there are still easy to visit without spending a lot of money. In this Berlin price guide, we’ll cover typical Berlin travel costs for food, accommodation, sights, and extras so you can better budget your trip.

This article is part of our City Price Guide Series — Click here to see all our European City Price Guides.

Average Daily Cost For Visiting Berlin

For budget-minded travelers, it costs around €65-€90 per day to visit Berlin. These Berlin prices are based on what you’ll need to visit the city comfortably as a budget traveler. If you want to upgrade your accommodations then you’ll want to add another €80-€100/night depending on your choice.

These prices also don’t include things like big nights out at the bar/pub, club entry fees, souvenir/clothing shopping, tours, random purchases, etc. Don’t forget to budget extra for those “non-essentials.”

Daily Cost of Budget Travel in Berlin: €75 (Approx. $80)

Attractions: €14 (one paid attraction + any free sites)
Food: €27
- Breakfast: €3
- Lunch: €7
- Dinner: €14
- Treat (dessert/beer/wine): €3
Transportation: €5.20
Accommodation (hostel): €32/night

Daily Cost of Frugal Travel in Berlin: €50 (Approx. $58)

Attractions: €6 (free walking tour + visit one of the free sites)
Food: €16
- Breakfast: €0 (free hostel breakfast)
- Lunch: €5 (ethnic street food or takeaway shop fare)
- Dinner: €10 (make your own meal in the hostel or street food)
- Beer: €1 (chill out at the park and have a cold one)
Transportation: €5.20 (two rides)
Accommodation (cheap hostel bed): €22/night

Berlin Attraction and Museum Prices

Berlin has multiple great museums and other attractions—most of which are fairly affordable. Museum buffs will want to check out one of the many Berlin museum passes since those can save you some money. Furthermore, there are multiple sights, monuments, parks, and street art that are all totally free.

Museum Portal Berlin is a great resource for all things relating to museums (hours, location, prices, etc.).

You can also check out the new Go Berlin City Pass if you think you might do a lot of sightseeing.

Pergamon Museum: €12
Reichstag Building: Free
TV Tower (Fernsehturm) Observation Deck: €24
Topography of Terror: Free
DDR Museum: €12.50
Neues Museum: €12
Sanssouci Palace: €22
Old National Gallery: €12
Altes Museum: €10
Bode Museum: €12
Walking Tours: Free (but you should tip the guides) — €30

Note: Most museums and attractions have student prices, so be sure to bring your student ID.

Berlin Food Prices

You won’t go hungry in Berlin because it has plenty of budget options for even the most penny-pinching backpacker. Most meals are hearty and the beer is cheap. What else could you ask for?

Berlin Budget Breakfast Prices: Free – €10

Many hostels will offer a free, simple breakfast that normally consists of cereal, bread/croissant, and maybe milk, coffee, tea, or juice. If you’re lucky, you might get some cold cuts and cheese.
Since Berlin is known for its all-night parties, it’s no surprise that there are plenty of cafés/restaurants offering a hearty breakfast. Expect to pay €5-€10.
You can also find plenty of budget-friendly options at the bakery or grocery store. Pastries start around €1 and coffee will cost around €2-€4 (depending on how “fancy” it is).

A Few Budget Breakfast Options:

Brammibal’s Donuts: Donuts, coffee, and other breakfast sweets.
Back-Factory: Cheap pastries for a quick breakfast on the run.
Cafe Creperie Melt: Cakes, crepes, and galettes.
Homemade: Brunch and breakfast with plenty of vegetarian options.
Romeo und Romeo: Lots of healthy and vegetarian options at this chilled-out spot.

Berlin Budget Lunch Prices: €5-€12

Super budget travelers can make a super cheap lunch of bread, deli meat, cheese, and fruit from any grocery store for a few euros.
Takeaway meals (like kebabs with fries) or similar dishes from a takeaway shop will cost about €4.
Currywurst and bratwurst from a takeaway shop will set you back about €3.
You can get a delicious fried half chicken and fries for about €5.
A cheap pizza will cost about €4-€7.

Berlin Budget Dinner Prices: €8-€16

Budget travelers will want to seek out the many ethnic restaurants in Berlin. Even for traditional German fare, it’s easy to find a good meal for €8-€13.
There are a good number of quality burger joints serving burgers for around €6.
The famous half-a-hen (with bread) from Henne’s only costs €10.
Many of the options from the Budget Lunch section above also apply for dinner.

A Few Budget Lunch And Dinner Options:

Scheers Schnitzel: Tasty and affordable German classics like schnitzel.
Curry61: Famous currywurst and other traditional German street food.
Tiergarten Quelle: German pub serving up traditional German dishes.
Lia’s Kitchen: Plenty of great vegan options.
Trattoria Portofino: Pizza, pasta, and other great Italian options.
Flamingo Fresh Food Bar: Sandwiches, soups, and a bit of everything.
Burgermeister: Best burgers in Berlin.
Mabuhayt: Authentic Indonesian food at great prices.
Yarok Fine Syrian Food from Damascus: Tasty falafel and other middle eastern food.
PHO – Noodlebar: Affordable PHO and other Vietnamese food.

Drinks and Alcohol

Pint of standard beer out: €2.50-€3.50
Pint of beer from a grocery store: €.80-€2
Bottle of (drinkable) wine from the grocery store: €7

Berlin Transportation Prices

Berlin is a huge, sprawling city, so you’ll need to take public transportation. Luckily, Berlin has just about every transportation option — like subways, trains, trams, buses, bikes, and taxis. Even better, the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, bus, tram, and regional rail all use the same ticket. Read more at the Official Visit Berlin website.

Public Transportation Prices:

Single One-Way Ticket: €3-€3.80
Short Distance (three stop) Single One-Way Ticket: €2
Day Card: €8.80-€10
Bike Rental: €12-€20/day

Other Transportation Prices:

Taxi Between Tegel and City Center: €25–€35
Berlin Schönefeld Airport Express Train: €3.80
Taxi Between Schönefeld and City Center: €40-€45

Berlin Hostel, Hotel, and Rental Apartment Prices

Berlin has a large number of hostels, and the prices are affordable. Even hotels aren’t too bad if you do a little digging. Rental apartments are also plentiful and affordable, and they’re a great way to experience the city like a local.

Berlin Hostel Prices: €30-€65/night

Plan on budgeting about €35-€45/night per person for a good hostel, although many hostels raise their prices on the weekend. Remember, these prices are for a bed in a shared dorm room. If you want a private room, expect to pay €80-€150+.

Well-Rated Berlin Hostels:

I recommend booking hostels through Hostelworld to get the best price and selection.

Berlin Budget Hotel Prices: €75-€130/night

Budget hotels located in/near the center of Berlin start around €80-€120/night and mid-range hotels start around €150/night. Check out Booking.com to see current hotel prices.

Berlin Rental Apartment Prices: €75-€125/night

Rental apartments are usually bigger than hotels and you’ll get a kitchen so you can save more money by cooking your own meals. That said, rental apartments aren’t always super convenient and they’re not great for shorter stays since there are lots of extra fees tacked on to the final price. Airbnb is always popular but you can sometimes find cheaper/better options on our list of Airbnb Alternatives.