Budget · Berlin · Germany
Berlin on a budget
What a trip to Berlin really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Berlin is moderately priced for most international visitors. Budget roughly $70–$110 per person per day on a tight budget, $150–$260 mid-range and $400–$1,000 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in January, March and November.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $70–$110 a day
- Mid-range
- $150–$260 a day
- Luxury
- $400–$1,000 a day
- Local currency
- EUR
- Free sights
- 10
Daily budget and trip cost
AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.
| Style | Per day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $70–$110 | $210–$330 | $350–$550 | $490–$770 |
| Mid-range | $150–$260 | $450–$780 | $750–$1,300 | $1,050–$1,820 |
| Luxury | $400–$1,000 | $1,200–$3,000 | $2,000–$5,000 | $2,800–$7,000 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Berlin, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Single public transport ticket (zones AB) | about €3.50–€4 |
| Day ticket (zones AB) | about €10–€11 |
| Currywurst with fries | about €4–€7 |
| Döner kebab | about €6–€9 |
| Half-litre of beer in a bar | about €4–€6 |
| Major museum ticket | about €10–€16 |
| Club entry | about €10–€25 |
Money-saving tips
- The Reichstag dome, Holocaust Memorial, Berlin Wall Memorial, East Side Gallery and Topography of Terror are all free.
- Street food — döner, currywurst, falafel and Vietnamese noodle soup — keeps food costs low.
- Buy a day or 7-day ticket instead of singles if you take more than three rides a day.
- Spätis sell drinks far cheaper than bars, and drinking outdoors is legal and common.
- Many restaurants offer weekday lunch specials (Mittagstisch) at lower prices than dinner.
- Hotel prices rise sharply during big trade fairs and the Berlinale; check the event calendar before booking.
Free things to do
- Brandenburg Gate — Completed in 1791 and topped by the Quadriga chariot, this neoclassical gate was stranded in the no-man's-land of the Berlin Wall from 1961 to 1989 and became the symbol of reunification.
- Reichstag and its glass dome — The seat of the German parliament burned in 1933, was stormed by Soviet troops in 1945 and was restored after reunification with a glass dome by Norman Foster.
- Berlin Wall Memorial — Along Bernauer Strasse, the national memorial preserves a stretch of the Wall with its death strip and a watchtower, alongside markers of escape tunnels and the houses whose windows people jumped from in 1961.
- East Side Gallery — A 1.3-km section of the Wall along the Spree was painted by artists from around the world in 1990, creating the longest open-air gallery in the world.
- Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe — Peter Eisenman's memorial, opened in 2005, covers a city block near the Brandenburg Gate with 2,711 concrete slabs of varying heights on undulating ground, creating a disorienting walk.
- Topography of Terror — On the site of the former Gestapo and SS headquarters, this free documentation centre explains how the Nazi terror apparatus worked.
Where to stay on a budget
$$ · Best for nightlife, food lovers, budget and solo travellers
Kreuzberg
Turkish-German heritage, canal-side cafés, street art and late bars
$$ · Best for nightlife, budget and solo travellers
Friedrichshain
Socialist boulevards, the East Side Gallery and the city's best-known clubs
$ · Best for nightlife, budget and food lovers
Neukölln
Bars on Weserstrasse, Arab bakeries on Sonnenallee and Tempelhofer Feld
Eating well for less
- Currywurst — Imbiss stands across the city, including the long-running stall under the elevated U2 tracks at Eberswalder Strasse and stands around Mehringdamm in Kreuzberg.
- Döner kebab — Kebab shops everywhere, especially in Kreuzberg around Kottbusser Tor and Mehringdamm, where the best-known stands have long queues.
- Buletten — Pubs, butcher shops and Imbiss counters.
- Spreewald pickles — Markets, delis and the food hall of KaDeWe; stalls in the Spreewald itself on a day trip.
- Falafel and shawarma — Sonnenallee in Neukölln and the streets around Hermannplatz.
Getting around for less
Day and 7-day tickets
Unlimited travel in zones AB (or ABC) for a day or a week on U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses.
Berlin WelcomeCard
Public transport for 2 to 6 days combined with discounts at many sights; a version includes Museum Island entry.
Deutschlandticket
A monthly subscription valid on local and regional transport across Germany, useful for longer stays and day trips.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Berlin cost?
About $750–$1,300 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $350–$550 on a tight budget.
+Is Berlin expensive?
It is moderately priced for international visitors. The Reichstag dome, Holocaust Memorial, Berlin Wall Memorial, East Side Gallery and Topography of Terror are all free.
+How much money do I need per day in Berlin?
Roughly $70–$110 on a budget and $150–$260 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Berlin?
Usually in January, March and November.