Climate
Berlin logs 12 hot days a year to New York City's 22 — Berlin wins by 10. New York City also leads on sunny days by 72.
Berlin
Feels-like °C
Dinner outside
New York City
Feels-like °C
Dinner outside
Cost of Living
Berlin is $3176/mo cheaperBerlin runs about $2,239/mo for a balanced lifestyle against New York City's $5,415/mo — Berlin comes in $3,176 cheaper each month, roughly 142% less.
Berlin
$2,239monthly · balanced
New York City
$5,415monthly · balanced
Mobility
On mobility, Berlin scores 4.0 vs New York City's 3.6 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on car efficiency. New York City still holds an edge on flight connectivity.
Culture
Berlin and New York City score neck-and-neck on culture (4.8 vs 4.8, 0–5 scale).
Nature & Outdoors
Berlin's nature & outdoors score of 4.5 sits well above New York City's 4.0, with the biggest gap on forest access. New York City still holds an edge on sea access.
Safety
Berlin's safety score is ~1.8× New York City's — in the upper band, while New York City lands below average, with the biggest gap on road safety.
Career
New York City's career score of 5.0 sits well above Berlin's 4.3, with the biggest gap on career opportunities.
Social & Community
New York City's social & community score is ~1.3× Berlin's — in the upper band, while Berlin lands in the middle of the scale, with the biggest gap on street atmosphere. Berlin still holds an edge on government immigration friendliness.
Food & Dining
On food & dining, New York City scores 5.0 vs Berlin's 4.4 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on brunch availability.
Family
On family, New York City scores 4.3 vs Berlin's 3.8 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on international schools. Berlin still holds an edge on playgrounds.
Healthcare
Berlin and New York City score neck-and-neck on healthcare (3.7 vs 3.5, 0–5 scale).
Air Quality
Berlin averages 9.8 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus New York City's 8.6 µg/m³ (good) — New York City breathes ~12% cleaner air (1.2 µg/m³ lower).
Berlin
New York City
PM2.5 annual average
WHO classification
City Scale
Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.
Berlin (3.5M) and New York City (14.2M) are 4.0x in population — New York City is the larger metro, Berlin the smaller; on land area New York City spans roughly 4.5x more ground.
New York City is roughly 4.2x the scale of Berlin
Combined population & area comparison
New York City
BerlinCity Scale Rankings
New York City14.2M4.0xBerlin3.5M1xNew York City3,031 km²4.5xBerlin681 km²1xBerlin
New York City
Who Thrives Here
Berlin favours the safety seeker, while New York City suits the frequent traveller. Both cities work well for the park & garden lover.
Also compared
Frequently asked about Berlin vs New York City
▶Which is cheaper, Berlin or New York City?
▶How does the climate compare between Berlin and New York City?
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The best city depends on what matters to you
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