Cities head to head

Worked through as a single earner in tax class I, no church, the average Zusatzbeitrag, no children. The salary calculator takes your real situation.

• €4,500 in Essen leaves you, after tax and a 70 m² flat, what €5,277 would in Berlin.

	15 wins Essen North Rhine-Westphalia · Open profile	3 wins Berlin Berlin · Open profile	Add a city
The place
Population	573,618	3,913,644
People per km²	2,727	4,392
Public holidays a yearhigher is better	11	10
Work and pay
Unemploymentlower is better	11.3%	10.4%
Median gross payhigher is better	€4,532	€4,459
Taxes
Grunderwerbsteuerlower is better	6.5%	6%
Church taxlower is better	9%	9%
Gewerbesteuer Hebesatzlower is better	480%	410%
Housingimmoportal.com: Essen, Berlin
Asking price per m²lower is better	€2,405	€5,534
Asking rent per m²lower is better	€9.50	€15.21
Prices, last 12 months	-4.9%	-1%
Asking rent per m² (BBSR)lower is better	€9	€17
Rent in existing tenancies per m²lower is better	€6.72	€7.67
Vacant flatshigher is better	3.9%	2%
Owner-occupiers	26.1%	16.4%
Paid price per m², resold flatslower is better	€2,330	€6,450
Paid price per m², new flatslower is better	€4,570	€8,108
A 70 m² flat, to buylower is better	€168,350	€387,380
Closing costs on itlower is better	€19,899	€43,851
With this salaryBetween cities the net changes only through the state: church tax (8% in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, 9% elsewhere, members only) and Saxony's higher employee share of care insurance. Wage tax and the other contributions are federal, so what differs here is mostly the rent.
Net payhigher is better	€2,871	€2,871
A 70 m² flat, cold rentlower is better	€665	€1,065
Left after renthigher is better	€2,206	€1,806
Rent as a share of netlower is better	23.2%	37.1%
Years of net to buy that flatlower is better	5.5	12.5
Gross that leaves the same as the first city	€4,500	€5,277