Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aachen and Munich

For one person, living is cheaper in Aachen: $1,938 a month against $2,681 in Munich, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Aachen
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Aachen Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Munich
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Munich Living Index

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Aachen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,938

/mo nomad

Munich

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,681

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aachen and in Munich

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aachen and in Munich actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,938 per month in Aachen vs $2,681 in Munich, rent included.

Aachen $1,938
Munich $2,681

A couple spends around $2,902 per month in Aachen vs $4,080 in Munich, rent included.

Aachen $2,902
Munich $4,080

A family of three spends $3,867 per month in Aachen vs $5,480 in Munich, rent included.

Aachen $3,867
Munich $5,480

Aachen is about 28% cheaper than Munich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Aachen and Munich sit above the global median – Aachen by 42%, Munich by 97%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.79 €14.11

$18.66 €16.67

-15.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.1

$89.2 €79.7

-30.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.16 €9.97

$13.38 €11.95

-16.59%

Cappuccino

$3.73 €3.33

$4.32 €3.86

-13.66%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.41

$3.86 €3.45

-30.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.67

$3.35 €2.99

-10.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 €4.51

$5.22 €4.66

-3.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.47 €4.89

$5.74 €5.12

-4.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.09

$1.28 €1.15

-4.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 €1.72

$2.32 €2.08

-17.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.62 €3.23

$2.69 €2.40

34.57%

Eggs

$3.57 €3.18

$4.57 €4.08

-21.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.48 €12.93

$17.92 €16.01

-19.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 €10.12

$13.29 €11.87

-14.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.98 €18.74

$21.85 €19.52

-3.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 €3.06

$3.19 €2.85

7.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 €2.03

$2.01 €1.79

12.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 €1.83

$2.81 €2.51

-27.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 €3.10

$4.53 €4.04

-23.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.85 €1.65

-20.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.83 €1.64

-19.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.50 €1.34

-1.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.11

$0.86 €0.77

44.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.00 €8.93

$11.22 €10.02

-10.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.04

$6.67 €5.96

1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.29 €1.15

-10.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.40

$1.60 €1.43

-2.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.03 €3.60

$4.74 €4.23

-14.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.5 €63.8

$70.1 €62.6

1.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 €4.94

$6.76 €6.04

-18.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 €2.31

$3.09 €2.76

-16.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.36 €33.37

$43.44 €38.80

-14.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.31 €2.07

0.43%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.0K €29.5K

$33.9K €30.3K

-2.48%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.9K €34.8K

$39.3K €35.1K

-0.84%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$378 €337

$350 €312

8.00%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$16.71 €14.92

$18.57 €16.59

-10.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.56 €42.48

$39.33 €35.13

20.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.89 €32.06

$51.8 €46.27

-30.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.56 €24.62

$33.64 €30.05

-18.07%

Cinema Ticket

$15.41 €13.76

$15.92 €14.22

-3.20%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$743 €663

$868 €775

-14.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K €17.2K

$16.5K €14.7K

16.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €81.6

$87.7 €78.4

4.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.26 €37.74

$42.09 €37.60

0.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 €76.0

$102 €91.0

-16.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €120

$114 €102

17.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$818 €731

$1,664 €1,486

-50.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$571 €510

$1,254 €1,120

-54.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,504 €1,343

$3,113 €2,780

-51.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 €945

$2,352 €2,101

-55.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,493 €4,013

$12.5K €11.1K

-63.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,378 €3,018

$8,605 €7,686

-60.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,534 €3,157

$4,072 €3,637

-13.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

3.82

3.66%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Aachen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Munich: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Aachen

$571 29.5%

Munich

$1.3K 46.8% 120% $683

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aachen

$442 22.8%

Munich

$407 15.2% 7.8% $34

Groceries & Markets

Aachen

$330 17%

Munich

$361 13.5% 9.4% $31

Eating Out

Aachen

$264 13.6%

Munich

$308 11.5% 16.8% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Aachen

$159 8.2%

Munich

$156 5.8% 2% $3.1

Getting Around

Aachen

$106 5.5%

Munich

$111 4.2% 4.9% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Aachen

$67 3.4%

Munich

$84 3.1% 25.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $818 in Aachen versus $1,664 in Munich. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 15% higher in Munich, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Aachen versus $89 in Munich. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $361 – making Aachen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Aachen

🇩🇪 Munich

🕒 Local time

10:59 10:59 AM

Same time as Aachen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

241,683

1,484,226

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Aachen vs Munich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,938 in Aachen, $2,681 in Munich – Aachen comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in Aachen and $4,021 in Munich. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aachen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $818 there versus $1,664 in Munich.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Aachen and $89 in Munich. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Munich, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,938 in Aachen and $2,681 in Munich, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Aachen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Aachen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Munich makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.