Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bochum and Lexington, KY

For one person, living is cheaper in Bochum: $1,806 a month against $2,209 in Lexington, KY, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Bochum
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Bochum Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lexington, KY
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Lexington, KY Living Index

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Bochum

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,806

/mo nomad

Lexington, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,209

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bochum and in Lexington, KY

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

A single person spends $1,806 per month in Bochum vs $2,209 in Lexington, KY, rent included.

Bochum $1,806
Lexington, KY $2,209

A couple spends around $2,869 per month in Bochum vs $3,249 in Lexington, KY, rent included.

Bochum $2,869
Lexington, KY $3,249

A family of three spends $3,933 per month in Bochum vs $4,289 in Lexington, KY, rent included.

Bochum $3,933
Lexington, KY $4,289

Bochum is about 18% cheaper than Lexington, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Bochum and Lexington, KY sit above the global median – Bochum by 34%, Lexington, KY by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.55 €14.72

$12.82 $12.82

29.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 €70.4

$57.6 $57.6

37.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 €11.05

$8.78 $8.78

41.57%

Cappuccino

$4.16 €3.70

$5.00 $5.00

-16.80%

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

$3.17 €2.82

$2.48 $2.48

27.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.67

$2.14 $2.14

40.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 €5.09

$5.05 $5.05

13.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 €4.58

$5.98 $5.98

-13.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.08

$0.78 $0.78

55.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 €2.10

$2.79 $2.79

-15.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 €3.25

$4.10 $4.10

-10.98%

Eggs

$3.67 €3.26

$3.69 $3.69

-0.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.61 €12.99

$10.40 $10.40

40.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 €11.05

$10.34 $10.34

20.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.25 €20.68

$14.40 $14.40

61.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 €2.95

$5.31 $5.31

-37.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.79

$1.54 $1.54

31.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$5.52 $5.52

-61.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 €3.58

$4.37 $4.37

-8.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$4.24 $4.24

-68.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 €1.09

$3.21 $3.21

-61.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.38

$2.15 $2.15

-27.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.96

$3.13 $3.13

-65.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.67 €8.60

$8.68 $8.68

11.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.54 €5.82

$12.87 $12.87

-49.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.81

$2.68 $2.68

-66.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.45

$4.30 $4.30

-62.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 €3.38

$0.98 $0.98

287.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.0 €57.8

$30.52 $30.52

112.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.55 €4.93

$4.91 $4.91

13.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 €2.42

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.12 €30.35

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.83

$1.00 $1.00

106.00%

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

$32.2K €28.7K

$36.0K $36.0K

-10.46%

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

$38.5K €34.3K

$25.9K $25.9K

48.99%

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

$324 €289

$191 $191

70.24%

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

$30.22 €26.88

$105 $105

-71.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.16 €32.17

$74.9 $74.9

-51.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.24 €26.89

$38.65 $38.65

-21.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.57 €23.63

$29.41 $29.41

-9.66%

Cinema Ticket

$16.45 €14.64

$14.86 $14.86

10.70%

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

$400 €356

$2,261 $2,261

-82.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K €19.4K

$24.8K $24.8K

-11.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €79.2

$50.9 $50.9

74.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.59 €37.00

$31.06 $31.06

33.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €85.2

$118 $118

-18.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €120

$152 $152

-11.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 €716

$1,141 $1,141

-29.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 €411

$942 $942

-50.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 €1,148

$2,028 $2,028

-36.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 €902

$1,565 $1,565

-35.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,951 €3,515

$2,066 $2,066

91.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,240 €3,772

$2,100 $2,100

101.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,674 €2,379

$3,968 $3,968

-32.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

6.82

-43.84%

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

Last update for Bochum: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lexington, KY: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bochum

$463 25.6%

Lexington, KY

$942 42.6% 104% $479

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bochum

$391 21.6%

Lexington, KY

$371 16.8% 5.1% $20

Groceries & Markets

Bochum

$345 19.1%

Lexington, KY

$386 17.5% 12% $41

Eating Out

Bochum

$283 15.7%

Lexington, KY

$245 11.1% 13.7% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Bochum

$162 9%

Lexington, KY

$158 7.2% 2.5% $4.1

Getting Around

Bochum

$99 5.5%

Lexington, KY

$39 * 1.8% 60.4% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Bochum

$63 3.5%

Lexington, KY

$68 3.1% 8.3% $5.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Bochum versus $1,141 in Lexington, KY. 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 48% higher in Lexington, KY, 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 $79.0 in Bochum versus $58.0 in Lexington, KY. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Bochum vs $386 in Lexington, KY – so Bochum wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Bochum

🇺🇸 Lexington, KY

🕒 Local time

17:52 5:52 PM

11:52 11:52 AM

6 h behind Bochum

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

371,075

322,570

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Bochum Lexington, KY 6,910 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Bochum
Lexington, KY

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Bochum vs Lexington, KY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,806 in Bochum, $2,209 in Lexington, KY – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,709 per month in Bochum and $3,313 in Lexington, KY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bochum, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Bochum and $58.0 in Lexington, KY. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,806 in Bochum and $2,209 in Lexington, KY. That's a gap of about 22%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Bochum, where all-in costs run around $1,806, than in Lexington, KY at $2,209. In Bochum it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lexington, KY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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