Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bonn and Hamburg

For one person, living costs are similar in Bonn and in Hamburg: $2,313 and $2,332 a month, rent and utilities included.

110

Cost of Living Index in Bonn
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Bonn Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
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Hamburg Living Index

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Bonn

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,313

/mo nomad

Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,332

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bonn and in Hamburg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,313 in Bonn versus $2,332 in Hamburg.

Bonn $2,313
Hamburg $2,332

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,463 in Bonn versus $3,481 in Hamburg.

Bonn $3,463
Hamburg $3,481

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Bonn versus $4,631 in Hamburg.

Bonn $4,614
Hamburg $4,631

Monthly costs are close between Bonn and Hamburg; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bonn 70% above, Hamburg 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.55 €16.67

$17.03 €15.29

8.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 €69.6

$73.6 €66.1

5.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 €10.92

$13.65 €12.27

-10.99%

Cappuccino

$4.21 €3.78

$4.67 €4.20

-9.85%

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

$3.11 €2.79

$4.18 €3.75

-25.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.22

$3.24 €2.91

-23.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €5.09

$5.96 €5.36

-4.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 €3.83

$4.98 €4.48

-14.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 €1.30

$1.20 €1.08

20.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 €2.52

$2.60 €2.33

8.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 €3.61

$2.79 €2.51

43.73%

Eggs

$4.17 €3.74

$4.24 €3.81

-1.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.76 €12.36

$12.36 €11.11

11.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 €9.56

$12.02 €10.80

-11.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.08 €24.33

$18.94 €17.01

42.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 €3.10

$3.24 €2.91

6.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 €2.38

$2.33 €2.09

13.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$2.95 €2.65

-23.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.24 €4.71

$4.12 €3.70

27.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 €2.01

$1.83 €1.64

22.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.75 €1.57

-2.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.73 €1.55

-4.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.18

$1.17 €1.05

11.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.51 €8.54

$10.07 €9.04

-5.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.97 €5.36

$6.61 €5.94

-9.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.14

$1.13 €1.02

11.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.61

$1.50 €1.34

19.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 €4.12

$4.43 €3.98

3.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.1 €63.9

$69.4 €62.4

2.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 €2.65

$6.79 €6.10

-56.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 €1.77

$2.98 €2.68

-33.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.22 €28.05

$41.72 €37.48

-25.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €2.05

$2.29 €2.06

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

$33.3K €29.9K

$33.0K €29.6K

0.93%

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

$37.9K €34.1K

$38.9K €35.0K

-2.65%

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

$332 €298

$383 €344

-13.35%

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

$24.57 €22.07

$19.47 €17.49

26.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.59 €35.56

$38.79 €34.84

2.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.47 €38.16

$42.26 €37.96

0.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.47 €29.17

$28.37 €25.49

14.45%

Cinema Ticket

$15.74 €14.14

$15.46 €13.88

1.81%

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

$690 €620

$502 €451

37.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K €12.5K

$13.8K €12.4K

1.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.3 €67.6

$86.6 €77.8

-13.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.43 €33.62

$36.18 €32.50

3.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.7

$101 €90.4

2.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €102

$117 €105

-3.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 €963

$1,212 €1,088

-11.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 €830

$919 €825

0.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,113 €1,898

$2,155 €1,935

-1.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 €1,438

$1,667 €1,498

-3.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,131 €5,507

$9,358 €8,406

-34.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,368 €3,924

$5,163 €4,638

-15.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,480 €3,126

$3,622 €3,253

-3.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

3.69

7.32%

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

Last update for Bonn: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hamburg: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bonn

$925 40%

Hamburg

$919 39.4% 0.6% $5.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bonn

$396 17.1%

Hamburg

$441 18.9% 11.4% $45

Groceries & Markets

Bonn

$374 16.2%

Hamburg

$335 14.3% 10.5% $39

Eating Out

Bonn

$295 12.7%

Hamburg

$303 13% 2.8% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Bonn

$148 6.4%

Hamburg

$153 6.6% 3.6% $5.4

Getting Around

Bonn

$102 4.4%

Hamburg

$109 4.7% 6.4% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Bonn

$74 3.2%

Hamburg

$73 3.1% 1.1% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,072 in Bonn and $1,212 in Hamburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamburg pays 4% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $77 in Bonn vs $74 in Hamburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 vs $335 per month, with Hamburg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Bonn

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🕒 Local time

23:59 11:59 PM

Same time as Bonn

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

335,913

1,812,709

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bonn Hamburg 370 km

From you

Bonn
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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

Bonn vs Hamburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Bonn. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,072 in Bonn versus $1,212 in Hamburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Hamburg pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamburg – a meal for two runs $74 versus $77 in Bonn. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Bonn is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bonn and Hamburg are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Bonn wins on affordability, Hamburg on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.