Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Braunschweig and Hamburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Braunschweig: $1,738 a month against $2,364 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

83

Cost of Living Index in Braunschweig
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Braunschweig Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
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Hamburg Living Index

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Braunschweig

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,738

/mo nomad

Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,364

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Braunschweig 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 Braunschweig and in Hamburg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,738 per month in Braunschweig vs $2,364 in Hamburg, rent included.

Braunschweig $1,738
Hamburg $2,364

A couple spends around $2,809 per month in Braunschweig vs $3,490 in Hamburg, rent included.

Braunschweig $2,809
Hamburg $3,490

A family of three spends $3,879 per month in Braunschweig vs $4,615 in Hamburg, rent included.

Braunschweig $3,879
Hamburg $4,615

Braunschweig is about 26% cheaper than Hamburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Braunschweig and Hamburg sit above the global median – Braunschweig by 29%, Hamburg by 75%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.73 €14.86

$18.17 €16.14

-7.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 €70.2

$71.6 €63.6

10.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 €9.87

$13.50 €11.99

-17.70%

Cappuccino

$4.15 €3.69

$4.55 €4.04

-8.79%

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

$3.35 €2.98

$4.10 €3.64

-18.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.46

$3.33 €2.96

-16.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €4.01

$5.56 €4.94

-18.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$5.06 €4.50

-26.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.23 €1.09

2.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.07

$2.70 €2.40

-13.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 €3.95

$2.87 €2.55

54.70%

Eggs

$4.11 €3.65

$4.35 €3.87

-5.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 €12.69

$12.37 €10.99

15.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.30 €9.15

$11.82 €10.50

-12.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.44 €22.60

$18.72 €16.63

35.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 €3.00

$3.19 €2.84

5.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.30 €2.04

-6.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.98 €2.65

-36.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.39

$4.05 €3.60

-5.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.89 €1.68

-36.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.74 €1.55

-24.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.24

$1.71 €1.52

-18.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.78

$1.23 €1.09

-28.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.80 €8.71

$10.36 €9.20

-5.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 €5.54

$6.55 €5.81

-4.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.18 €1.05

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.39

$1.50 €1.33

4.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.82 €3.40

$4.29 €3.82

-10.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 €61.5

$71.5 €63.5

-3.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 €4.90

$5.41 €4.80

1.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.80 €2.49

$3.07 €2.73

-8.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.30 €27.80

$41.82 €37.15

-25.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.27 €2.01

-5.29%

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

$32.9K €29.2K

$33.6K €29.9K

-2.18%

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

$39.0K €34.7K

$38.0K €33.8K

2.68%

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

$196 €174

$401 €356

-51.09%

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

$29.45 €26.16

$19.94 €17.71

47.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 €45.35

$38.88 €34.54

31.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.47 €35.06

$42.28 €37.56

-6.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.52 €12.01

$28.73 €25.52

-52.94%

Cinema Ticket

$13.45 €11.95

$16.16 €14.36

-16.77%

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

$390 €347

$512 €455

-23.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K €12.5K

$18.3K €16.3K

-23.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 €73.2

$85.1 €75.6

-3.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.46 €34.16

$35.94 €31.93

7.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 €88.3

$105 €93.4

-5.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €107

$118 €105

2.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$662 €588

$1,242 €1,103

-46.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$525 €466

$922 €819

-43.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 €1,148

$2,193 €1,948

-41.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 €994

$1,621 €1,440

-30.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,966

$9,428 €8,375

-52.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,066 €1,835

$5,259 €4,672

-60.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,289 €3,810

$3,680 €3,269

16.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.76

3.75

0.27%

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

Last update for Braunschweig: October 31, 2026

Last update for Hamburg: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Braunschweig

$525 30.2%

Hamburg

$922 39% 75.6% $397

Groceries & Markets

Braunschweig

$341 19.6%

Hamburg

$335 14.2% 1.7% $5.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Braunschweig

$277 15.9%

Hamburg

$460 19.5% 66.2% $183

Eating Out

Braunschweig

$272 15.6%

Hamburg

$308 13% 13.4% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Braunschweig

$154 8.8%

Hamburg

$155 6.6% 0.9% $1.4

Getting Around

Braunschweig

$104 6%

Hamburg

$109 4.6% 5.1% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Braunschweig

$66 3.8%

Hamburg

$75 3.2% 12.4% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $662 in Braunschweig versus $1,242 in Hamburg. 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 17% higher in Braunschweig, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Braunschweig versus $72 in Hamburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $341 vs $335 – making Hamburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Braunschweig

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🕒 Local time

16:09 4:09 PM

Same time as Braunschweig

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

253,167

1,812,709

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Braunschweig vs Hamburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,738 in Braunschweig, $2,364 in Hamburg – Braunschweig comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,607 per month in Braunschweig and $3,546 in Hamburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Braunschweig, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $662 there versus $1,242 in Hamburg.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Braunschweig and $72 in Hamburg. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Braunschweig. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,738 in Braunschweig and $2,364 in Hamburg, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Braunschweig – 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.