Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bregenz and Paderborn

For one person, living is cheaper in Paderborn: $1,831 a month against $2,129 in Bregenz, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Bregenz
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Bregenz Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Paderborn
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Paderborn Living Index

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Bregenz

🇦🇹 Austria

$2,129

/mo nomad

Paderborn

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,831

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bregenz and in Paderborn

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,129 in Bregenz versus $1,831 in Paderborn.

Bregenz $2,129
Paderborn $1,831

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,164 in Bregenz versus $2,766 in Paderborn.

Bregenz $3,164
Paderborn $2,766

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,199 in Bregenz versus $3,700 in Paderborn.

Bregenz $4,199
Paderborn $3,700

Living in Bregenz is roughly 16% more expensive than in Paderborn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bregenz 58% above, Paderborn 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.83 €17.64

$16.45 €14.63

20.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 €69.2

$73.9 €65.7

5.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.29 €10.94

$10.94 €9.73

12.34%

Cappuccino

$4.85 €4.31

$3.90 €3.47

24.36%

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

$4.16 €3.70

$5.03 €4.48

-17.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.45

$2.52 €2.25

53.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.66 €5.03

$6.20 €5.51

-8.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €4.08

$4.52 €4.02

1.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.43 €1.27

21.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 €2.91

$2.20 €1.95

48.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.47

$3.25 €2.89

-49.23%

Eggs

$4.39 €3.91

$4.04 €3.59

8.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.00 €14.24

$14.38 €12.79

11.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.96 €12.42

$13.05 €11.61

6.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.89 €18.58

$18.49 €16.45

12.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$3.71 €3.30

-32.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 €1.60

$2.01 €1.79

-10.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.93

$2.69 €2.40

-19.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 €3.33

$4.07 €3.62

-7.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.63

$1.51 €1.35

21.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.37 €1.22

-0.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.89 €1.68

-1.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 €0.26

$1.21 €1.08

-76.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €6.02

$9.92 €8.83

-31.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.74 €6.88

$5.64 €5.02

37.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.14 €1.02

28.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$2.05 €1.83

-37.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 €2.60

$3.99 €3.55

-26.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.41 €40.40

$66.8 €59.4

-31.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 €3.86

$10.24 €9.11

-57.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.38 €2.12

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.77 €30.04

$51.9 €46.19

-34.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$2.10 €1.86

-20.95%

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

$29.8K €26.5K

$30.8K €27.4K

-3.04%

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

$30.5K €27.1K

$38.6K €34.3K

-20.96%

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

$260 €231

$268 €239

-3.13%

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

$15.60 €13.87

$27.14 €24.14

-42.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.10 €27.67

$53.7 €47.79

-42.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.6 €60.1

$30.44 €27.08

122.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.20 €17.08

Cinema Ticket

$9.09 €8.09

$13.33 €11.85

-31.81%

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

$860 €765

$397 €353

116.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$8,137 €7,238

57.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$153 €136

$81.4 €72.4

87.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.07 €15.18

$52.8 €46.97

-67.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.0 €49.85

$105 €93.1

-46.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.0 €49.80

$85.4 €76.0

-34.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 €933

$759 €675

38.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 €767

$563 €501

53.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 €1,447

$1,308 €1,164

24.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 €1,247

$937 €834

49.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,974 €6,204

$5,389 €4,793

29.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,587 €4,969

$4,547 €4,044

22.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,804 €2,494

$2,628 €2,338

6.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

3.95

-9.62%

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

Last update for Bregenz: October 10, 2026

Last update for Paderborn: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bregenz

$862 40.5%

Paderborn

$563 30.8% 34.7% $299

Groceries & Markets

Bregenz

$350 16.5%

Paderborn

$341 18.6% 2.5% $8.7

Eating Out

Bregenz

$323 15.2%

Paderborn

$281 15.4% 12.9% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bregenz

$307 14.4%

Paderborn

$349 19.1% 13.9% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Bregenz

$127 6%

Paderborn

$146 8% 15% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Bregenz

$86 4%

Paderborn

$57 3.1% 33.4% $29

Getting Around

Bregenz

$73 3.5%

Paderborn

$93 * 5.1% 26.6% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,049 in Bregenz and $759 in Paderborn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bregenz pays 7% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $78.0 in Bregenz vs $74.0 in Paderborn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $341 per month, with Paderborn cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇹 Bregenz

🇩🇪 Paderborn

🕒 Local time

15:31 3:31 PM

Same time as Bregenz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,620

151,633

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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

Bregenz vs Paderborn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bregenz and Paderborn differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,129 vs $1,831 including rent). Paderborn is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Bregenz, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,049 in Bregenz versus $759 in Paderborn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Paderborn – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $78.0 in Bregenz. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,129 per month in Bregenz versus $1,831 in Paderborn – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,831 in Paderborn versus $2,129 in Bregenz, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Paderborn but tight or insufficient in Bregenz. The gap between the two cities makes Paderborn the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Bregenz and Paderborn are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Paderborn gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Bregenz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.