Cost of Living Comparison Between Bremen and Freiburg im Breisgau Cost of Living Comparison Between Bremen and Freiburg im Breisgau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,069 in Bremen versus $2,229 in Freiburg im Breisgau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,194 in Bremen versus $3,480 in Freiburg im Breisgau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Bremen versus $4,732 in Freiburg im Breisgau.

Living in Bremen costs roughly 7% less than in Freiburg im Breisgau, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bremen 51% above, Freiburg im Breisgau 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.84 €16.98

$17.08 €14.61

16.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 €69.5

$79.8 €68.2

1.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 €10.05

$11.41 €9.76

2.98%

Cappuccino

$4.26 €3.64

$4.08 €3.49

4.41%

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

$3.40 €2.91

$4.00 €3.42

-15.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.34

$3.41 €2.92

-19.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 €4.90

$5.75 €4.92

-0.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 €3.85

$4.52 €3.86

-0.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.28

$1.43 €1.23

4.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.01 €1.72

-8.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 €3.07

$3.81 €3.26

-5.77%

Eggs

$3.82 €3.26

$3.53 €3.02

8.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.88 €11.01

$19.15 €16.38

-32.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.06 €10.32

$11.07 €9.47

8.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.91 €24.73

$27.49 €23.51

5.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 €3.01

$3.32 €2.84

6.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.02

$2.26 €1.93

4.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.73

$2.04 €1.75

-0.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.01 €3.43

$4.07 €3.48

-1.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.13 €0.97

30.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.12 €0.96

17.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.51 €1.29

18.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.24 €1.06

10.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.30 €8.81

$10.18 €8.71

1.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.87 €5.02

$7.05 €6.03

-16.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.20 €1.03

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 €1.36

$1.70 €1.45

-6.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.51 €3.00

$3.39 €2.90

3.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.9 €62.4

$68.8 €58.9

5.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.76

$4.65 €3.98

-30.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 €2.61

$3.20 €2.74

-4.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.58 €37.28

$47.06 €40.25

-7.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.80

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

$33.4K €28.6K

$33.6K €28.7K

-0.44%

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

$39.1K €33.5K

$40.1K €34.3K

-2.46%

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

$338 €290

$283 €242

19.47%

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

$35.39 €30.27

$38.54 €32.97

-8.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.53 €32.11

$54.9 €46.93

-31.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.03 €29.11

$43.22 €36.97

-21.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.79 €19.49

$18.42 €15.76

23.72%

Cinema Ticket

$15.21 €13.01

$15.65 €13.38

-2.81%

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

$406 €348

$500 €428

-18.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K €17.5K

$16.2K €13.8K

26.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €93.5

$102 €87.3

7.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.8 €67.4

$36.96 €31.61

113.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 €78.1

$102 €87.6

-10.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €117

$145 €124

-6.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$926 €792

$1,127 €964

-17.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 €558

$867 €741

-24.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,652 €1,413

$2,240 €1,916

-26.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 €1,032

$1,798 €1,538

-32.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,257 €4,497

$7,620 €6,518

-31.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,327 €3,701

$4,842 €4,142

-10.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,283 €2,808

$3,241 €2,772

1.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.94

3.92

0.51%

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

Last update for Bremen: August 16, 2026

Last update for Freiburg im Breisgau: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $926 in Bremen and $1,127 in Freiburg im Breisgau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bremen pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81.0 in Bremen vs $80.0 in Freiburg im Breisgau. Groceries flip the comparison at $360 vs $368, with Bremen cheaper for home cooking.

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

Bremen vs Freiburg im Breisgau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bremen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Bremen, 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: $926 in Bremen versus $1,127 in Freiburg im Breisgau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bremen – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $80.0 in Freiburg im Breisgau. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,069 per month in Bremen versus $2,229 in Freiburg im Breisgau – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,069 in Bremen versus $2,229 in Freiburg im Breisgau, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Bremen but tight or insufficient in Freiburg im Breisgau. The gap between the two cities makes Bremen 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, Bremen and Freiburg im Breisgau 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 Bremen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Freiburg im Breisgau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.