Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bremen and Hamburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Bremen: $1,982 a month against $2,332 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hamburg outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

95

Cost of Living Index in Bremen
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Bremen Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
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Hamburg Living Index

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Bremen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,982

/mo nomad

Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,332

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,982 in Bremen versus $2,332 in Hamburg.

Bremen $1,982
Hamburg $2,332

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,071 in Bremen versus $3,481 in Hamburg.

Bremen $3,071
Hamburg $3,481

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,159 in Bremen versus $4,631 in Hamburg.

Bremen $4,159
Hamburg $4,631

Living in Bremen costs roughly 15% less than in Hamburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bremen 46% above, Hamburg 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.80

$17.03 €15.25

3.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 €76.2

$73.6 €65.9

15.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 €10.66

$13.65 €12.23

-12.82%

Cappuccino

$4.11 €3.68

$4.67 €4.18

-11.99%

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

$3.49 €3.12

$4.18 €3.74

-16.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 €2.55

$3.24 €2.90

-12.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.71 €5.12

$5.96 €5.34

-4.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.91

$4.98 €4.46

-12.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.20 €1.07

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 €1.78

$2.60 €2.33

-23.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 €3.36

$2.79 €2.50

34.41%

Eggs

$3.90 €3.50

$4.24 €3.80

-8.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.79 €11.46

$12.36 €11.07

3.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.19 €10.02

$12.02 €10.77

-6.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.42 €23.67

$18.94 €16.96

39.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 €3.06

$3.24 €2.90

5.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$2.33 €2.09

-3.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.90

$2.95 €2.64

-28.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 €3.81

$4.12 €3.69

3.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 €1.41

$1.83 €1.63

-14.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 €1.40

$1.75 €1.56

-10.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.73 €1.55

-8.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.17 €1.05

11.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.18 €9.12

$10.07 €9.01

1.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.04

$6.61 €5.92

-14.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €1.01

$1.13 €1.02

-0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.50 €1.34

3.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.65 €3.27

$4.43 €3.97

-17.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.9 €62.6

$69.4 €62.2

0.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 €2.65

$6.79 €6.08

-56.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.97 €2.66

$2.98 €2.67

-0.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.93 €38.45

$41.72 €37.37

2.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.98

$2.29 €2.05

-3.49%

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

$33.4K €29.9K

$33.0K €29.5K

1.20%

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

$38.0K €34.0K

$38.9K €34.9K

-2.40%

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

$312 €279

$383 €343

-18.59%

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

$31.53 €28.24

$19.47 €17.44

61.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.86 €32.11

$38.79 €34.74

-7.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.72 €32.89

$42.26 €37.84

-13.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.59 €22.92

$28.37 €25.41

-9.80%

Cinema Ticket

$14.59 €13.07

$15.46 €13.84

-5.63%

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

$396 €355

$502 €450

-21.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K €17.8K

$13.8K €12.3K

44.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €99.0

$86.6 €77.5

27.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.3 €67.4

$36.18 €32.40

108.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 €79.3

$101 €90.1

-12.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

$117 €105

8.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$878 €786

$1,212 €1,085

-27.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 €552

$919 €823

-32.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,423

$2,155 €1,930

-26.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 €1,023

$1,667 €1,493

-31.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,702 €4,211

$9,358 €8,381

-49.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,633 €3,254

$5,163 €4,624

-29.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,291 €2,948

$3,622 €3,244

-9.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.92

3.69

6.23%

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

Last update for Bremen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Hamburg: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bremen

$616 31.1%

Hamburg

$919 39.4% 49.1% $302

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bremen

$379 19.1%

Hamburg

$441 18.9% 16.4% $62

Groceries & Markets

Bremen

$349 17.6%

Hamburg

$335 14.3% 4.1% $14

Eating Out

Bremen

$289 14.6%

Hamburg

$303 13% 4.8% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Bremen

$181 9.1%

Hamburg

$153 6.6% 15.3% $28

Getting Around

Bremen

$102 5.2%

Hamburg

$109 4.7% 6.3% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Bremen

$66 3.3%

Hamburg

$73 3.1% 11% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $878 in Bremen and $1,212 in Hamburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamburg pays 10% 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: $85 in Bremen vs $74 in Hamburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $335 per month, with Hamburg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Bremen

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🕒 Local time

23:11 11:11 PM

Same time as Bremen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

551,767

1,812,709

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Hamburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bremen is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Bremen. 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: $878 in Bremen versus $1,212 in Hamburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $396 in Bremen versus $502 in Hamburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamburg – a meal for two runs $74 versus $85 in Bremen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Hamburg are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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