Cost of Living Comparison Between Cologne and Chatham Cost of Living Comparison Between Cologne and Chatham

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,397 per month in Cologne vs $2,845 in Chatham, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,512 per month in Cologne vs $3,907 in Chatham, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,628 per month in Cologne vs $4,968 in Chatham, rent included.

Cologne is about 16% cheaper than Chatham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Cologne and Chatham sit above the global median – Cologne by 79%, Chatham by 112%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.16 €13.90

$27.49 £20.43

-41.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.4 €70.9

$95.6 £71.1

-13.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 €9.86

$9.48 £7.05

20.89%

Cappuccino

$4.32 €3.72

$3.43 £2.55

25.95%

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

$3.19 €2.74

$3.43 £2.55

-7.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.63

$1.38 £1.03

121.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.35 €4.61

$6.68 £4.97

-19.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.03

$6.90 £5.13

-32.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.43 £1.06

-8.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €1.96

$1.37 £1.02

66.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 €3.04

$2.66 £1.98

33.08%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.53

$3.62 £2.69

13.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 €12.99

$9.88 £7.34

52.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.37 €14.08

$7.93 £5.89

106.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.37 €18.38

$13.04 £9.70

63.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 €2.67

$3.05 £2.27

1.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.55 £1.15

24.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 €1.99

$2.89 £2.14

-19.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 €4.05

$3.26 £2.43

44.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.42 £1.05

8.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.39 £1.03

17.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.66

$0.94 £0.70

104.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.53 £1.14

-28.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.66 €8.31

$14.72 £10.94

-34.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.69 €4.90

$13.54 £10.07

-57.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.92

$2.36 £1.75

-54.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.42

$3.33 £2.47

-50.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 €3.33

$2.77 £2.06

39.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 €54.6

$87.8 £65.3

-27.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 €4.85

$6.00 £4.46

-6.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 €1.88

$1.75 £1.30

24.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.95 €30.07

$14.97 £11.13

133.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.86 £1.38

7.53%

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

$31.2K €26.8K

$38.8K £28.9K

-19.65%

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

$35.6K €30.7K

$41.9K £31.2K

-14.97%

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

$391 €336

$228 £170

71.05%

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

$25.11 €21.60

$19.32 £14.36

29.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.86 €42.89

$44.67 £33.21

11.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.59 €35.78

$47.54 £35.34

-12.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.97 €28.36

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 €11.90

$13.67 £10.16

1.24%

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

$936 €805

$1,319 £980

-29.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K €16.5K

$25.6K £19.1K

-25.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €86.8

$82.3 £61.2

22.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.24 €39.77

$49.61 £36.87

-6.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €102

$109 £81.1

8.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 €129

$100 £74.4

49.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 €1,053

$1,637 £1,217

-25.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$918 €790

$1,540 £1,144

-40.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,101 €1,808

$2,524 £1,876

-16.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,280

$2,178 £1,619

-31.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,985 €6,868

$8,097 £6,018

-1.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,382 €4,629

$7,372 £5,479

-26.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,642 €3,133

$2,607 £1,938

39.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.93

5.53

-28.93%

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

Last update for Cologne: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chatham: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,224 in Cologne versus $1,637 in Chatham. 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 40% higher in Cologne, 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 $82.0 in Cologne versus $96.0 in Chatham. Groceries tell a different story – $366 in Cologne vs $289 in Chatham – so Chatham wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Cologne vs Chatham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chatham costs about 19% more than Cologne, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,595 per month in Cologne and $4,268 in Chatham. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cologne, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,397 in Cologne and $2,845 in Chatham. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 38% less in Cologne. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Cologne, where all-in costs run around $2,397, than in Chatham at $2,845. In Cologne it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chatham it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cologne costs $2,397 versus $2,845 in Chatham. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cologne. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chatham makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.