Cost of Living Comparison Between Cologne and Derby Cost of Living Comparison Between Cologne and Derby

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,314 in Cologne versus $2,203 in Derby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,568 in Cologne versus $3,457 in Derby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,822 in Cologne versus $4,710 in Derby.

Living in Cologne is roughly 5% more expensive than in Derby, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cologne 68% above, Derby 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.54 €15.12

$26.87 £19.86

-34.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 €76.9

$98.6 £72.9

-9.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 €10.49

$11.02 £8.14

10.34%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.71

$5.09 £3.76

-15.32%

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

$3.86 €3.33

$2.68 £1.98

44.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.90

$2.05 £1.52

64.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 €5.11

$6.80 £5.02

-12.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 €4.39

$7.26 £5.36

-29.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.56 £1.15

-14.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €1.96

$1.44 £1.06

57.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 €3.16

$2.39 £1.77

53.56%

Eggs

$3.92 €3.38

$3.84 £2.84

2.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.26 €12.29

$8.42 £6.22

69.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.10 €10.43

$8.52 £6.30

42.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.11 €25.09

$23.47 £17.35

24.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$5.46 £4.03

-44.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.77 £2.05

-26.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 €2.17

$3.06 £2.26

-17.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 €3.59

$3.75 £2.77

10.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.58 £1.16

-14.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.03

$1.58 £1.17

-24.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.07 £0.79

54.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.37 £1.01

-21.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 €8.66

$24.50 £18.11

-58.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.83 €5.02

$10.69 £7.90

-45.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$3.31 £2.44

-59.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.55

$3.75 £2.78

-52.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.06 €3.50

$3.01 £2.23

34.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.0 €62.9

$95.2 £70.4

-23.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 €4.80

$4.47 £3.31

24.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 €2.35

$1.63 £1.21

66.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.45 €30.56

$32.15 £23.76

10.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.89

$1.95 £1.44

12.31%

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

$34.2K €29.5K

$38.5K £28.4K

-11.02%

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

$39.6K €34.2K

$41.7K £30.8K

-4.93%

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

$380 €328

$376 £278

1.12%

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

$13.72 €11.83

$19.98 £14.76

-31.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.03 €32.78

$40.12 £29.65

-5.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.41 €40.87

$44.92 £33.20

5.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.90 €30.95

$26.46 £19.56

35.68%

Cinema Ticket

$15.96 €13.76

$15.55 £11.49

2.64%

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

$1,074 €926

$1,830 £1,353

-41.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K €19.5K

$20.4K £15.1K

11.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.0 €79.3

$118 £87.0

-21.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.15 €36.33

$59.1 £43.67

-28.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €90.6

$87.7 £64.8

19.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €120

$100 £74.3

38.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,202 €1,036

$808 £597

48.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 €759

$719 £531

22.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,427 €2,092

$1,613 £1,192

50.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 €1,457

$1,338 £989

26.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,814 €6,736

$5,865 £4,335

33.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,229 €4,507

$3,190 £2,358

63.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,629 €3,128

$3,564 £2,634

1.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

4.88

-22.34%

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

Last update for Cologne: September 7, 2026

Last update for Derby: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,202 in Cologne and $808 in Derby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cologne pays 2% 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: $89.0 in Cologne vs $99.0 in Derby. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $342, with Derby 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

Cologne vs Derby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cologne and Derby differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,314 vs $2,203 including rent). Derby is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Cologne, 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: $1,202 in Cologne versus $808 in Derby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Derby runs roughly 30% less than in Cologne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,074 in Cologne versus $1,830 in Derby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,203 in Derby versus $2,314 in Cologne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Derby but tight or insufficient in Cologne. The gap between the two cities makes Derby 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, Cologne and Derby 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 Derby gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Cologne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.