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: $2,397 in Cologne versus $2,193 in Derby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,512 in Cologne versus $3,278 in Derby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,628 in Cologne versus $4,364 in Derby.

Living in Cologne is roughly 9% more expensive than Derby, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cologne 79% above, Derby 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.16 €13.90

$24.87 £18.49

-35.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.4 €70.9

$82.4 £61.3

0.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 €9.86

$10.88 £8.09

5.33%

Cappuccino

$4.32 €3.72

$5.08 £3.77

-14.96%

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

$3.19 €2.74

$2.34 £1.74

36.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.63

$1.63 £1.21

87.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.35 €4.61

$6.20 £4.61

-13.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.03

$5.55 £4.12

-15.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.47 £1.09

-10.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €1.96

$1.41 £1.05

61.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 €3.04

$2.48 £1.85

42.74%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.53

$3.86 £2.87

6.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 €12.99

$9.52 £7.08

58.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.37 €14.08

$8.98 £6.67

82.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.37 €18.38

$13.25 £9.85

61.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 €2.67

$4.73 £3.52

-34.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.80 £2.08

-31.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 €1.99

$2.97 £2.21

-21.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 €4.05

$3.11 £2.31

51.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 €1.33

$0.99 £0.74

55.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.68 £1.25

-2.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.66

$1.08 £0.80

77.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.44 £1.07

-23.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.66 €8.31

$18.37 £13.65

-47.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.69 €4.90

$10.12 £7.52

-43.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.92

$2.60 £1.93

-58.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.42

$3.14 £2.34

-47.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 €3.33

$2.67 £1.98

44.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 €54.6

$94.0 £69.9

-32.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 €4.85

$4.64 £3.45

21.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 €1.88

$1.52 £1.13

43.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.95 €30.07

$24.58 £18.27

42.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.93 £1.44

3.63%

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

$31.2K €26.8K

$39.0K £29.0K

-19.92%

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

$35.6K €30.7K

$40.7K £30.2K

-12.40%

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

$391 €336

$352 £262

10.90%

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

$25.11 €21.60

$15.45 £11.49

62.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.86 €42.89

$47.83 £35.56

4.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.59 €35.78

$45.95 £34.15

-9.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.97 €28.36

$25.13 £18.68

31.20%

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 €11.90

$15.38 £11.43

-10.01%

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

$936 €805

$1,852 £1,377

-49.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K €16.5K

$20.7K £15.4K

-7.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €86.8

$119 £88.3

-15.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.24 €39.77

$59.5 £44.21

-22.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €102

$81.4 £60.5

45.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 €129

$99.4 £73.9

50.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 €1,053

$796 £592

53.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$918 €790

$735 £546

24.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,101 €1,808

$1,455 £1,082

44.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,280

$1,355 £1,007

9.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,985 €6,868

$5,743 £4,269

39.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,382 €4,629

$3,132 £2,328

71.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,642 €3,133

$3,742 £2,782

-2.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.93

5.56

-29.32%

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

Last update for Cologne: May 31, 2026

Last update for Derby: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,224 in Cologne and $796 in Derby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Derby pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $82.0 in Cologne vs $82.0 in Derby. Groceries flip the comparison at $366 vs $303, 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 9% in total monthly costs ($2,397 vs $2,193 including rent). Derby is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Derby earns 3% less. 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: $1,224 in Cologne versus $796 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 48% less than in Cologne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $936 in Cologne versus $1,852 in Derby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,193 in Derby versus $2,397 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 9% less than in Cologne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.