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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,193 in Derby versus $2,397 in Cologne.

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

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

Living in Derby costs roughly 9% less than in Cologne, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.87 £18.49

$16.16 €13.90

53.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.4 £61.3

$82.4 €70.9

-0.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 £8.09

$11.46 €9.86

-5.06%

Cappuccino

$5.08 £3.77

$4.32 €3.72

17.59%

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

$2.34 £1.74

$3.19 €2.74

-26.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 £1.21

$3.05 €2.63

-46.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.20 £4.61

$5.35 €4.61

15.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 £4.12

$4.69 €4.03

18.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 £1.09

$1.31 €1.12

12.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 £1.05

$2.28 €1.96

-38.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 £1.85

$3.54 €3.04

-29.94%

Eggs

$3.86 £2.87

$4.10 €3.53

-5.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 £7.08

$15.10 €12.99

-36.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.67

$16.37 €14.08

-45.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 £9.85

$21.37 €18.38

-38.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 £3.52

$3.10 €2.67

52.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 £2.08

$1.93 €1.66

45.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 £2.21

$2.32 €1.99

28.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 £2.31

$4.71 €4.05

-33.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 £0.74

$1.54 €1.33

-35.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.63 €1.40

3.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 £0.80

$1.92 €1.66

-43.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 £1.07

$1.10 €0.95

30.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.37 £13.65

$9.66 €8.31

90.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.12 £7.52

$5.69 €4.90

77.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 £1.93

$1.07 €0.92

142.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 £2.34

$1.65 €1.42

90.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 £1.98

$3.87 €3.33

-31.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.0 £69.9

$63.4 €54.6

48.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.64 £3.45

$5.64 €4.85

-17.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 £1.13

$2.18 €1.88

-30.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.58 £18.27

$34.95 €30.07

-29.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.44

$2.00 €1.72

-3.50%

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

$39.0K £29.0K

$31.2K €26.8K

24.88%

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

$40.7K £30.2K

$35.6K €30.7K

14.16%

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

$352 £262

$391 €336

-9.83%

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

$15.45 £11.49

$25.11 €21.60

-38.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.83 £35.56

$49.86 €42.89

-4.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.95 £34.15

$41.59 €35.78

10.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.13 £18.68

$32.97 €28.36

-23.78%

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 £11.43

$13.84 €11.90

11.13%

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

$1,852 £1,377

$936 €805

97.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K £15.4K

$19.2K €16.5K

7.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.3

$101 €86.8

17.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 £44.21

$46.24 €39.77

28.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.4 £60.5

$118 €102

-31.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 £73.9

$149 €129

-33.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 £592

$1,224 €1,053

-34.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 £546

$918 €790

-19.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 £1,082

$2,101 €1,808

-30.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 £1,007

$1,488 €1,280

-8.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,743 £4,269

$7,985 €6,868

-28.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,132 £2,328

$5,382 €4,629

-41.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,742 £2,782

$3,642 €3,133

2.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.56

3.93

41.48%

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

Last update for Derby: May 30, 2026

Last update for Cologne: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $796 in Derby and $1,224 in Cologne. 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 Derby vs $82.0 in Cologne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $366 per month, with Derby cheaper across the board.

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

Derby vs Cologne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Derby and Cologne differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,193 vs $2,397 including rent). Derby is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Derby pays 3% more on average, 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: $796 in Derby versus $1,224 in Cologne. 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 $1,852 in Derby versus $936 in Cologne. 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, Derby and Cologne 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.