Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erfurt and Hamburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Erfurt: $2,200 a month against $2,332 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Erfurt
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Erfurt Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
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Hamburg Living Index

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Erfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,200

/mo nomad

Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,332

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,200 per month in Erfurt vs $2,332 in Hamburg, rent included.

Erfurt $2,200
Hamburg $2,332

A couple spends around $3,220 per month in Erfurt vs $3,481 in Hamburg, rent included.

Erfurt $3,220
Hamburg $3,481

A family of three spends $4,240 per month in Erfurt vs $4,631 in Hamburg, rent included.

Erfurt $4,240
Hamburg $4,631

Erfurt is about 6% cheaper than Hamburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Erfurt and Hamburg sit above the global median – Erfurt by 62%, Hamburg by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.31 €13.72

$17.03 €15.26

-10.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.5

$73.6 €66.0

-8.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.12 €9.97

$13.65 €12.24

-18.53%

Cappuccino

$3.32 €2.97

$4.67 €4.19

-28.91%

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

$4.28 €3.83

$4.18 €3.75

2.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.77 €6.97

$3.24 €2.90

139.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €4.06

$5.96 €5.34

-23.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 €4.47

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.26

$1.20 €1.07

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.91

$2.60 €2.33

-18.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 €2.88

$2.79 €2.50

15.05%

Eggs

$3.28 €2.94

$4.24 €3.80

-22.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.30 €12.81

$12.36 €11.08

15.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.53 €9.44

$12.02 €10.77

-12.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.69 €15.85

$18.94 €16.97

-6.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 €2.96

$3.24 €2.90

1.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.91

$2.33 €2.09

-8.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 €3.07

$2.95 €2.65

16.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 €3.36

$4.12 €3.69

-8.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.83 €1.64

19.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 €1.23

$1.75 €1.56

-21.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.41

$1.73 €1.55

-9.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$1.17 €1.05

-29.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 €8.79

$10.07 €9.02

-2.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.51 €5.84

$6.61 €5.92

-1.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.98

$1.13 €1.02

-3.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.33

$1.50 €1.34

-1.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.21 €2.88

$4.43 €3.97

-27.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.8 €63.4

$69.4 €62.2

2.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 €4.87

$6.79 €6.08

-20.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.22 €3.78

$2.98 €2.67

41.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.08 €40.40

$41.72 €37.39

8.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.91

$2.29 €2.05

-6.99%

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

$32.3K €29.0K

$33.0K €29.6K

-1.97%

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

$37.7K €33.7K

$38.9K €34.9K

-3.28%

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

$673 €603

$383 €343

75.75%

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

$28.27 €25.33

$19.47 €17.45

45.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.04 €30.51

$38.79 €34.76

-12.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.65 €36.43

$42.26 €37.87

-3.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.35 €26.30

$28.37 €25.43

3.45%

Cinema Ticket

$15.39 €13.79

$15.46 €13.85

-0.45%

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

$442 €396

$502 €450

-12.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K €12.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 €84.5

$86.6 €77.6

9.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.66 €28.37

$36.18 €32.42

-12.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €109

$101 €90.2

21.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €101

$117 €105

-3.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$744 €666

$1,212 €1,086

-38.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 €471

$919 €823

-42.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$2,155 €1,931

-25.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 €973

$1,667 €1,494

-34.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,721 €4,230

$9,358 €8,385

-49.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,455 €2,200

$5,163 €4,627

-52.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,032 €2,717

$3,622 €3,245

-16.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

3.69

7.05%

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

Last update for Erfurt: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hamburg: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erfurt

$735 33.4%

Hamburg

$441 18.9% 40% $294

Accommodation & Living

Erfurt

$526 23.9%

Hamburg

$919 39.4% 74.8% $393

Groceries & Markets

Erfurt

$319 14.5%

Hamburg

$335 14.3% 5% $16

Eating Out

Erfurt

$276 12.6%

Hamburg

$303 13% 9.5% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Erfurt

$162 7.4%

Hamburg

$153 6.6% 5.6% $9.1

Getting Around

Erfurt

$110 5%

Hamburg

$109 4.7% 1.2% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Erfurt

$71 3.3%

Hamburg

$73 3.1% 2.4% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $744 in Erfurt versus $1,212 in Hamburg. 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 19% higher in Hamburg. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Erfurt versus $74 in Hamburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $319 vs $335 – making Erfurt the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Erfurt

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🕒 Local time

19:25 7:25 PM

Same time as Erfurt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,000

1,812,709

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Erfurt Hamburg 290 km

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Erfurt
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Erfurt vs Hamburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamburg costs about 6% more than Erfurt, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $3,300 per month in Erfurt and $3,499 in Hamburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Erfurt, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $744 there versus $1,212 in Hamburg.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Erfurt and $74 in Hamburg. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Hamburg, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,200 in Erfurt and $2,332 in Hamburg. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Erfurt – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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