Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Essen and Varese

For one person, living is cheaper in Essen: $1,982 a month against $2,082 in Varese, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Essen
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Essen Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Varese
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Varese Living Index

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Essen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,982

/mo nomad

Varese

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,082

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Essen and in Varese

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Essen and in Varese actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,982 per month in Essen vs $2,082 in Varese, rent included.

Essen $1,982
Varese $2,082

A couple spends around $3,088 per month in Essen vs $3,466 in Varese, rent included.

Essen $3,088
Varese $3,466

A family of three spends $4,195 per month in Essen vs $4,849 in Varese, rent included.

Essen $4,195
Varese $4,849

Essen is about 5% cheaper than Varese, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Essen and Varese sit above the global median – Essen by 47%, Varese by 54%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.00 €17.79

$22.07 €19.63

-9.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.1 €78.4

$101 €89.9

-12.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.90

$13.91 €12.37

-3.81%

Cappuccino

$3.88 €3.45

$2.20 €1.95

76.36%

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

$3.13 €2.78

$3.50 €3.11

-10.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.33

$1.69 €1.51

55.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 €5.42

$6.56 €5.84

-7.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 €5.11

$6.60 €5.87

-13.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.07

$1.71 €1.52

-29.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.59 €2.30

-15.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 €3.02

$3.44 €3.06

-1.45%

Eggs

$3.68 €3.27

$5.11 €4.55

-27.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.14 €14.36

$31.18 €27.73

-48.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.50 €9.34

$12.83 €11.41

-18.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.76 €22.02

$27.34 €24.32

-9.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 €2.99

$2.82 €2.51

19.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.79 €2.48

-25.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.94 €2.62

-23.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 €3.48

$3.27 €2.91

19.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 €1.16

$2.60 €2.31

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 €1.14

$2.23 €1.98

-42.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.31 €2.05

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.07

$0.63 €0.56

90.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.51 €8.45

$8.01 €7.12

18.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.60 €4.98

$8.74 €7.78

-35.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.67 €1.48

-35.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.33

$1.62 €1.44

-7.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.09 €3.64

$2.57 €2.29

59.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.6 €58.4

$49.71 €44.21

31.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.93 €4.38

$5.60 €4.98

-11.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.49 €3.10

$2.28 €2.03

53.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.38 €35.02

$39.25 €34.91

0.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.14 €1.90

2.34%

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

$32.2K €28.6K

$36.5K €32.5K

-11.86%

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

$38.4K €34.1K

$34.4K €30.6K

11.48%

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

$386 €344

$220 €196

75.41%

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

$38.73 €34.45

$12.94 €11.51

199.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.40 €35.93

$32.30 €28.73

25.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.94 €36.41

$55.0 €48.89

-25.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.05 €32.06

$24.63 €21.91

46.37%

Cinema Ticket

$15.31 €13.62

$11.17 €9.94

37.06%

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

$459 €408

$733 €652

-37.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,430 €8,387

$7,069 €6,287

33.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.6 €85.9

$107 €95.3

-9.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$82.1 €73.1

$56.7 €50.5

44.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €97.6

$131 €117

-16.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 €139

$166 €148

-6.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$637 €567

$942 €838

-32.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 €433

$709 €631

-31.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 €1,249

$1,718 €1,528

-18.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$969 €862

$1,603 €1,426

-39.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,704 €4,184

$2,525 €2,246

86.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 €2,708

$1,707 €1,519

78.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,999 €2,668

$2,391 €2,127

25.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

3.73

5.90%

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

Last update for Essen: October 12, 2026

Last update for Varese: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Essen

$487 24.6%

Varese

$709 34.1% 45.7% $223

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Essen

$465 23.5%

Varese

$266 12.8% 43% $200

Groceries & Markets

Essen

$342 17.3%

Varese

$434 20.8% 26.9% $92

Eating Out

Essen

$312 15.7%

Varese

$311 15% 0.1% $0.2

Clothing & Footwear

Essen

$200 10.1%

Varese

$208 10% 3.8% $7.7

Getting Around

Essen

$104 5.3%

Varese

$77 3.7% 26.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Essen

$72 3.6%

Varese

$77 3.7% 8% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $637 in Essen versus $942 in Varese. 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 25% higher in Essen, 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 $88.0 in Essen versus $101 in Varese. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $342 vs $434 – making Essen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Essen

🇮🇹 Varese

🕒 Local time

14:34 2:34 PM

Same time as Essen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

569,884

80,511

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Essen Varese 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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

Essen vs Varese: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,982 in Essen, $2,082 in Varese – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,972 per month in Essen and $3,123 in Varese. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 32% less in Essen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $459 per month in Essen and $733 in Varese. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Essen, where all-in costs run around $1,982, than in Varese at $2,082. In Essen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Varese it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Essen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Varese makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.