Cost of Living Comparison Between Essen and Varese Cost of Living Comparison Between Essen and Varese

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,096 per month in Essen vs $2,073 in Varese, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,145 per month in Essen vs $3,436 in Varese, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,193 per month in Essen vs $4,799 in Varese, rent included.

Essen costs about 1% more than Varese, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Essen and Varese sit above the global median – Essen by 56%, Varese by 55%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.37 €15.80

$17.23 €14.82

6.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.0

$80.7 €69.5

-13.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.93 €11.98

$14.11 €12.13

-1.28%

Cappuccino

$3.67 €3.15

$2.01 €1.73

82.59%

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

$2.43 €2.09

$3.57 €3.07

-31.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.24 €1.06

91.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.79 €4.12

$6.18 €5.32

-22.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 €4.09

$5.72 €4.92

-16.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.74 €1.50

-25.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.83

$3.42 €2.94

-37.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 €2.81

$3.21 €2.76

1.87%

Eggs

$3.59 €3.09

$4.13 €3.56

-13.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.96 €12.87

$21.69 €18.66

-31.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.27 €12.27

$13.36 €11.49

6.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.36 €19.23

$33.87 €29.14

-33.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 €2.81

$2.69 €2.31

21.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 €1.62

$2.38 €2.04

-21.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.50 €2.15

-6.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 €4.16

$4.22 €3.63

14.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.14 €1.84

-22.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.88 €1.61

-9.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.60 €1.37

21.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.95

$0.50 €0.43

122.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.62 €8.27

$7.27 €6.26

32.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.87 €5.05

$4.22 €3.63

39.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.94

$1.78 €1.53

-38.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.49 €1.28

15.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.97 €3.42

$1.93 €1.66

105.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.9 €53.2

$45.58 €39.21

35.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 €4.41

$5.85 €5.03

-12.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 €2.35

$1.01 €0.87

170.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 €35.08

$41.16 €35.41

-0.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.77

$2.09 €1.80

-1.44%

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

$31.1K €26.7K

$34.8K €30.0K

-10.78%

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

$38.5K €33.2K

$36.2K €31.1K

6.47%

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

$388 €333

$249 €215

55.32%

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

$34.23 €29.44

$13.70 €11.79

149.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 €45.71

$35.06 €30.16

51.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 €31.86

$55.7 €47.93

-33.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.86 €29.98

$24.61 €21.17

41.65%

Cinema Ticket

$17.61 €15.15

$12.67 €10.90

38.99%

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

$468 €402

$752 €647

-37.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,827 €8,453

$6,789 €5,840

44.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.5 €82.2

$106 €91.6

-10.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.7 €63.4

$41.25 €35.48

78.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €90.0

$124 €107

-15.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €118

$169 €146

-18.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$744 €640

$937 €806

-20.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 €520

$745 €641

-18.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 €1,295

$1,746 €1,502

-13.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 €931

$1,763 €1,517

-38.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,898 €4,213

$2,458 €2,114

99.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,042 €2,617

$1,687 €1,451

80.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,244 €2,790

$2,360 €2,030

37.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

4.63

-14.25%

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

Last update for Essen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Varese: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $744 in Essen versus $937 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 37% higher in Essen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Essen versus $81.0 in Varese. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $416 – making Essen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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: $2,096 in Essen, $2,073 in Varese – roughly 1% apart. Essen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,144 per month in Essen and $3,110 in Varese. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 36% less in Varese. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $468 per month in Essen and $752 in Varese. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Varese, where all-in costs run around $2,073, than in Essen at $2,096. In Varese it covers expenses comfortably, while in Essen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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