Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Freiburg im Breisgau and Hamburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Freiburg im Breisgau: $2,168 a month against $2,332 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hamburg outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

103

Cost of Living Index in Freiburg im Breisgau
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Freiburg im Breisgau Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
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Hamburg Living Index

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Freiburg im Breisgau

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,168

/mo nomad

Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,332

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,168 per month in Freiburg im Breisgau vs $2,332 in Hamburg, rent included.

Freiburg im Breisgau $2,168
Hamburg $2,332

A couple spends around $3,413 per month in Freiburg im Breisgau vs $3,481 in Hamburg, rent included.

Freiburg im Breisgau $3,413
Hamburg $3,481

A family of three spends $4,658 per month in Freiburg im Breisgau vs $4,631 in Hamburg, rent included.

Freiburg im Breisgau $4,658
Hamburg $4,631

Freiburg im Breisgau is about 7% cheaper than Hamburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Freiburg im Breisgau and Hamburg sit above the global median – Freiburg im Breisgau by 59%, Hamburg by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 €15.32

$17.03 €15.29

0.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 €69.5

$73.6 €66.1

5.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 €10.06

$13.65 €12.27

-17.95%

Cappuccino

$4.10 €3.68

$4.67 €4.20

-12.21%

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

$3.86 €3.47

$4.18 €3.75

-7.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 €2.99

$3.24 €2.91

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.12

$5.96 €5.36

-4.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 €3.90

$4.98 €4.48

-12.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.20 €1.08

11.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 €1.77

$2.60 €2.33

-24.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.71 €3.33

$2.79 €2.51

32.97%

Eggs

$3.42 €3.08

$4.24 €3.81

-19.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.13 €16.29

$12.36 €11.11

46.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.55 €9.48

$12.02 €10.80

-12.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.57 €23.87

$18.94 €17.01

40.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 €2.93

$3.24 €2.91

0.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.33 €2.09

-6.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 €1.73

$2.95 €2.65

-34.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 €3.51

$4.12 €3.70

-5.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.83 €1.64

-39.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.75 €1.57

-38.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.73 €1.55

-15.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.03

$1.17 €1.05

-2.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.63 €8.65

$10.07 €9.04

-4.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.71 €6.02

$6.61 €5.94

1.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.06

$1.13 €1.02

4.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.52

$1.50 €1.34

12.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.40 €3.06

$4.43 €3.98

-23.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.1 €63.9

$69.4 €62.4

2.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 €3.97

$6.79 €6.10

-34.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 €2.82

$2.98 €2.68

5.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.19 €40.60

$41.72 €37.48

8.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.86

$2.29 €2.06

-9.61%

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

$32.8K €29.4K

$33.0K €29.6K

-0.61%

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

$39.4K €35.4K

$38.9K €35.0K

1.21%

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

$228 €205

$383 €344

-40.45%

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

$37.62 €33.80

$19.47 €17.49

93.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 €46.55

$38.79 €34.84

33.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.47 €36.36

$42.26 €37.96

-4.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 €11.40

$28.37 €25.49

-55.27%

Cinema Ticket

$14.87 €13.36

$15.46 €13.88

-3.82%

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

$491 €441

$502 €451

-2.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €14.3K

$13.8K €12.4K

15.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.8

$86.6 €77.8

16.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.25 €40.65

$36.18 €32.50

25.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.4

$101 €90.4

-2.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$174 €156

$117 €105

48.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 €972

$1,212 €1,088

-10.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$849 €762

$919 €825

-7.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,123 €1,907

$2,155 €1,935

-1.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,722 €1,547

$1,667 €1,498

3.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,454 €6,696

$9,358 €8,406

-20.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,809 €4,320

$5,163 €4,638

-6.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,125 €2,807

$3,622 €3,253

-13.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.92

3.69

6.23%

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

Last update for Freiburg im Breisgau: October 24, 2026

Last update for Hamburg: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Freiburg im Breisgau

$849 39.2%

Hamburg

$919 39.4% 8.3% $70

Groceries & Markets

Freiburg im Breisgau

$353 16.3%

Hamburg

$335 14.3% 5.2% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Freiburg im Breisgau

$317 14.6%

Hamburg

$441 18.9% 39% $124

Eating Out

Freiburg im Breisgau

$285 13.2%

Hamburg

$303 13% 6.2% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Freiburg im Breisgau

$189 8.7%

Hamburg

$153 6.6% 18.7% $35

Getting Around

Freiburg im Breisgau

$105 4.8%

Hamburg

$109 4.7% 3.8% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Freiburg im Breisgau

$70 3.2%

Hamburg

$73 3.1% 4.2% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,082 in Freiburg im Breisgau 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 16% higher in Hamburg. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Freiburg im Breisgau versus $74 in Hamburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $353 vs $335 – making Hamburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Freiburg im Breisgau

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🕒 Local time

17:59 5:59 PM

Same time as Freiburg im Breisgau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

230,219

1,812,709

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Freiburg im Breisgau Hamburg 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Freiburg im Breisgau
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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

Freiburg im Breisgau vs Hamburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hamburg is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,252 per month in Freiburg im Breisgau 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 Freiburg im Breisgau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,082 there versus $1,212 in Hamburg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,168 in Freiburg im Breisgau and $2,332 in Hamburg. That’s a gap of about 8%.

Kindergarten costs $491 per month in Freiburg im Breisgau and $502 in Hamburg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Hamburg has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,168 in Freiburg im Breisgau to $2,332 in Hamburg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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