Cost of Living Comparison Between Friedrichshafen and Hamburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Friedrichshafen and Hamburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,133 in Friedrichshafen versus $2,429 in Hamburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,055 in Friedrichshafen versus $3,787 in Hamburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,978 in Friedrichshafen versus $5,145 in Hamburg.

Living in Friedrichshafen costs roughly 12% less than in Hamburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Friedrichshafen 60% above, Hamburg 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.68 €14.36

$19.51 €16.80

-14.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.2 €70.8

$91.4 €78.7

-10.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 €10.44

$13.97 €12.03

-13.24%

Cappuccino

$3.90 €3.36

$4.80 €4.13

-18.75%

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

$3.25 €2.80

$3.53 €3.04

-7.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.05

$3.24 €2.79

-26.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 €3.16

$5.88 €5.06

-37.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 €4.09

$5.51 €4.74

-13.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.37 €1.18

-13.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.14 €1.84

7.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.35 €2.88

6.87%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.34

$3.74 €3.22

3.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 €12.69

$14.61 €12.58

0.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.63 €11.73

$13.22 €11.38

3.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.87 €15.39

$21.41 €18.43

-16.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.63

$3.36 €2.89

-8.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 €1.46

$2.18 €1.88

-22.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.89

$2.33 €2.00

-6.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 €4.16

$4.72 €4.07

2.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.66 €1.43

-11.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.55 €1.33

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 €1.58

$2.04 €1.75

-10.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.08 €0.93

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.04 €8.64

$9.85 €8.48

1.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.31 €5.44

$6.55 €5.64

-3.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.91

$1.13 €0.98

-7.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.54 €1.32

3.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 €2.37

$4.13 €3.56

-33.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.4 €65.8

$67.1 €57.8

13.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.70 €10.07

$7.02 €6.05

66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.87 €2.48

-24.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.83 €33.44

$43.40 €37.37

-10.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.00 €1.72

-3.00%

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

$31.5K €27.2K

$31.9K €27.5K

-1.08%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$40.1K €34.5K

-3.85%

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

$226 €195

$376 €323

-39.76%

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

$36.02 €31.02

$21.89 €18.85

64.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 €47.19

$39.34 €33.88

39.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.17 €32.87

$47.18 €40.63

-19.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.46 €20.20

$24.00 €20.66

-2.25%

Cinema Ticket

$14.94 €12.86

$16.31 €14.04

-8.40%

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

$401 €345

$258 €223

55.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K €16.4K

$26.8K €23.0K

-28.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €96.9

$92.4 €79.6

21.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.31 €39.88

$60.3 €51.9

-23.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €86.7

$123 €106

-18.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$175 €150

$185 €159

-5.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 €984

$1,412 €1,216

-19.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 €758

$935 €805

-5.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 €1,698

$2,437 €2,098

-19.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 €979

$1,825 €1,571

-37.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K €9,057

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,548 €3,055

$5,386 €4,638

-34.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,083 €2,655

$3,748 €3,228

-17.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.98

3.9

2.05%

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

Last update for Friedrichshafen: June 16, 2026

Last update for Hamburg: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,143 in Friedrichshafen and $1,412 in Hamburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamburg pays 22% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $82.0 in Friedrichshafen vs $91.0 in Hamburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $351 per month, with Friedrichshafen 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

Friedrichshafen vs Hamburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Friedrichshafen and Hamburg differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,133 vs $2,429 including rent). Friedrichshafen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Hamburg earns 22% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,143 in Friedrichshafen versus $1,412 in Hamburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Hamburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Friedrichshafen – a meal for two runs $82.0 versus $91.0 in Hamburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,133 in Friedrichshafen versus $2,429 in Hamburg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Friedrichshafen but tight or insufficient in Hamburg. The gap between the two cities makes Friedrichshafen 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, Friedrichshafen and Hamburg 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 Friedrichshafen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Hamburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.