Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and Australia

For one person, living is cheaper in Germany: $2,080 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Germany
Australia
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,080
/mo nomad
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,626
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Germany and in Australia

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

A single person spends $2,080 per month in Germany vs $2,626 in Australia, rent included.

  • Germany $2,080
  • Australia $2,626

A couple spends around $3,130 per month in Germany vs $3,810 in Australia, rent included.

  • Germany $3,130
  • Australia $3,810

A family of three spends $4,180 per month in Germany vs $4,994 in Australia, rent included.

  • Germany $4,180
  • Australia $4,994

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,068–$3,303) than in Germany ($1,337–$2,681), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Germany is roughly 21% lower than in Australia on average.

Both Germany and Australia are pricier than the global median – Germany by 53%, Australia by 93%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Germany
Australia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.60 €14.88
$17.65 A$25.10
-5.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.8 €64.4
$85.2 A$121
-15.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.12 €10.86
$11.09 A$15.77
9.29%
Cappuccino
$3.96 €3.55
$3.90 A$5.54
1.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 €3.01
$2.85 A$4.05
17.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89 €2.59
$2.31 A$3.29
25.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.07 €4.54
$7.53 A$10.71
-32.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.50 €4.03
$8.59 A$12.21
-47.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Germany
Australia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 €1.13
$1.76 A$2.50
-28.41%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 €1.97
$2.81 A$3.99
-21.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.54 €3.17
$2.24 A$3.19
58.04%
Eggs
$3.88 €3.48
$5.02 A$7.14
-22.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.24 €12.76
$9.87 A$14.03
44.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.90 €10.66
$9.32 A$13.25
27.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.68 €18.53
$14.86 A$21.14
39.17%
Apples (1kg)
$3.28 €2.94
$3.82 A$5.43
-14.14%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 €1.83
$2.92 A$4.16
-29.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.31 €2.07
$3.13 A$4.46
-26.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.29 €3.84
$4.81 A$6.84
-10.81%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 €1.37
$2.80 A$3.98
-45.36%
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 €1.34
$2.38 A$3.38
-36.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.64 €1.47
$2.37 A$3.37
-30.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 €0.91
$1.65 A$2.35
-38.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.69 €8.68
$39.13 A$55.7
-75.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.01 €5.38
$13.93 A$19.81
-56.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 €1.01
$4.96 A$7.05
-77.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56 €1.40
$5.17 A$7.36
-69.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Germany
Australia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.85 €3.45
$2.42 A$3.44
59.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$69.7 €62.5
$94.6 A$135
-26.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.34 €4.78
$3.49 A$4.97
53.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.81 €2.52
$1.60 A$2.27
75.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$38.83 €34.80
$39.84 A$56.7
-2.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 €1.91
$1.39 A$1.98
53.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.6K €29.2K
$30.0K A$42.7K
8.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.7K €33.8K
$25.8K A$36.6K
46.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Germany
Australia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$342 €307
$205 A$292
66.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.87 €22.29
$28.33 A$40.30
-12.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.49 €43.45
$58.8 A$83.6
-17.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Germany
Australia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.42 €35.32
$55.7 A$79.2
-29.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.47 €24.62
$19.57 A$27.84
40.37%
Cinema Ticket
$14.65 €13.13
$15.38 A$21.87
-4.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Germany
Australia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$611 €547
$2,145 A$3,051
-71.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.3K €15.5K
$18.3K A$26.1K
-5.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Germany
Australia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.1 €79.8
$78.3 A$111
13.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.07 €37.70
$56.3 A$80.0
-25.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.3 €88.1
$115 A$164
-14.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 €117
$123 A$175
6.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Germany
Australia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$934 €837
$1,591 A$2,263
-41.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$718 €644
$1,293 A$1,839
-44.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,704 €1,527
$2,524 A$3,591
-32.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,294 €1,159
$2,005 A$2,852
-35.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,944 €5,326
$8,751 A$12.4K
-32.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,958 €3,547
$6,260 A$8,904
-36.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Germany
Australia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,290 €2,948
$3,984 A$5,666
-17.42%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.96
5.93
-33.22%

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

Last update for Germany: October 25, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Germany
$718
Australia
$1.3K 79.9% $574
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Germany
$415
Australia
$292 29.7% $123
Groceries & Markets
Germany
$335
Australia
$374 11.7% $39
Eating Out
Germany
$276
Australia
$297 7.5% $21
Clothing & Footwear
Germany
$162
Australia
$168 3.5% $5.7
Getting Around
Germany
$104
Australia
$116 10.8% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Germany
$69
Australia
$86 25.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $812 in Germany vs $1,383 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,407 in Berlin and $1,749 in Canberra.

Average salary: $3,107 in Germany vs $3,874 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 70% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 18% more in Australia.

Public transport is 24% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 25% higher in Australia.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Germany
🇦🇺 Australia
🕒 Local time
10:00 10:00 AM
20:00 8:00 PM
10 h ahead of Germany
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
84,358,845
26,473,055
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Germany Australia 16,070 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Germany
  • Australia

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
Germany vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Australia more expensive than Germany?
Germany is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 21% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $812 in Germany.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Germany – part of why living there is about 21% cheaper overall.
Should I move to Australia or to Germany?
Germany is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Germany vs other spots: cost of living compared

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