Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Giessen and Hamburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Giessen: $2,262 a month against $2,332 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $840 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Giessen
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Giessen Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
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Hamburg Living Index

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Giessen

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,262

/mo nomad

Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,332

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,262 per month in Giessen vs $2,332 in Hamburg, rent included.

Giessen $2,262
Hamburg $2,332

A couple spends around $3,161 per month in Giessen vs $3,481 in Hamburg, rent included.

Giessen $3,161
Hamburg $3,481

A family of three spends $4,059 per month in Giessen vs $4,631 in Hamburg, rent included.

Giessen $4,059
Hamburg $4,631

Giessen is about 3% cheaper than Hamburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Giessen and Hamburg sit above the global median – Giessen by 66%, Hamburg by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.48 €19.24

$17.03 €15.25

26.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.8

$73.6 €65.9

-7.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.90

$13.65 €12.23

-2.71%

Cappuccino

$4.01 €3.59

$4.67 €4.18

-14.13%

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

$2.34 €2.09

$4.18 €3.74

-44.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.76

$3.24 €2.90

-39.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.63 €4.15

$5.96 €5.34

-22.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 €4.95

$4.98 €4.46

11.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.20 €1.07

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 €1.92

$2.60 €2.33

-17.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 €3.36

$2.79 €2.50

34.77%

Eggs

$3.59 €3.22

$4.24 €3.80

-15.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.39 €12.89

$12.36 €11.07

16.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.96 €9.81

$12.02 €10.77

-8.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.00 €17.02

$18.94 €16.96

0.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 €2.70

$3.24 €2.90

-6.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 €1.59

$2.33 €2.09

-24.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 €1.89

$2.95 €2.64

-28.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 €3.50

$4.12 €3.69

-5.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.83 €1.63

-34.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.01

$1.75 €1.56

-36.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.73 €1.55

-10.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.16

$1.17 €1.05

10.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.91 €8.88

$10.07 €9.01

-1.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.68 €5.09

$6.61 €5.92

-14.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.88

$1.13 €1.02

-12.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.50 €1.34

0.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 €3.42

$4.43 €3.97

-14.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 €61.7

$69.4 €62.2

-0.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 €5.02

$6.79 €6.08

-17.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 €1.95

$2.98 €2.67

-26.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.52 €34.50

$41.72 €37.37

-7.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.29 €2.05

-16.59%

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

$29.9K €26.8K

$33.0K €29.5K

-9.21%

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

$38.6K €34.6K

$38.9K €34.9K

-0.81%

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

$348 €311

$383 €343

-9.19%

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

$32.76 €29.34

$19.47 €17.44

68.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 €46.69

$38.79 €34.74

34.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.83 €33.88

$42.26 €37.84

-10.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.37 €25.41

Cinema Ticket

$10.47 €9.38

$15.46 €13.84

-32.28%

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

$1,088 €974

$502 €450

116.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.9K €40.2K

$13.8K €12.3K

226.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.88 €39.30

$86.6 €77.5

-49.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.21 €19.89

$36.18 €32.40

-38.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €101

$101 €90.1

11.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 €136

$117 €105

29.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 €639

$1,212 €1,085

-41.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$891 €798

$919 €823

-3.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,438 €1,288

$2,155 €1,930

-33.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 €1,083

$1,667 €1,493

-27.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,559 €4,979

$9,358 €8,381

-40.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,829 €2,534

$5,163 €4,624

-45.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,667 €2,389

$3,622 €3,244

-26.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

3.69

7.32%

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

Last update for Giessen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Hamburg: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Giessen

$891 39.4%

Hamburg

$919 39.4% 3.2% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Giessen

$433 19.1%

Hamburg

$441 18.9% 2% $8.5

Groceries & Markets

Giessen

$320 14.1%

Hamburg

$335 14.3% 4.7% $15

Eating Out

Giessen

$311 13.8%

Hamburg

$303 13% 2.8% $8.6

Clothing & Footwear

Giessen

$149 6.6%

Hamburg

$153 6.6% 3.1% $4.6

Getting Around

Giessen

$101 4.5%

Hamburg

$109 4.7% 8.1% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Giessen

$59 2.6%

Hamburg

$73 3.1% 24.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $713 in Giessen 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 36% higher in Hamburg. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Giessen versus $74 in Hamburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $335 – making Giessen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Giessen

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🕒 Local time

20:09 8:09 PM

Same time as Giessen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,179

1,812,709

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Giessen vs Hamburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,262 in Giessen, $2,332 in Hamburg – Giessen comes out roughly 3% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,393 per month in Giessen 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 Giessen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $713 there versus $1,212 in Hamburg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,262 in Giessen and $2,332 in Hamburg. That makes Giessen about 3% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,088 per month in Giessen and $502 in Hamburg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,262 in Giessen and $2,332 in Hamburg, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Hamburg has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,262 in Giessen to $2,332 in Hamburg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Giessen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hamburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.