Cost of Living Comparison Between Groningen and Ilmenau Cost of Living Comparison Between Groningen and Ilmenau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,288 in Groningen versus $2,100 in Ilmenau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,495 in Groningen versus $2,590 in Ilmenau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,702 in Groningen versus $3,081 in Ilmenau.

Living in Groningen is roughly 9% more expensive than in Ilmenau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Groningen 66% above, Ilmenau 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.20 €18.23

$11.78 €10.13

79.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.7 €85.7

$69.1 €59.4

44.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.22 €13.95

$11.69 €10.05

38.75%

Cappuccino

$4.58 €3.94

$3.42 €2.94

33.92%

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

$3.90 €3.36

$4.31 €3.70

-9.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 €2.84

$8.04 €6.91

-58.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 €5.10

$4.52 €3.88

31.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €4.88

$5.17 €4.45

9.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.17 €1.00

27.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 €2.35

$2.12 €1.82

28.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.47 €2.98

-17.87%

Eggs

$4.69 €4.03

$3.42 €2.94

37.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.70 €11.78

$14.90 €12.81

-8.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.50 €11.61

$10.58 €9.10

27.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.24 €19.12

$18.51 €15.92

20.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 €2.66

$3.06 €2.63

1.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$1.48 €1.27

70.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 €2.28

$3.69 €3.17

-27.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 €4.32

$3.95 €3.40

27.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.19 €1.89

4.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.43 €1.23

13.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.69 €1.46

-21.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$0.89 €0.76

42.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.05 €12.94

$9.71 €8.35

54.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 €5.90

$6.36 €5.47

7.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.14 €0.98

26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.17

$1.55 €1.34

63.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.27 €3.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 €59.6

$67.5 €58.0

2.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.84 €5.88

$5.42 €4.66

26.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.29 €3.69

-33.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.82 €25.63

$47.16 €40.54

-36.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.57 €2.21

$2.08 €1.79

23.56%

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

$43.5K €37.4K

$34.2K €29.4K

27.37%

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

$40.3K €34.6K

$40.1K €34.4K

0.53%

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

$234 €201

$683 €587

-65.81%

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

$21.65 €18.61

$28.86 €24.81

-24.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 €43.92

$35.79 €30.77

42.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.27 €34.62

$51.8 €44.56

-22.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.72 €13.52

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 €15.09

$13.87 €11.92

26.60%

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

$1,818 €1,563

$470 €404

286.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,840 €6,740

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.4

$95.5 €82.1

6.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.18 €39.70

$33.13 €28.48

39.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €93.8

$124 €106

-11.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 €124

$114 €98.0

26.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 €1,176

$497 €427

175.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$917 €789

$465 €400

97.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,958 €1,684

$869 €747

125.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 €1,245

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,591 €4,807

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,027 €3,462

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,132 €2,692

$3,332 €2,864

-6.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

3.95

-8.35%

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

Last update for Groningen: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ilmenau: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,368 in Groningen and $497 in Ilmenau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilmenau pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $100 in Groningen vs $69.0 in Ilmenau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 vs $321 per month, with Ilmenau 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

Groningen vs Ilmenau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilmenau wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Groningen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ilmenau the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Ilmenau. 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: $1,368 in Groningen versus $497 in Ilmenau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Groningen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ilmenau – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $100 in Groningen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,100 in Ilmenau versus $2,288 in Groningen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ilmenau but tight or insufficient in Groningen. The gap between the two cities makes Ilmenau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ilmenau delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,100 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ilmenau hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Groningen and Ilmenau 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 Ilmenau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Groningen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.