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: $2,146 in Groningen versus $2,106 in Ilmenau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,116 in Groningen versus $3,141 in Ilmenau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,086 in Groningen versus $4,176 in Ilmenau.

Living in Groningen is roughly 2% more expensive than Ilmenau, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Groningen 60% above, Ilmenau 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.28 €14.88

$15.28 €13.16

13.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.1 €81.0

$70.5 €60.7

33.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.17

$7.95 €6.85

77.74%

Cappuccino

$3.97 €3.42

$3.42 €2.94

16.08%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$3.65 €3.14

-18.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.34

$2.85 €2.45

-4.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €4.90

$4.65 €4.00

22.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 €3.58

$3.50 €3.01

18.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.05 €0.91

25.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.13 €0.98

83.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 €2.78

$3.11 €2.67

3.86%

Eggs

$4.67 €4.02

$3.73 €3.21

25.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 €11.98

$14.46 €12.45

-3.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.15 €13.04

$13.27 €11.43

14.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.48 €15.05

$18.33 €15.78

-4.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.92 €2.52

-23.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$1.53 €1.32

67.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.63 €2.27

-23.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 €3.10

$5.12 €4.41

-29.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.85 €0.73

155.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.59 €1.37

22.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.82 €1.57

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.64

$0.91 €0.79

-18.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.63 €11.73

$9.41 €8.10

44.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.06 €6.08

$6.37 €5.48

10.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.96 €0.83

56.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.56 €1.34

57.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.00 €3.45

$3.51 €3.02

13.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.9 €58.5

$62.0 €53.4

9.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 €3.16

$5.58 €4.81

-34.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 €2.18

$2.18 €1.88

16.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 €25.94

$40.21 €34.62

-25.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €1.96

$2.03 €1.75

11.82%

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

$29.0K €25.0K

$31.2K €26.9K

-7.01%

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

$32.8K €28.3K

$35.1K €30.2K

-6.41%

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

$211 €182

$443 €381

-52.26%

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

$21.91 €18.86

$30.12 €25.94

-27.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.36 €39.92

$53.7 €46.23

-13.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.44 €33.10

$39.31 €33.85

-2.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.13 €12.17

$22.94 €19.75

-38.40%

Cinema Ticket

$14.40 €12.40

$14.09 €12.13

2.20%

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

$1,782 €1,535

$455 €392

291.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,651 €7,450

$11.8K €10.1K

-26.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 €58.4

$97.2 €83.7

-30.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.95 €22.35

$32.92 €28.35

-21.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 €74.2

$124 €107

-30.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.4 €77.0

$153 €131

-41.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 €1,024

$828 €713

43.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$899 €774

$679 €584

32.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 €1,491

$1,559 €1,342

11.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,167

$1,241 €1,069

9.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,570 €4,796

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,272 €3,678

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,903 €2,500

$3,410 €2,936

-14.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

3.87

-5.94%

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

Last update for Groningen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ilmenau: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,189 in Groningen and $828 in Ilmenau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilmenau pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $94.0 in Groningen vs $71.0 in Ilmenau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $319 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 2% 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, Ilmenau earns 17% 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: $1,189 in Groningen versus $828 in Ilmenau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% 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 $71.0 versus $94.0 in Groningen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,106 in Ilmenau versus $2,146 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 $2,106 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 2% less than in Groningen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.