Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Bensheim

For one person, living is cheaper in Bensheim: $2,042 a month against $2,332 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
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Hamburg Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Bensheim
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Bensheim Living Index

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Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,332

/mo nomad

Bensheim

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,042

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamburg and in Bensheim

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,332 in Hamburg versus $2,042 in Bensheim.

Hamburg $2,332
Bensheim $2,042

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,481 in Hamburg versus $3,000 in Bensheim.

Hamburg $3,481
Bensheim $3,000

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,631 in Hamburg versus $3,958 in Bensheim.

Hamburg $4,631
Bensheim $3,958

Living in Hamburg is roughly 14% more expensive than in Bensheim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamburg 71% above, Bensheim 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €15.29

$16.85 €15.14

1.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 €66.1

$81.5 €73.2

-9.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 €12.27

$13.33 €11.98

2.40%

Cappuccino

$4.67 €4.20

$3.96 €3.55

17.93%

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

$4.18 €3.75

$3.61 €3.25

15.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.91

$3.41 €3.06

-4.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 €5.36

$5.16 €4.64

15.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 €4.48

$4.17 €3.75

19.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.49 €1.34

-19.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 €2.33

$2.17 €1.95

19.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.51

$3.91 €3.52

-28.64%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.81

$3.91 €3.52

8.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.36 €11.11

$13.94 €12.52

-11.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 €10.80

$10.62 €9.54

13.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 €17.01

$27.04 €24.29

-29.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.91

$3.20 €2.88

1.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.09

$2.15 €1.93

8.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 €2.65

$1.93 €1.74

52.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 €3.70

$3.75 €3.37

9.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.64

$1.22 €1.09

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.57

$1.22 €1.09

43.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.47 €1.32

17.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.05

$1.10 €0.99

6.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 €9.04

$9.63 €8.65

4.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.61 €5.94

$5.70 €5.12

15.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.02

$1.11 €1.00

1.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.53 €1.37

-1.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 €3.98

$3.50 €3.14

26.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.4 €62.4

$70.8 €63.6

-1.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 €6.10

$4.34 €3.89

56.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 €2.68

$2.27 €2.04

31.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.72 €37.48

$36.18 €32.50

15.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €2.06

$2.14 €1.92

7.01%

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

$33.0K €29.6K

$33.3K €29.9K

-0.90%

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

$38.9K €35.0K

$38.1K €34.3K

2.07%

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

$383 €344

$357 €321

7.30%

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

$19.47 €17.49

$26.79 €24.06

-27.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.79 €34.84

$49.10 €44.11

-21.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 €37.96

$38.67 €34.74

9.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.37 €25.49

$28.03 €25.18

1.21%

Cinema Ticket

$15.46 €13.88

$13.64 €12.25

13.34%

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

$502 €451

$540 €485

-7.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K €12.4K

$18.4K €16.5K

-25.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 €77.8

$84.3 €75.7

2.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.18 €32.50

$35.60 €31.98

1.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.4

$96.5 €86.7

4.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €105

$133 €120

-11.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 €1,088

$802 €720

51.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 €825

$656 €590

39.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 €1,935

$1,595 €1,433

35.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 €1,498

$986 €886

69.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,358 €8,406

$4,652 €4,179

101.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,163 €4,638

$3,170 €2,847

62.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,622 €3,253

$4,542 €4,080

-20.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.69

3.62

1.93%

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

Last update for Hamburg: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bensheim: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamburg

$919 39.4%

Bensheim

$656 32.2% 28.6% $262

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamburg

$441 18.9%

Bensheim

$433 21.2% 1.9% $8.4

Groceries & Markets

Hamburg

$335 14.3%

Bensheim

$345 16.9% 3% $10

Eating Out

Hamburg

$303 13%

Bensheim

$285 13.9% 6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Hamburg

$153 6.6%

Bensheim

$157 7.7% 2.5% $3.9

Getting Around

Hamburg

$109 4.7%

Bensheim

$100 4.9% 7.7% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Hamburg

$73 3.1%

Bensheim

$66 3.2% 9.9% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,212 in Hamburg and $802 in Bensheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bensheim pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74 in Hamburg vs $82 in Bensheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $345 per month, with Hamburg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🇩🇪 Bensheim

🕒 Local time

21:27 9:27 PM

Same time as Hamburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,812,709

41,124

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Hamburg Bensheim 440 km

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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

Hamburg vs Bensheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,332 in Hamburg and $2,042 in Bensheim, so Bensheim is about 12% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Hamburg. 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: $1,212 in Hamburg versus $802 in Bensheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Hamburg pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $2,332 per month in Hamburg versus $2,042 in Bensheim – Bensheim is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Bensheim gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Hamburg and Bensheim are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.