Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Bielefeld

For one person, living is cheaper in Bielefeld: $1,928 a month against $2,383 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
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Hamburg Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Bielefeld
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Bielefeld Living Index

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Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,383

/mo nomad

Bielefeld

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,928

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamburg and in Bielefeld

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 Bielefeld actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,383 per month in Hamburg vs $1,928 in Bielefeld, rent included.

Hamburg $2,383
Bielefeld $1,928

A couple spends around $3,529 per month in Hamburg vs $2,941 in Bielefeld, rent included.

Hamburg $3,529
Bielefeld $2,941

A family of three spends $4,675 per month in Hamburg vs $3,954 in Bielefeld, rent included.

Hamburg $4,675
Bielefeld $3,954

Hamburg costs about 24% more than Bielefeld, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hamburg and Bielefeld sit above the global median – Hamburg by 76%, Bielefeld by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.59 €14.76

$13.68 €12.17

21.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 €62.8

$67.8 €60.3

4.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.60 €12.10

$15.40 €13.70

-11.69%

Cappuccino

$4.65 €4.14

$3.91 €3.47

18.93%

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

$4.28 €3.80

$2.93 €2.60

46.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 €2.97

$3.02 €2.68

10.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.68 €5.05

$5.25 €4.67

8.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 €4.19

$4.67 €4.15

0.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.06

$1.24 €1.10

-4.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 €2.32

$2.07 €1.84

26.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 €2.56

$3.70 €3.29

-22.16%

Eggs

$4.34 €3.86

$3.59 €3.20

20.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.37 €11.00

$13.64 €12.13

-9.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.17 €10.83

$10.65 €9.47

14.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 €16.53

$19.64 €17.47

-5.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 €2.84

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.09

$2.12 €1.88

10.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 €2.62

$2.13 €1.89

38.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 €3.68

$5.16 €4.59

-19.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 €1.69

$1.18 €1.05

61.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.33 €1.18

31.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.66 €1.47

8.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.02 €0.91

6.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.52 €9.35

$9.68 €8.61

8.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.56 €5.83

$5.76 €5.12

13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.05

$1.05 €0.93

12.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.59 €1.41

-18.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.41 €3.93

$3.54 €3.15

24.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 €63.2

$63.9 €56.9

11.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 €5.94

$4.56 €4.05

46.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 €2.71

$3.05 €2.71

-0.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.16 €37.51

$33.42 €29.73

26.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.19 €1.95

4.11%

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

$32.9K €29.2K

$33.6K €29.9K

-2.20%

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

$39.4K €35.0K

$39.2K €34.8K

0.59%

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

$380 €338

$300 €267

26.67%

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

$20.60 €18.32

$29.93 €26.63

-31.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €34.67

$43.89 €39.04

-11.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.63 €40.59

$33.95 €30.19

34.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.67 €25.50

$38.33 €34.10

-25.20%

Cinema Ticket

$16.05 €14.28

$13.75 €12.23

16.73%

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

$512 €455

$665 €591

-22.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €12.0K

$30.9K €27.5K

-56.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 €73.3

$99.0 €88.1

-16.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.74 €33.57

$39.95 €35.54

-5.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 €86.4

$127 €113

-23.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$139 €124

-15.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 €1,171

$689 €613

91.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$972 €865

$627 €557

55.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,327 €2,070

$1,201 €1,068

93.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 €1,540

$1,162 €1,034

48.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,875 €8,784

$4,696 €4,177

110.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,007 €4,454

$2,244 €1,996

123.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,616 €3,216

$2,815 €2,504

28.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.69

3.95

-6.58%

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

Last update for Hamburg: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bielefeld: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamburg

$972 40.8%

Bielefeld

$627 32.5% 35.6% $346

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamburg

$440 18.4%

Bielefeld

$374 19.4% 15% $66

Groceries & Markets

Hamburg

$334 14%

Bielefeld

$323 16.8% 3.2% $11

Eating Out

Hamburg

$298 12.5%

Bielefeld

$262 13.6% 12% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Hamburg

$151 6.3%

Bielefeld

$183 9.5% 20.9% $32

Getting Around

Hamburg

$111 4.6%

Bielefeld

$98 5.1% 11.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Hamburg

$78 3.3%

Bielefeld

$61 3.2% 20.9% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,317 in Hamburg versus $689 in Bielefeld. 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 28% higher in Hamburg, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Hamburg versus $68.0 in Bielefeld. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $334 vs $323 – making Bielefeld the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🇩🇪 Bielefeld

🕒 Local time

18:57 6:57 PM

Same time as Hamburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,812,709

328,012

💱 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)

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Hamburg vs Bielefeld: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hamburg is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,575 per month in Hamburg and $2,891 in Bielefeld. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bielefeld, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Hamburg, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Hamburg and $68.0 in Bielefeld. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Bielefeld, where all-in costs run around $1,928, than in Hamburg at $2,383. In Bielefeld it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bielefeld – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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