Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Bochum

For one person, living is cheaper in Bochum: $1,806 a month against $2,347 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
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Hamburg Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Bochum
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Bochum Living Index

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Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,347

/mo nomad

Bochum

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamburg and in Bochum

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

A single person spends $2,347 per month in Hamburg vs $1,806 in Bochum, rent included.

Hamburg $2,347
Bochum $1,806

A couple spends around $3,488 per month in Hamburg vs $2,869 in Bochum, rent included.

Hamburg $3,488
Bochum $2,869

A family of three spends $4,628 per month in Hamburg vs $3,933 in Bochum, rent included.

Hamburg $4,628
Bochum $3,933

Hamburg costs about 30% more than Bochum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Hamburg and Bochum sit above the global median – Hamburg by 74%, Bochum by 34%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.02 €15.14

$16.55 €14.72

2.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €61.0

$79.2 €70.4

-13.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.41 €11.93

$12.43 €11.05

7.88%

Cappuccino

$4.49 €3.99

$4.16 €3.70

7.93%

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

$4.20 €3.74

$3.17 €2.82

32.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 €2.86

$3.00 €2.67

7.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.51 €4.90

$5.73 €5.09

-3.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 €4.32

$5.15 €4.58

-5.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.21 €1.08

4.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 €2.32

$2.36 €2.10

10.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.48

$3.65 €3.25

-23.56%

Eggs

$4.19 €3.73

$3.67 €3.26

14.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.24 €10.89

$14.61 €12.99

-16.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.68

$12.42 €11.05

-3.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.58 €16.53

$23.25 €20.68

-20.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 €2.78

$3.31 €2.95

-5.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.14

$2.02 €1.79

18.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 €2.60

$2.13 €1.90

37.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 €3.82

$4.02 €3.58

6.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.63

$1.33 €1.18

37.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.22 €1.09

44.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.55 €1.38

16.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.06

$1.08 €0.96

10.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$9.67 €8.60

7.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.01

$6.54 €5.82

3.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €1.00

$0.91 €0.81

23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.63 €1.45

-20.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.46 €3.96

$3.80 €3.38

17.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$65.0 €57.8

10.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.74 €5.99

$5.55 €4.93

21.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 €2.74

$2.72 €2.42

13.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.00 €37.36

$34.12 €30.35

23.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.06 €1.83

10.68%

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

$32.9K €29.3K

$32.2K €28.7K

2.27%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$38.5K €34.3K

0.07%

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

$384 €342

$324 €289

18.48%

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

$19.76 €17.58

$30.22 €26.88

-34.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.03 €34.72

$36.16 €32.17

7.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.03 €40.05

$30.24 €26.89

48.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.80 €25.62

$26.57 €23.63

8.39%

Cinema Ticket

$16.44 €14.62

$16.45 €14.64

-0.06%

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

$509 €453

$400 €356

27.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €12.0K

$21.9K €19.4K

-38.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 €74.6

$89.1 €79.2

-5.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.19 €33.08

$41.59 €37.00

-10.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 €84.1

$95.7 €85.2

-1.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €103

$134 €120

-13.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 €1,129

$805 €716

57.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 €831

$463 €411

101.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 €2,021

$1,290 €1,148

76.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,692 €1,505

$1,014 €902

66.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,500 €8,450

$3,951 €3,515

140.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,121 €4,555

$4,240 €3,772

20.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,647 €3,244

$2,674 €2,379

36.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.69

3.83

-3.66%

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

Last update for Hamburg: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bochum: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamburg

$934 39.8%

Bochum

$463 25.6% 50.5% $471

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamburg

$443 18.9%

Bochum

$391 21.6% 11.8% $52

Groceries & Markets

Hamburg

$335 14.3%

Bochum

$345 19.1% 3% $10

Eating Out

Hamburg

$297 12.7%

Bochum

$283 15.7% 4.7% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Hamburg

$149 6.4%

Bochum

$162 9% 8.7% $13

Getting Around

Hamburg

$112 4.8%

Bochum

$99 5.5% 11% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Hamburg

$78 3.3%

Bochum

$63 3.5% 18.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,270 in Hamburg versus $805 in Bochum. 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, 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 $69.0 in Hamburg versus $79.0 in Bochum. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $335 vs $345 – making Hamburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🇩🇪 Bochum

🕒 Local time

18:17 6:17 PM

Same time as Hamburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,812,709

371,075

💱 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

Hamburg vs Bochum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,347 in Hamburg, $1,806 in Bochum – roughly 30% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,521 per month in Hamburg and $2,709 in Bochum. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Hamburg and $79.0 in Bochum. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,347 in Hamburg and $1,806 in Bochum. That's a gap of about 30%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Bochum, where all-in costs run around $1,806, than in Hamburg at $2,347. In Bochum it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hamburg has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,806 in Bochum to $2,347 in Hamburg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Bochum. 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.