Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Bremen

For one person, living is cheaper in Bremen: $1,982 a month against $2,332 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hamburg outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

113

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
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Hamburg Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Bremen
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Bremen Living Index

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Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,332

/mo nomad

Bremen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,982

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamburg and in Bremen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,332 in Hamburg versus $1,982 in Bremen.

Hamburg $2,332
Bremen $1,982

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,481 in Hamburg versus $3,071 in Bremen.

Hamburg $3,481
Bremen $3,071

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,631 in Hamburg versus $4,159 in Bremen.

Hamburg $4,631
Bremen $4,159

Living in Hamburg is roughly 18% more expensive than in Bremen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamburg 71% above, Bremen 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €15.25

$17.64 €15.80

-3.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 €65.9

$85.1 €76.2

-13.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 €12.23

$11.90 €10.66

14.71%

Cappuccino

$4.67 €4.18

$4.11 €3.68

13.63%

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

$4.18 €3.74

$3.49 €3.12

19.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.90

$2.85 €2.55

13.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 €5.34

$5.71 €5.12

4.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 €4.46

$4.36 €3.91

14.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.44 €1.29

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 €2.33

$1.99 €1.78

30.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.50

$3.75 €3.36

-25.60%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.80

$3.90 €3.50

8.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.36 €11.07

$12.79 €11.46

-3.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 €10.77

$11.19 €10.02

7.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 €16.96

$26.42 €23.67

-28.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.90

$3.42 €3.06

-5.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.09

$2.26 €2.03

3.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 €2.64

$2.12 €1.90

39.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 €3.69

$4.25 €3.81

-3.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.63

$1.57 €1.41

16.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.56 €1.40

12.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.59 €1.42

8.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.05

$1.31 €1.17

-10.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 €9.01

$10.18 €9.12

-1.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.61 €5.92

$5.62 €5.04

17.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.02

$1.12 €1.01

0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.55 €1.38

-3.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 €3.97

$3.65 €3.27

21.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.4 €62.2

$69.9 €62.6

-0.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 €6.08

$2.96 €2.65

129.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 €2.67

$2.97 €2.66

0.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.72 €37.37

$42.93 €38.45

-2.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €2.05

$2.21 €1.98

3.62%

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

$33.0K €29.5K

$33.4K €29.9K

-1.19%

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

$38.9K €34.9K

$38.0K €34.0K

2.46%

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

$383 €343

$312 €279

22.83%

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

$19.47 €17.44

$31.53 €28.24

-38.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.79 €34.74

$35.86 €32.11

8.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 €37.84

$36.72 €32.89

15.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.37 €25.41

$25.59 €22.92

10.86%

Cinema Ticket

$15.46 €13.84

$14.59 €13.07

5.96%

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

$502 €450

$396 €355

26.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K €12.3K

$19.9K €17.8K

-30.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 €77.5

$111 €99.0

-21.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.18 €32.40

$75.3 €67.4

-51.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.1

$88.5 €79.3

13.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €105

$128 €114

-8.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 €1,085

$878 €786

38.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 €823

$616 €552

49.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 €1,930

$1,589 €1,423

35.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 €1,493

$1,142 €1,023

45.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,358 €8,381

$4,702 €4,211

99.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,163 €4,624

$3,633 €3,254

42.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,622 €3,244

$3,291 €2,948

10.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.69

3.92

-5.87%

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

Last update for Hamburg: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bremen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamburg

$919 39.4%

Bremen

$616 31.1% 32.9% $302

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamburg

$441 18.9%

Bremen

$379 19.1% 14.1% $62

Groceries & Markets

Hamburg

$335 14.3%

Bremen

$349 17.6% 4.3% $14

Eating Out

Hamburg

$303 13%

Bremen

$289 14.6% 4.6% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Hamburg

$153 6.6%

Bremen

$181 9.1% 18% $28

Getting Around

Hamburg

$109 4.7%

Bremen

$102 5.2% 6% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Hamburg

$73 3.1%

Bremen

$66 3.3% 9.9% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,212 in Hamburg and $878 in Bremen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamburg pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74 in Hamburg vs $85 in Bremen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $349 per month, with Hamburg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🇩🇪 Bremen

🕒 Local time

20:21 8:21 PM

Same time as Hamburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,812,709

551,767

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Hamburg Bremen 95 km

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Hamburg
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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 Bremen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bremen is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Hamburg, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,212 in Hamburg versus $878 in Bremen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $502 in Hamburg versus $396 in Bremen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamburg – a meal for two runs $74 versus $85 in Bremen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

It comes down to priorities – Bremen wins on affordability, Hamburg on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.