Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Cologne

For one person, living is cheaper in Cologne: $2,233 a month against $2,332 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 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
107

Cost of Living Index in Cologne
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Cologne Living Index

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Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,332

/mo nomad

Cologne

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,233

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamburg and in Cologne

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,332 in Hamburg versus $2,233 in Cologne.

Hamburg $2,332
Cologne $2,233

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,481 in Hamburg versus $3,388 in Cologne.

Hamburg $3,481
Cologne $3,388

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,631 in Hamburg versus $4,543 in Cologne.

Hamburg $4,631
Cologne $4,543

Living in Hamburg is roughly 4% more expensive than in Cologne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamburg 71% above, Cologne 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €15.29

$17.02 €15.29

0.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 €66.1

$83.7 €75.2

-12.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 €12.27

$11.82 €10.61

15.48%

Cappuccino

$4.67 €4.20

$4.02 €3.61

16.17%

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

$4.18 €3.75

$3.74 €3.36

11.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.91

$3.12 €2.80

3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 €5.36

$5.45 €4.90

9.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 €4.48

$5.46 €4.90

-8.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.27 €1.14

-5.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 €2.33

$2.56 €2.30

1.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.51

$3.09 €2.78

-9.71%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.81

$3.71 €3.33

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.36 €11.11

$12.64 €11.35

-2.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 €10.80

$12.08 €10.85

-0.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 €17.01

$22.79 €20.48

-16.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.91

$3.04 €2.73

6.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.09

$2.03 €1.82

14.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 €2.65

$2.59 €2.32

13.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 €3.70

$3.77 €3.39

9.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.64

$1.42 €1.27

28.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.57

$1.15 €1.03

52.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.51 €1.36

14.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.05

$1.10 €0.99

6.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 €9.04

$9.84 €8.84

2.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.61 €5.94

$6.54 €5.88

1.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.02

$1.26 €1.13

-10.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.69 €1.52

-11.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 €3.98

$3.90 €3.50

13.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.4 €62.4

$71.5 €64.2

-2.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 €6.10

$5.36 €4.81

26.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 €2.68

$2.74 €2.46

8.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.72 €37.48

$33.45 €30.05

24.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €2.06

$2.22 €2.00

3.15%

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

$33.0K €29.6K

$33.1K €29.8K

-0.48%

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

$38.9K €35.0K

$38.0K €34.1K

2.46%

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

$383 €344

$301 €270

27.16%

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

$19.47 €17.49

$12.17 €10.93

59.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.79 €34.84

$36.02 €32.35

7.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 €37.96

$41.99 €37.72

0.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.37 €25.49

$35.28 €31.69

-19.59%

Cinema Ticket

$15.46 €13.88

$15.90 €14.29

-2.77%

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

$502 €451

$1,103 €991

-54.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K €12.4K

$22.0K €19.7K

-37.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 €77.8

$87.4 €78.5

-1.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.18 €32.50

$41.11 €36.93

-11.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.4

$101 €91.1

-0.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €105

$134 €120

-12.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 €1,088

$1,223 €1,099

-0.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 €825

$917 €824

0.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 €1,935

$2,340 €2,102

-7.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 €1,498

$1,628 €1,463

2.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,358 €8,406

$7,324 €6,579

27.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,163 €4,638

$5,056 €4,542

2.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,622 €3,253

$3,562 €3,200

1.67%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Cologne: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamburg

$919 39.4%

Cologne

$917 41.1% 0.2% $1.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamburg

$441 18.9%

Cologne

$349 15.6% 20.8% $92

Groceries & Markets

Hamburg

$335 14.3%

Cologne

$337 15.1% 0.9% $2.9

Eating Out

Hamburg

$303 13%

Cologne

$285 12.8% 5.7% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Hamburg

$153 6.6%

Cologne

$164 7.3% 6.7% $10

Getting Around

Hamburg

$109 4.7%

Cologne

$106 4.8% 2.5% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Hamburg

$73 3.1%

Cologne

$74 3.3% 0.9% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,212 in Hamburg and $1,223 in Cologne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74 in Hamburg vs $84 in Cologne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $337 per month, with Hamburg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🇩🇪 Cologne

🕒 Local time

02:21 2:21 AM

Same time as Hamburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,812,709

1,095,520

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Hamburg Cologne 360 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 Cologne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,332 in Hamburg and $2,233 in Cologne, so Cologne is about 4% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,499 in Hamburg and $3,349 in Cologne to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,212 in Hamburg versus $1,223 in Cologne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $502 in Hamburg versus $1,103 in Cologne. 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 $84 in Cologne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Cologne 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 Cologne are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.