Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Dusseldorf

For one person, living costs are similar in Hamburg and in Dusseldorf: $2,347 and $2,285 a month, rent and utilities included.

114

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
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Hamburg Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Dusseldorf
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Dusseldorf Living Index

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Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,347

/mo nomad

Dusseldorf

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamburg and in Dusseldorf

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,347 in Hamburg versus $2,285 in Dusseldorf.

Hamburg $2,347
Dusseldorf $2,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,488 in Hamburg versus $3,476 in Dusseldorf.

Hamburg $3,488
Dusseldorf $3,476

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,628 in Hamburg versus $4,668 in Dusseldorf.

Hamburg $4,628
Dusseldorf $4,668

Living in Hamburg is roughly 3% more expensive than in Dusseldorf, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamburg 74% above, Dusseldorf 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.02 €15.14

$16.41 €14.60

3.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €61.0

$70.4 €62.6

-2.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.41 €11.93

$13.53 €12.03

-0.89%

Cappuccino

$4.49 €3.99

$4.23 €3.76

6.15%

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

$4.20 €3.74

$3.09 €2.75

35.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 €2.86

$2.91 €2.59

10.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.51 €4.90

$5.12 €4.55

7.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 €4.32

$4.40 €3.91

10.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.32 €1.17

-4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 €2.32

$2.39 €2.13

9.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.48

$2.99 €2.66

-6.69%

Eggs

$4.19 €3.73

$4.33 €3.85

-3.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.24 €10.89

$15.10 €13.43

-18.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.68

$13.05 €11.61

-8.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.58 €16.53

$22.49 €20.00

-17.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 €2.78

$3.18 €2.83

-1.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.14

$2.17 €1.93

10.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 €2.60

$2.14 €1.90

36.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 €3.82

$4.23 €3.76

1.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.63

$1.20 €1.07

52.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.21 €1.07

45.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.64 €1.46

9.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.06

$1.25 €1.11

-4.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$9.42 €8.38

10.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.01

$6.65 €5.91

1.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.11 €0.99

0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.70 €1.52

-24.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.46 €3.96

$4.01 €3.57

11.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$69.6 €61.9

2.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.74 €5.99

$5.46 €4.86

23.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 €2.74

$3.04 €2.71

1.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.00 €37.36

$47.97 €42.67

-12.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.28 €2.02

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

$32.9K €29.3K

$32.6K €29.0K

1.17%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$38.3K €34.0K

0.78%

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

$384 €342

$339 €302

13.28%

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

$19.76 €17.58

$19.47 €17.32

1.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.03 €34.72

$41.64 €37.04

-6.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.03 €40.05

$43.15 €38.38

4.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.80 €25.62

$35.20 €31.31

-18.18%

Cinema Ticket

$16.44 €14.62

$15.91 €14.15

3.33%

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

$509 €453

$1,070 €952

-52.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €12.0K

$19.7K €17.5K

-31.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 €74.6

$102 €91.0

-18.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.19 €33.08

$41.11 €36.57

-9.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 €84.1

$112 €100

-15.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €103

$167 €149

-30.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 €1,129

$1,077 €958

17.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 €831

$878 €781

6.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 €2,021

$2,358 €2,097

-3.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,692 €1,505

$1,669 €1,485

1.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,500 €8,450

$8,943 €7,955

6.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,121 €4,555

$4,892 €4,351

4.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,647 €3,244

$3,778 €3,360

-3.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.69

3.91

-5.63%

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

Last update for Hamburg: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dusseldorf: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamburg

$934 39.8%

Dusseldorf

$878 38.4% 5.9% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamburg

$443 18.9%

Dusseldorf

$400 17.5% 9.6% $43

Groceries & Markets

Hamburg

$335 14.3%

Dusseldorf

$353 15.5% 5.5% $18

Eating Out

Hamburg

$297 12.7%

Dusseldorf

$281 12.3% 5.4% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Hamburg

$149 6.4%

Dusseldorf

$191 8.3% 27.6% $41

Getting Around

Hamburg

$112 4.8%

Dusseldorf

$106 4.7% 4.7% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Hamburg

$78 3.3%

Dusseldorf

$75 3.3% 3.8% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,270 in Hamburg and $1,077 in Dusseldorf. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dusseldorf pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Hamburg vs $70.0 in Dusseldorf for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $353 per month, with Hamburg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🇩🇪 Dusseldorf

🕒 Local time

18:47 6:47 PM

Same time as Hamburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,812,709

618,128

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Hamburg Dusseldorf 340 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 Dusseldorf: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dusseldorf is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and leisure. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Dusseldorf. 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: $1,270 in Hamburg versus $1,077 in Dusseldorf. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dusseldorf – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $69.0 in Hamburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,347 per month in Hamburg versus $2,285 in Dusseldorf – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,285 in Dusseldorf versus $2,347 in Hamburg, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Dusseldorf but tight or insufficient in Hamburg. The gap between the two cities makes Dusseldorf the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dusseldorf is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hamburg, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Hamburg and Dusseldorf are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dusseldorf gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Hamburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.