Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Erfurt

For one person, living is cheaper in Erfurt: $2,200 a month against $2,332 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 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
106

Cost of Living Index in Erfurt
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Erfurt Living Index

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Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,332

/mo nomad

Erfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,200

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamburg and in Erfurt

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

A single person spends $2,332 per month in Hamburg vs $2,200 in Erfurt, rent included.

Hamburg $2,332
Erfurt $2,200

A couple spends around $3,481 per month in Hamburg vs $3,220 in Erfurt, rent included.

Hamburg $3,481
Erfurt $3,220

A family of three spends $4,631 per month in Hamburg vs $4,240 in Erfurt, rent included.

Hamburg $4,631
Erfurt $4,240

Hamburg costs about 6% more than Erfurt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hamburg and Erfurt sit above the global median – Hamburg by 71%, Erfurt by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €15.19

$15.31 €13.66

11.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 €65.7

$67.5 €60.2

9.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 €12.18

$11.12 €9.93

22.75%

Cappuccino

$4.67 €4.17

$3.32 €2.96

40.66%

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

$4.18 €3.73

$4.28 €3.82

-2.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.89

$7.77 €6.94

-58.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 €5.32

$4.53 €4.04

31.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 €4.45

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.40 €1.25

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 €2.32

$2.13 €1.90

22.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.49

$3.21 €2.87

-13.08%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.78

$3.28 €2.93

29.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.36 €11.03

$14.30 €12.76

-13.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 €10.73

$10.53 €9.39

14.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 €16.90

$17.69 €15.78

7.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.89

$3.30 €2.95

-1.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.13 €1.90

9.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 €2.63

$3.43 €3.06

-13.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 €3.67

$3.75 €3.35

9.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.63

$2.18 €1.95

-16.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.37 €1.22

27.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.57 €1.40

10.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.05

$0.82 €0.73

42.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 €8.98

$9.81 €8.75

2.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.61 €5.90

$6.51 €5.81

1.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.09 €0.98

3.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.48 €1.32

1.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 €3.95

$3.21 €2.87

38.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.4 €61.9

$70.8 €63.2

-1.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 €6.05

$5.43 €4.85

25.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 €2.66

$4.22 €3.76

-29.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.72 €37.23

$45.08 €40.22

-7.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €2.04

$2.13 €1.90

7.51%

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

$33.0K €29.4K

$32.3K €28.8K

2.01%

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

$38.9K €34.7K

$37.7K €33.6K

3.40%

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

$383 €342

$673 €600

-43.10%

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

$19.47 €17.37

$28.27 €25.22

-31.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.79 €34.61

$34.04 €30.37

13.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 €37.70

$40.65 €36.27

3.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.37 €25.32

$29.35 €26.19

-3.34%

Cinema Ticket

$15.46 €13.79

$15.39 €13.73

0.45%

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

$502 €448

$442 €394

13.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K €12.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 €77.2

$94.4 €84.2

-8.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.18 €32.28

$31.66 €28.25

14.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €89.8

$122 €109

-17.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €105

$113 €101

3.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 €1,081

$744 €663

62.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 €820

$526 €469

74.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 €1,922

$1,608 €1,435

33.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 €1,488

$1,086 €969

53.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,358 €8,349

$4,721 €4,212

98.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,163 €4,607

$2,455 €2,190

110.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,622 €3,231

$3,032 €2,705

19.44%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Erfurt: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamburg

$919 39.4%

Erfurt

$526 23.9% 42.8% $393

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamburg

$441 18.9%

Erfurt

$735 33.4% 66.7% $294

Groceries & Markets

Hamburg

$335 14.3%

Erfurt

$319 14.5% 4.8% $16

Eating Out

Hamburg

$303 13%

Erfurt

$276 12.6% 8.7% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Hamburg

$153 6.6%

Erfurt

$162 7.4% 5.9% $9.1

Getting Around

Hamburg

$109 4.7%

Erfurt

$110 5% 1.2% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Hamburg

$73 3.1%

Erfurt

$71 3.3% 2.4% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,212 in Hamburg versus $744 in Erfurt. 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 19% higher in Hamburg. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Hamburg versus $67 in Erfurt. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $335 vs $319 – making Erfurt the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🇩🇪 Erfurt

🕒 Local time

19:25 7:25 PM

Same time as Hamburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,812,709

215,000

💱 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 Erfurt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamburg costs about 6% more than Erfurt, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,499 per month in Hamburg and $3,300 in Erfurt. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Erfurt, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $744 there versus $1,212 in Hamburg.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Hamburg and $67 in Erfurt. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Hamburg, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,332 in Hamburg and $2,200 in Erfurt. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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