Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Friedrichshafen Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Friedrichshafen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,448 in Hamburg versus $2,177 in Friedrichshafen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,772 in Hamburg versus $3,075 in Friedrichshafen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,097 in Hamburg versus $3,973 in Friedrichshafen.

Living in Hamburg is roughly 12% more expensive than Friedrichshafen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamburg 83% above, Friedrichshafen 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.60 €16.78

$16.94 €14.50

15.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.1 €79.7

$80.1 €68.6

16.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.11 €12.08

$12.38 €10.60

13.97%

Cappuccino

$4.74 €4.05

$3.90 €3.34

21.54%

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

$3.61 €3.09

$3.18 €2.72

13.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.67

$2.33 €1.99

33.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 €4.91

$3.74 €3.20

53.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 €4.84

$4.59 €3.93

23.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 €1.20

$1.23 €1.05

14.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 €1.90

$2.25 €1.93

-1.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 €2.86

$3.41 €2.92

-2.05%

Eggs

$3.85 €3.30

$3.76 €3.22

2.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.26 €12.21

$14.61 €12.51

-2.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.82 €10.97

$13.52 €11.57

-5.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.71 €18.59

$18.31 €15.67

18.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 €2.93

$3.02 €2.58

13.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.86

$1.71 €1.46

27.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 €1.98

$2.19 €1.88

5.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 €3.89

$4.85 €4.15

-6.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.42 €1.21

14.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 €1.33

$1.49 €1.28

4.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.84 €1.57

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.93

$0.90 €0.77

21.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.71 €8.31

$10.01 €8.57

-3.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.23 €6.19

$6.52 €5.58

10.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.05 €0.90

8.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.37

$1.67 €1.43

-4.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 €3.58

$2.71 €2.32

54.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.6 €57.8

$74.5 €63.8

-9.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.82 €5.84

$11.48 €9.83

-40.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 €2.34

$2.12 €1.81

28.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.25 €37.88

$38.77 €33.19

14.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.03 €1.74

0.49%

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

$31.3K €26.8K

$31.1K €26.6K

0.41%

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

$40.9K €35.0K

$39.3K €33.6K

4.06%

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

$366 €313

$221 €189

65.55%

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

$21.33 €18.26

$36.24 €31.02

-41.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.43 €32.90

$53.0 €45.37

-27.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.14 €40.35

$37.01 €31.68

27.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.38 €20.87

$23.01 €19.70

5.95%

Cinema Ticket

$15.93 €13.63

$14.83 €12.69

7.42%

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

$264 €226

$405 €347

-34.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.9K €23.0K

$19.0K €16.3K

41.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 €80.8

$113 €96.3

-16.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.9 €50.5

$45.45 €38.91

29.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 €103

$102 €87.4

17.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$180 €154

$172 €147

5.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 €1,208

$1,165 €997

21.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$949 €813

$851 €729

11.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,381 €2,038

$1,994 €1,707

19.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 €1,511

$1,098 €940

60.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,726 €8,326

$5,763 €4,933

68.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,757 €4,928

$3,532 €3,023

63.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,924 €3,359

$3,336 €2,856

17.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

3.98

-2.01%

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

Last update for Hamburg: April 28, 2026

Last update for Friedrichshafen: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,411 in Hamburg and $1,165 in Friedrichshafen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamburg pays 18% 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: $93.0 in Hamburg vs $80.0 in Friedrichshafen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $335 per month, with Friedrichshafen cheaper across the board.

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 Friedrichshafen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamburg and Friedrichshafen differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($2,448 vs $2,177 including rent). Friedrichshafen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hamburg pays 18% more on average, 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: $1,411 in Hamburg versus $1,165 in Friedrichshafen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Hamburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Friedrichshafen – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $93.0 in Hamburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,177 in Friedrichshafen versus $2,448 in Hamburg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Friedrichshafen but tight or insufficient in Hamburg. The gap between the two cities makes Friedrichshafen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Friedrichshafen 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 Friedrichshafen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Hamburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.