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: $2,379 in Hamburg versus $2,616 in Friedrichshafen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,568 in Hamburg versus $3,257 in Friedrichshafen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,757 in Hamburg versus $3,899 in Friedrichshafen.

Living in Hamburg costs roughly 9% less than in Friedrichshafen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamburg 74% above, Friedrichshafen 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.00 €14.82

$17.66 €15.40

-3.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 €61.4

$76.3 €66.5

-7.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.90 €12.12

$11.59 €10.10

19.93%

Cappuccino

$4.80 €4.18

$4.16 €3.62

15.38%

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

$4.16 €3.63

$3.94 €3.44

5.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €2.99

$2.89 €2.52

18.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 €5.13

$5.39 €4.70

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 €4.29

$5.16 €4.50

-4.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.40 €1.22

-11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 €2.12

$2.16 €1.88

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 €2.73

$2.76 €2.40

13.41%

Eggs

$4.37 €3.81

$3.64 €3.17

20.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.80 €11.15

$14.95 €13.03

-14.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.49 €10.89

$11.75 €10.24

6.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.81 €17.27

$17.63 €15.37

12.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 €2.90

$3.01 €2.63

10.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 €2.10

$1.93 €1.68

24.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 €2.73

$2.23 €1.94

40.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 €3.60

$4.27 €3.72

-3.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.42 €1.23

35.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 €1.66

$1.26 €1.10

50.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 €1.55

$1.45 €1.26

22.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.06

$0.95 €0.83

28.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.31 €8.99

$9.96 €8.68

3.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.98

$6.38 €5.56

-10.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.05

$1.09 €0.95

11.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.23

$1.64 €1.43

-14.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.45 €3.88

$2.81 €2.45

58.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 €64.2

$72.2 €62.9

1.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 €6.19

$6.76 €5.90

5.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.70

$3.06 €2.66

0.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.30 €37.74

$45.86 €39.97

-5.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.03

$2.13 €1.86

9.39%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$33.9K €29.5K

0.64%

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

$40.5K €35.3K

$39.1K €34.1K

3.57%

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

$386 €337

$227 €197

70.56%

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

$20.66 €18.01

$20.21 €17.62

2.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.09 €34.95

$40.87 €35.63

-1.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.73 €38.99

$37.39 €32.59

19.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.18 €25.44

Cinema Ticket

$16.13 €14.06

$15.97 €13.92

1.00%

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

$517 €450

$867 €756

-40.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K €12.4K

$17.1K €14.9K

-16.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.8 €73.0

$81.5 €71.0

2.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.32 €37.76

$39.50 €34.43

9.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 €85.4

$102 €88.6

-3.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €102

$115 €99.9

1.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,364 €1,189

$1,432 €1,249

-4.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$982 €856

$1,377 €1,200

-28.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,381 €2,076

$1,997 €1,741

19.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,705 €1,486

$1,127 €982

51.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,783 €8,528

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,278 €4,601

$3,453 €3,010

52.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,765 €3,282

$3,119 €2,719

20.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.63

3.89

-6.68%

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

Last update for Hamburg: September 12, 2026

Last update for Friedrichshafen: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,364 in Hamburg and $1,432 in Friedrichshafen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamburg pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Hamburg vs $76.0 in Friedrichshafen. Groceries flip the comparison at $343 vs $320, with Friedrichshafen cheaper for home cooking.

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 10% in total monthly costs ($2,379 vs $2,616 including rent). Hamburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $1,364 in Hamburg versus $1,432 in Friedrichshafen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Friedrichshafen pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamburg – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $76.0 in Friedrichshafen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,379 in Hamburg versus $2,616 in Friedrichshafen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hamburg but tight or insufficient in Friedrichshafen. The gap between the two cities makes Hamburg 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 Hamburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Friedrichshafen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.