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: $2,429 in Hamburg versus $2,133 in Friedrichshafen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,787 in Hamburg versus $3,055 in Friedrichshafen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,145 in Hamburg versus $3,978 in Friedrichshafen.

Living in Hamburg is roughly 14% more expensive than Friedrichshafen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamburg 82% above, Friedrichshafen 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.51 €16.80

$16.68 €14.36

16.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 €78.7

$82.2 €70.8

11.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.97 €12.03

$12.12 €10.44

15.26%

Cappuccino

$4.80 €4.13

$3.90 €3.36

23.08%

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

$3.53 €3.04

$3.25 €2.80

8.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.79

$2.38 €2.05

36.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 €5.06

$3.67 €3.16

60.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 €4.74

$4.75 €4.09

16.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.18 €1.02

16.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.29 €1.97

-6.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.35 €2.88

$3.58 €3.08

-6.42%

Eggs

$3.74 €3.22

$3.88 €3.34

-3.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.61 €12.58

$14.73 €12.69

-0.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.22 €11.38

$13.63 €11.73

-3.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.41 €18.43

$17.87 €15.39

19.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 €2.89

$3.06 €2.63

9.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.88

$1.69 €1.46

28.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.00

$2.19 €1.89

6.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 €4.07

$4.83 €4.16

-2.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.47 €1.27

12.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.55 €1.34

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.83 €1.58

11.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.90 €0.77

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.85 €8.48

$10.04 €8.64

-1.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.55 €5.64

$6.31 €5.44

3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.05 €0.91

7.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.32

$1.60 €1.38

-3.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.13 €3.56

$2.75 €2.37

50.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.1 €57.8

$76.4 €65.8

-12.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 €6.05

$11.70 €10.07

-40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.87 €2.48

$2.16 €1.86

32.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.40 €37.37

$38.83 €33.44

11.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.94 €1.67

3.09%

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

$31.9K €27.5K

$31.5K €27.2K

1.09%

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

$40.1K €34.5K

$38.6K €33.2K

4.00%

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

$376 €323

$226 €195

66.01%

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

$21.89 €18.85

$36.02 €31.02

-39.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.34 €33.88

$54.8 €47.19

-28.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.18 €40.63

$38.17 €32.87

23.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.00 €20.66

$23.46 €20.20

2.30%

Cinema Ticket

$16.31 €14.04

$14.94 €12.86

9.17%

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

$258 €223

$401 €345

-35.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.8K €23.0K

$19.1K €16.4K

40.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.4 €79.6

$113 €96.9

-17.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 €51.9

$46.31 €39.88

30.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €106

$101 €86.7

22.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 €159

$175 €150

6.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 €1,216

$1,143 €984

23.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$935 €805

$880 €758

6.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,437 €2,098

$1,972 €1,698

23.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,825 €1,571

$1,137 €979

60.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K €9,057

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,386 €4,638

$3,548 €3,055

51.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,748 €3,228

$3,083 €2,655

21.58%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Friedrichshafen: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,412 in Hamburg and $1,143 in Friedrichshafen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamburg pays 22% 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: $91.0 in Hamburg vs $82.0 in Friedrichshafen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $336 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 14% in total monthly costs ($2,429 vs $2,133 including rent). Friedrichshafen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hamburg pays 22% 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: $1,412 in Hamburg versus $1,143 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 $82.0 versus $91.0 in Hamburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,133 in Friedrichshafen versus $2,429 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 14% less than in Hamburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.