Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Giessen

For one person, living is cheaper in Giessen: $2,262 a month against $2,332 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $840 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
109

Cost of Living Index in Giessen
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Giessen Living Index

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Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,332

/mo nomad

Giessen

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,262

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamburg and in Giessen

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

A single person spends $2,332 per month in Hamburg vs $2,262 in Giessen, rent included.

Hamburg $2,332
Giessen $2,262

A couple spends around $3,481 per month in Hamburg vs $3,161 in Giessen, rent included.

Hamburg $3,481
Giessen $3,161

A family of three spends $4,631 per month in Hamburg vs $4,059 in Giessen, rent included.

Hamburg $4,631
Giessen $4,059

Hamburg costs about 3% more than Giessen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hamburg and Giessen sit above the global median – Hamburg by 71%, Giessen by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €15.29

$21.48 €19.30

-20.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 €66.1

$67.8 €60.9

8.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 €12.27

$13.28 €11.93

2.79%

Cappuccino

$4.67 €4.20

$4.01 €3.60

16.46%

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

$4.18 €3.75

$2.34 €2.10

78.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.91

$1.97 €1.77

64.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 €5.36

$4.63 €4.16

28.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 €4.48

$5.53 €4.96

-9.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.32 €1.18

-9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 €2.33

$2.15 €1.93

20.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.51

$3.76 €3.37

-25.80%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.81

$3.59 €3.23

18.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.36 €11.11

$14.39 €12.92

-14.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 €10.80

$10.96 €9.84

9.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 €17.01

$19.00 €17.07

-0.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.91

$3.02 €2.71

7.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.77 €1.59

31.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 €2.65

$2.11 €1.89

39.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 €3.70

$3.91 €3.51

5.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.64

$1.20 €1.08

52.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.57

$1.12 €1.01

56.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.54 €1.38

12.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.05

$1.29 €1.16

-9.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 €9.04

$9.91 €8.90

1.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.61 €5.94

$5.68 €5.11

16.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.02

$0.99 €0.89

14.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.51 €1.36

-0.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 €3.98

$3.81 €3.43

16.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.4 €62.4

$68.9 €61.9

0.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 €6.10

$5.60 €5.03

21.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 €2.68

$2.18 €1.96

36.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.72 €37.48

$38.52 €34.60

8.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €2.06

$1.91 €1.72

19.90%

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

$33.0K €29.6K

$29.9K €26.9K

10.15%

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

$38.9K €35.0K

$38.6K €34.7K

0.82%

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

$383 €344

$348 €312

10.12%

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

$19.47 €17.49

$32.76 €29.43

-40.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.79 €34.84

$52.1 €46.83

-25.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 €37.96

$37.83 €33.99

11.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.37 €25.49

Cinema Ticket

$15.46 €13.88

$10.47 €9.41

47.66%

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

$502 €451

$1,088 €977

-53.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K €12.4K

$44.9K €40.4K

-69.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 €77.8

$43.88 €39.42

97.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.18 €32.50

$22.21 €19.95

62.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.4

$112 €101

-10.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €105

$152 €137

-22.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 €1,088

$713 €641

69.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 €825

$891 €800

3.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 €1,935

$1,438 €1,292

49.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 €1,498

$1,209 €1,086

37.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,358 €8,406

$5,559 €4,994

68.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,163 €4,638

$2,829 €2,541

82.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,622 €3,253

$2,667 €2,396

35.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.69

3.96

-6.82%

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

Last update for Hamburg: October 26, 2026

Last update for Giessen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamburg

$919 39.4%

Giessen

$891 39.4% 3.1% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamburg

$441 18.9%

Giessen

$433 19.1% 1.9% $8.5

Groceries & Markets

Hamburg

$335 14.3%

Giessen

$320 14.1% 4.5% $15

Eating Out

Hamburg

$303 13%

Giessen

$311 13.8% 2.8% $8.6

Clothing & Footwear

Hamburg

$153 6.6%

Giessen

$149 6.6% 3% $4.6

Getting Around

Hamburg

$109 4.7%

Giessen

$101 4.5% 7.5% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Hamburg

$73 3.1%

Giessen

$59 2.6% 19.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,212 in Hamburg versus $713 in Giessen. 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 36% higher in Hamburg. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Hamburg versus $68 in Giessen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $335 vs $320 – making Giessen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🇩🇪 Giessen

🕒 Local time

21:22 9:22 PM

Same time as Hamburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,812,709

89,179

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Giessen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,332 in Hamburg, $2,262 in Giessen – Giessen comes out roughly 3% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,499 per month in Hamburg and $3,393 in Giessen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Giessen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $713 there versus $1,212 in Hamburg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,332 in Hamburg and $2,262 in Giessen. That makes Giessen about 3% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $502 per month in Hamburg and $1,088 in Giessen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,332 in Hamburg and $2,262 in Giessen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Hamburg has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,262 in Giessen to $2,332 in Hamburg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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