Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Giessen Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Giessen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,419 per month in Hamburg vs $2,335 in Giessen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,609 per month in Hamburg vs $3,265 in Giessen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,800 per month in Hamburg vs $4,195 in Giessen, rent included.

Hamburg costs about 4% more than Giessen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Hamburg and Giessen sit above the global median – Hamburg by 75%, Giessen by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.40 €15.00

$21.73 €18.73

-19.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.4

$69.2 €59.6

1.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.01 €12.08

$14.03 €12.09

-0.14%

Cappuccino

$4.75 €4.09

$4.02 €3.46

18.16%

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

$4.22 €3.64

$2.44 €2.10

72.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.02

$1.99 €1.72

76.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 €5.15

$4.92 €4.24

21.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 €4.29

$5.74 €4.95

-13.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 €2.15

$2.15 €1.86

15.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 €2.61

$3.86 €3.33

-21.76%

Eggs

$4.29 €3.70

$3.87 €3.34

10.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.47 €10.75

$14.75 €12.72

-15.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.74 €10.98

$10.96 €9.45

16.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.96 €17.21

$19.51 €16.82

2.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 €2.98

$3.04 €2.62

13.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 €2.10

$1.87 €1.61

29.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 €2.67

$2.26 €1.95

37.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 €3.68

$4.05 €3.49

5.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.19 €1.03

69.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 €1.58

$1.13 €0.98

61.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 €1.56

$1.52 €1.31

18.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.35 €1.17

-14.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.55 €9.09

$10.30 €8.88

2.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$5.89 €5.08

0.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.07 €0.93

14.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.22

$1.64 €1.41

-14.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.64 €4.00

$4.04 €3.48

14.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.3 €63.2

$70.9 €61.1

3.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.01 €6.04

$5.79 €4.99

21.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 €2.65

$2.25 €1.94

36.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.53 €38.39

$40.35 €34.78

10.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.05 €1.76

7.80%

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

$33.9K €29.2K

$31.6K €27.2K

7.34%

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

$40.1K €34.6K

$39.7K €34.2K

1.14%

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

$393 €339

$363 €313

8.26%

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

$21.04 €18.13

$33.39 €28.78

-36.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.14 €34.60

$54.8 €47.22

-26.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 €38.22

$39.60 €34.14

11.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.22 €25.19

Cinema Ticket

$16.41 €14.14

$11.09 €9.56

47.97%

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

$534 €461

$1,116 €962

-52.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K €12.5K

$46.8K €40.3K

-69.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.0 €74.2

$46.00 €39.66

87.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.68 €37.65

$22.95 €19.78

90.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 €84.2

$118 €102

-17.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €101

$146 €126

-19.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,370 €1,181

$770 €664

77.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 €840

$936 €807

4.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,395 €2,064

$1,485 €1,280

61.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 €1,477

$1,279 €1,102

33.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.1K €8,731

$5,925 €5,108

70.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,208 €4,489

$2,955 €2,547

76.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,721 €3,207

$2,785 €2,401

33.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.63

3.96

-8.33%

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

Last update for Hamburg: September 8, 2026

Last update for Giessen: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,370 in Hamburg versus $770 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 34% higher in Hamburg, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Hamburg versus $69.0 in Giessen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $327 – making Giessen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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: $2,419 in Hamburg, $2,335 in Giessen – roughly 4% apart. Hamburg costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,628 per month in Hamburg and $3,503 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Hamburg and $69.0 in Giessen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,419 in Hamburg and $2,335 in Giessen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Giessen, where all-in costs run around $2,335, than in Hamburg at $2,419. In Giessen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hamburg has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,335 in Giessen to $2,419 in Hamburg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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