Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Ilmenau

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilmenau: $2,053 a month against $2,332 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
Learn more

Hamburg Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Ilmenau
Learn more

Ilmenau Living Index

Jump to prices

Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,332

/mo nomad

Ilmenau

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,053

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamburg and in Ilmenau

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

A single person spends $2,332 per month in Hamburg vs $2,053 in Ilmenau, rent included.

Hamburg $2,332
Ilmenau $2,053

A couple spends around $3,481 per month in Hamburg vs $2,519 in Ilmenau, rent included.

Hamburg $3,481
Ilmenau $2,519

A family of three spends $4,631 per month in Hamburg vs $2,986 in Ilmenau, rent included.

Hamburg $4,631
Ilmenau $2,986

Hamburg costs about 14% more than Ilmenau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hamburg and Ilmenau sit above the global median – Hamburg by 71%, Ilmenau by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €15.26

$11.31 €10.13

50.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 €66.0

$67.1 €60.1

9.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 €12.24

$11.04 €9.89

23.64%

Cappuccino

$4.67 €4.19

$3.42 €3.07

36.55%

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

$4.18 €3.75

$4.07 €3.65

2.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.90

$7.61 €6.82

-57.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 €5.34

$4.51 €4.04

32.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 €4.47

$4.95 €4.43

0.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.12 €1.00

7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 €2.33

$2.11 €1.89

23.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.50

$3.30 €2.95

-15.45%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.80

$3.21 €2.88

32.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.36 €11.08

$14.17 €12.70

-12.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 €10.77

$10.28 €9.21

16.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 €16.97

$17.89 €16.03

5.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.90

$2.86 €2.56

13.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.46 €1.31

59.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 €2.65

$3.55 €3.18

-16.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 €3.69

$3.82 €3.42

7.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.64

$2.09 €1.87

-12.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.36 €1.22

28.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.62 €1.45

6.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.05

$0.87 €0.78

34.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 €9.02

$9.34 €8.37

7.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.61 €5.92

$6.26 €5.61

5.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.02

$1.14 €1.02

-0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.52 €1.37

-1.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 €3.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.4 €62.2

$65.8 €59.0

5.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 €6.08

$5.26 €4.72

29.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 €2.67

$4.24 €3.80

-29.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.72 €37.39

$44.24 €39.65

-5.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €2.05

$2.13 €1.91

7.51%

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

$33.0K €29.6K

$32.8K €29.4K

0.40%

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

$38.9K €34.9K

$37.4K €33.5K

4.07%

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

$383 €343

$671 €601

-42.93%

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

$19.47 €17.45

$27.51 €24.65

-29.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.79 €34.76

$34.26 €30.70

13.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 €37.87

$49.08 €43.98

-13.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.37 €25.43

Cinema Ticket

$15.46 €13.85

$13.16 €11.79

17.48%

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

$502 €450

$455 €408

10.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K €12.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 €77.6

$92.4 €82.8

-6.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.18 €32.42

$31.93 €28.61

13.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.2

$121 €108

-16.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €105

$113 €102

3.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 €1,086

$474 €425

155.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 €823

$438 €393

109.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 €1,931

$849 €761

153.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 €1,494

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,358 €8,385

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,163 €4,627

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,622 €3,245

$3,184 €2,853

13.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.69

3.95

-6.58%

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

Last update for Hamburg: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ilmenau: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamburg

$919 39.4%

Ilmenau

$438 21.4% 52.3% $481

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamburg

$441 18.9%

Ilmenau

$733 35.7% 66.1% $291

Groceries & Markets

Hamburg

$335 14.3%

Ilmenau

$309 15.1% 7.5% $25

Eating Out

Hamburg

$303 13%

Ilmenau

$244 11.9% 19.5% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Hamburg

$153 6.6%

Ilmenau

$161 7.9% 5.1% $7.9

Getting Around

Hamburg

$109 4.7%

Ilmenau

$92 * 4.5% 15.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Hamburg

$73 3.1%

Ilmenau

$75 3.7% 3% $2.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,212 in Hamburg versus $474 in Ilmenau. 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 14% higher in Hamburg. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Hamburg versus $67 in Ilmenau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $335 vs $309 – making Ilmenau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🇩🇪 Ilmenau

🕒 Local time

05:42 5:42 AM

Same time as Hamburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,812,709

39,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hamburg Ilmenau 320 km

From you

Hamburg
Ilmenau

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 Ilmenau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamburg costs about 14% more than Ilmenau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,499 per month in Hamburg and $3,080 in Ilmenau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ilmenau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $474 there versus $1,212 in Hamburg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,332 in Hamburg and $2,053 in Ilmenau. That makes Ilmenau about 12% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Ilmenau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,332 in Hamburg and $2,053 in Ilmenau, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ilmenau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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