Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Iserlohn

For one person, living is cheaper in Iserlohn: $1,879 a month against $2,332 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
90

Cost of Living Index in Iserlohn
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Iserlohn Living Index

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Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,332

/mo nomad

Iserlohn

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,879

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamburg and in Iserlohn

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

A single person spends $2,332 per month in Hamburg vs $1,879 in Iserlohn, rent included.

Hamburg $2,332
Iserlohn $1,879

A couple spends around $3,481 per month in Hamburg vs $2,726 in Iserlohn, rent included.

Hamburg $3,481
Iserlohn $2,726

A family of three spends $4,631 per month in Hamburg vs $3,573 in Iserlohn, rent included.

Hamburg $4,631
Iserlohn $3,573

Hamburg costs about 24% more than Iserlohn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hamburg and Iserlohn sit above the global median – Hamburg by 71%, Iserlohn by 38%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €15.29

$12.51 €11.24

36.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 €66.1

$50.6 €45.47

45.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 €12.27

$9.96 €8.95

37.05%

Cappuccino

$4.67 €4.20

$3.38 €3.04

38.17%

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

$4.18 €3.75

$2.07 €1.86

101.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.91

$2.93 €2.64

10.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 €5.36

$4.70 €4.22

26.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 €4.48

$4.23 €3.80

17.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.28 €1.15

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 €2.33

$1.96 €1.76

32.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.51

$2.63 €2.36

6.08%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.81

$2.63 €2.36

61.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.36 €11.11

$13.36 €12.00

-7.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 €10.80

$6.31 €5.66

90.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 €17.01

$16.65 €14.95

13.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.91

$2.19 €1.97

47.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.52 €1.36

53.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 €2.65

$1.91 €1.72

54.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 €3.70

$3.63 €3.26

13.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.64

$1.38 €1.24

32.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.57

$0.91 €0.82

92.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.32 €1.18

31.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.05

$0.31 €0.28

277.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 €9.04

$9.63 €8.65

4.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.61 €5.94

$5.59 €5.02

18.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.02

$1.09 €0.97

3.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.57 €1.41

-4.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 €3.98

$3.52 €3.16

25.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.4 €62.4

$70.2 €63.1

-1.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 €6.10

$5.48 €4.92

23.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 €2.68

$2.48 €2.23

20.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.72 €37.48

$38.36 €34.46

8.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €2.06

$2.07 €1.86

10.63%

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

$33.0K €29.6K

$32.7K €29.4K

0.90%

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

$38.9K €35.0K

$38.2K €34.3K

1.92%

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

$383 €344

$390 €350

-1.78%

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

$19.47 €17.49

$16.64 €14.94

17.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.79 €34.84

$52.9 €47.52

-26.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 €37.96

$19.15 €17.20

120.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.37 €25.49

$26.80 €24.08

5.86%

Cinema Ticket

$15.46 €13.88

$19.79 €17.77

-21.88%

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

$502 €451

$478 €429

5.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K €12.4K

$14.7K €13.2K

-6.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 €77.8

$53.8 €48.31

60.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.18 €32.50

$21.09 €18.94

71.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.4

$82.5 €74.1

22.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €105

$139 €125

-15.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 €1,088

$798 €717

51.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 €825

$647 €581

41.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 €1,935

$1,478 €1,328

45.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 €1,498

$1,147 €1,030

45.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,358 €8,406

$4,633 €4,162

101.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,163 €4,638

$3,365 €3,023

53.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,622 €3,253

$3,284 €2,950

10.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.69

4.04

-8.66%

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

Last update for Hamburg: October 26, 2026

Last update for Iserlohn: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamburg

$919 39.4%

Iserlohn

$647 34.5% 29.6% $272

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamburg

$441 18.9%

Iserlohn

$459 24.4% 4.1% $18

Groceries & Markets

Hamburg

$335 14.3%

Iserlohn

$256 13.6% 23.6% $79

Eating Out

Hamburg

$303 13%

Iserlohn

$223 11.8% 26.5% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Hamburg

$153 6.6%

Iserlohn

$133 7.1% 13% $20

Getting Around

Hamburg

$109 4.7%

Iserlohn

$102 5.4% 6.1% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Hamburg

$73 3.1%

Iserlohn

$59 3.1% 19.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,212 in Hamburg versus $798 in Iserlohn. 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 10% 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 $74 in Hamburg versus $51 in Iserlohn. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $335 vs $256 – making Iserlohn the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🇩🇪 Iserlohn

🕒 Local time

15:01 3:01 PM

Same time as Hamburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,812,709

94,536

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Hamburg Iserlohn 290 km

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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 Iserlohn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamburg costs about 24% more than Iserlohn, 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 $2,818 in Iserlohn. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iserlohn, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $798 there versus $1,212 in Hamburg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,332 in Hamburg and $1,879 in Iserlohn. That’s a gap of about 24%.

Kindergarten costs $502 per month in Hamburg and $478 in Iserlohn. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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

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 Iserlohn. 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.