Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Kassel

For one person, living is cheaper in Kassel: $1,912 a month against $2,332 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
92

Cost of Living Index in Kassel
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Kassel Living Index

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Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,332

/mo nomad

Kassel

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamburg and in Kassel

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

A single person spends $2,332 per month in Hamburg vs $1,912 in Kassel, rent included.

Hamburg $2,332
Kassel $1,912

A couple spends around $3,481 per month in Hamburg vs $2,822 in Kassel, rent included.

Hamburg $3,481
Kassel $2,822

A family of three spends $4,631 per month in Hamburg vs $3,732 in Kassel, rent included.

Hamburg $4,631
Kassel $3,732

Hamburg costs about 22% more than Kassel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hamburg and Kassel sit above the global median – Hamburg by 71%, Kassel by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €15.21

$14.62 €13.06

16.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 €65.7

$55.4 €49.51

32.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 €12.20

$12.14 €10.85

12.44%

Cappuccino

$4.67 €4.17

$3.82 €3.41

22.25%

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

$4.18 €3.73

$3.93 €3.51

6.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.89

$2.48 €2.22

30.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 €5.33

$5.56 €4.97

7.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 €4.45

$4.54 €4.06

9.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.28 €1.14

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 €2.32

$2.07 €1.84

25.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.50

$3.30 €2.95

-15.45%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.79

$3.55 €3.17

19.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.36 €11.04

$13.44 €12.00

-8.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 €10.74

$10.85 €9.69

10.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 €16.92

$24.96 €22.29

-24.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.89

$3.29 €2.94

-1.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.15 €1.92

8.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 €2.64

$2.32 €2.07

27.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 €3.68

$4.97 €4.44

-17.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.63

$1.52 €1.36

20.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.30 €1.16

34.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.76 €1.57

-1.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.05

$0.92 €0.83

27.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 €8.99

$9.36 €8.36

7.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.61 €5.90

$6.07 €5.43

8.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.01

$0.95 €0.84

18.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.53 €1.36

-1.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 €3.96

$3.71 €3.31

19.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.4 €62.0

$69.0 €61.7

0.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 €6.06

$4.21 €3.76

61.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 €2.66

$2.51 €2.24

18.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.72 €37.27

$39.65 €35.42

5.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €2.05

$2.11 €1.89

8.53%

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

$33.0K €29.5K

$32.5K €29.0K

1.62%

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

$38.9K €34.8K

$37.9K €33.9K

2.62%

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

$383 €342

$402 €359

-4.74%

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

$19.47 €17.39

$41.28 €36.87

-52.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.79 €34.64

$51.5 €46.01

-24.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 €37.74

$35.64 €31.83

18.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.37 €25.34

$11.15 €9.96

154.44%

Cinema Ticket

$15.46 €13.81

$13.36 €11.93

15.72%

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

$502 €449

$364 €325

38.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K €12.3K

$16.1K €14.3K

-14.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 €77.3

$92.4 €82.6

-6.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.18 €32.32

$44.16 €39.44

-18.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €89.9

$86.2 €77.0

16.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €105

$111 €99.4

5.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 €1,082

$649 €579

86.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 €821

$503 €450

82.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 €1,924

$1,083 €968

98.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 €1,489

$915 €817

82.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,358 €8,358

$4,725 €4,220

98.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,163 €4,612

$2,801 €2,502

84.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,622 €3,235

$2,574 €2,299

40.71%

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 Kassel: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamburg

$919 39.4%

Kassel

$503 26.3% 45.2% $416

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamburg

$441 18.9%

Kassel

$495 25.9% 12.2% $54

Groceries & Markets

Hamburg

$335 14.3%

Kassel

$339 17.7% 1.3% $4.5

Eating Out

Hamburg

$303 13%

Kassel

$262 13.7% 13.5% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Hamburg

$153 6.6%

Kassel

$150 7.9% 1.9% $3

Getting Around

Hamburg

$109 4.7%

Kassel

$101 5.3% 7.6% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Hamburg

$73 3.1%

Kassel

$62 3.3% 14.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,212 in Hamburg versus $649 in Kassel. 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 41% higher in Hamburg. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Hamburg versus $55 in Kassel. Groceries tell a different story – $335 in Hamburg vs $339 in Kassel – so Hamburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🇩🇪 Kassel

🕒 Local time

05:08 5:08 AM

Same time as Hamburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,812,709

204,021

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Kassel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamburg costs about 22% more than Kassel, 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 $2,868 in Kassel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kassel, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $649 there versus $1,212 in Hamburg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,332 in Hamburg and $1,912 in Kassel. That makes Kassel about 18% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Hamburg and $55 in Kassel. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Kassel – 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 Kassel. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hamburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.