Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Krefeld

For one person, living is cheaper in Krefeld: $1,899 a month against $2,347 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
Learn more

Hamburg Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Krefeld
Learn more

Krefeld Living Index

Jump to prices

Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,347

/mo nomad

Krefeld

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,899

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamburg and in Krefeld

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

A single person spends $2,347 per month in Hamburg vs $1,899 in Krefeld, rent included.

Hamburg $2,347
Krefeld $1,899

A couple spends around $3,488 per month in Hamburg vs $2,932 in Krefeld, rent included.

Hamburg $3,488
Krefeld $2,932

A family of three spends $4,628 per month in Hamburg vs $3,964 in Krefeld, rent included.

Hamburg $4,628
Krefeld $3,964

Hamburg costs about 24% more than Krefeld, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Hamburg and Krefeld sit above the global median – Hamburg by 74%, Krefeld by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.02 €15.14

$16.81 €14.95

1.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €61.0

$71.6 €63.7

-4.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.41 €11.93

$12.93 €11.50

3.71%

Cappuccino

$4.49 €3.99

$4.03 €3.58

11.41%

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

$4.20 €3.74

$3.69 €3.28

13.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 €2.86

$3.20 €2.85

0.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.51 €4.90

$5.74 €5.10

-4.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 €4.32

$5.46 €4.85

-10.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.12

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 €2.32

$2.10 €1.87

24.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.48

$3.62 €3.22

-22.93%

Eggs

$4.19 €3.73

$3.74 €3.33

12.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.24 €10.89

$13.16 €11.70

-6.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.68

$12.34 €10.98

-2.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.58 €16.53

$23.32 €20.75

-20.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 €2.78

$3.01 €2.68

3.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.14

$1.99 €1.77

20.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 €2.60

$2.39 €2.12

22.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 €3.82

$4.17 €3.71

2.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.63

$1.40 €1.25

30.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.19 €1.06

47.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.61 €1.43

11.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.06

$1.04 €0.92

14.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$9.98 €8.88

4.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.01

$6.58 €5.86

2.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.09 €0.97

2.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.55 €1.38

-16.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.46 €3.96

$3.42 €3.04

30.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$60.6 €53.9

18.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.74 €5.99

$5.06 €4.50

33.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 €2.74

$2.20 €1.95

40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.00 €37.36

$34.02 €30.26

23.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.26 €2.01

0.88%

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

$32.9K €29.3K

$32.4K €28.8K

1.67%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$38.3K €34.0K

0.76%

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

$384 €342

$300 €267

28.09%

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

$19.76 €17.58

$25.28 €22.49

-21.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.03 €34.72

$41.06 €36.52

-4.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.03 €40.05

$39.80 €35.41

13.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.80 €25.62

$23.10 €20.55

24.68%

Cinema Ticket

$16.44 €14.62

$13.54 €12.05

21.42%

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

$509 €453

$465 €414

9.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €12.0K

$21.8K €19.4K

-38.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 €74.6

$88.8 €79.0

-5.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.19 €33.08

$41.10 €36.56

-9.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 €84.1

$105 €93.3

-9.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €103

$130 €116

-10.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 €1,129

$716 €637

77.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 €831

$584 €519

60.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 €2,021

$1,425 €1,267

59.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,692 €1,505

$1,128 €1,004

49.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,500 €8,450

$3,248 €2,889

192.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,121 €4,555

$4,481 €3,985

14.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,647 €3,244

$2,002 €1,781

82.15%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Krefeld: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamburg

$934 39.8%

Krefeld

$583 30.7% 37.5% $350

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamburg

$443 18.9%

Krefeld

$366 19.3% 17.3% $77

Groceries & Markets

Hamburg

$335 14.3%

Krefeld

$339 17.8% 1.3% $4.3

Eating Out

Hamburg

$297 12.7%

Krefeld

$289 15.2% 2.8% $8.4

Clothing & Footwear

Hamburg

$149 6.4%

Krefeld

$164 8.6% 9.9% $15

Getting Around

Hamburg

$112 4.8%

Krefeld

$90 4.8% 19% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Hamburg

$78 3.3%

Krefeld

$67 3.5% 14.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,270 in Hamburg versus $716 in Krefeld. 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 82% 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 $69.0 in Hamburg versus $72.0 in Krefeld. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $335 vs $339 – making Hamburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🇩🇪 Krefeld

🕒 Local time

17:24 5:24 PM

Same time as Hamburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,812,709

222,058

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hamburg Krefeld 340 km

From you

Hamburg
Krefeld

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 Krefeld: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamburg costs about 24% more than Krefeld, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,521 per month in Hamburg and $2,848 in Krefeld. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Krefeld, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,347 in Hamburg and $1,899 in Krefeld. That's a gap of about 24%.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Krefeld. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Krefeld, where all-in costs run around $1,899, than in Hamburg at $2,347. In Krefeld it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Krefeld costs $1,899 versus $2,347 in Hamburg. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Krefeld. 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.