Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Magdeburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Magdeburg: $1,872 a month against $2,332 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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 Magdeburg
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Magdeburg Living Index

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Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,332

/mo nomad

Magdeburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,872

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamburg and in Magdeburg

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

A single person spends $2,332 per month in Hamburg vs $1,872 in Magdeburg, rent included.

Hamburg $2,332
Magdeburg $1,872

A couple spends around $3,481 per month in Hamburg vs $2,769 in Magdeburg, rent included.

Hamburg $3,481
Magdeburg $2,769

A family of three spends $4,631 per month in Hamburg vs $3,665 in Magdeburg, rent included.

Hamburg $4,631
Magdeburg $3,665

Hamburg costs about 25% more than Magdeburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €15.26

$13.05 €11.69

30.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 €66.0

$66.2 €59.4

11.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 €12.24

$11.37 €10.19

20.05%

Cappuccino

$4.67 €4.19

$3.12 €2.80

49.68%

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

$4.18 €3.75

$3.66 €3.28

14.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.90

$2.99 €2.68

8.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 €5.34

$4.41 €3.95

35.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 €4.47

$4.43 €3.97

12.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.40 €1.25

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 €2.33

$2.06 €1.85

26.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.50

$3.96 €3.55

-29.55%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.80

$3.85 €3.45

10.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.36 €11.08

$14.55 €13.04

-15.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 €10.77

$10.88 €9.75

10.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 €16.97

$23.84 €21.37

-20.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.90

$3.25 €2.92

-0.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.09

$2.14 €1.91

8.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 €2.65

$2.04 €1.83

44.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 €3.69

$4.34 €3.89

-5.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.64

$1.40 €1.25

30.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.08 €0.96

62.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.44 €1.29

20.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.05

$1.61 €1.45

-27.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 €9.02

$9.76 €8.74

3.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.61 €5.92

$5.64 €5.05

17.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.02

$1.22 €1.09

-7.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.71 €1.53

-12.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 €3.97

$3.36 €3.01

31.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.4 €62.2

$71.5 €64.0

-2.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 €6.08

$11.38 €10.20

-40.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 €2.67

$2.76 €2.48

7.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.72 €37.39

$11.12 €9.96

275.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €2.05

$2.09 €1.87

9.57%

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

$33.0K €29.6K

$33.3K €29.8K

-0.92%

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

$38.9K €34.9K

$38.5K €34.5K

1.14%

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

$383 €343

$431 €386

-11.11%

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

$19.47 €17.45

$25.89 €23.20

-24.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.79 €34.76

$38.07 €34.11

1.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 €37.87

$38.13 €34.17

10.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.37 €25.43

$31.92 €28.61

-11.12%

Cinema Ticket

$15.46 €13.85

$13.82 €12.38

11.87%

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

$502 €450

$226 €203

121.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K €12.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 €77.6

$89.5 €80.2

-3.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.18 €32.42

$33.51 €30.03

7.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.2

$107 €95.9

-5.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €105

$166 €149

-29.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 €1,086

$607 €544

99.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 €823

$443 €397

107.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 €1,931

$1,160 €1,039

85.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 €1,494

$747 €670

123.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,358 €8,385

$3,878 €3,475

141.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,163 €4,627

$1,837 €1,647

181.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,622 €3,245

$2,733 €2,449

32.53%

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 Magdeburg: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamburg

$919 39.4%

Magdeburg

$443 23.7% 51.7% $475

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamburg

$441 18.9%

Magdeburg

$495 26.4% 12.1% $54

Groceries & Markets

Hamburg

$335 14.3%

Magdeburg

$347 18.5% 3.6% $12

Eating Out

Hamburg

$303 13%

Magdeburg

$233 12.5% 22.9% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Hamburg

$153 6.6%

Magdeburg

$178 9.5% 16.3% $25

Getting Around

Hamburg

$109 4.7%

Magdeburg

$110 5.9% 1.2% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Hamburg

$73 3.1%

Magdeburg

$66 3.5% 10.1% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,212 in Hamburg versus $607 in Magdeburg. 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 33% higher in Hamburg. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Hamburg versus $66 in Magdeburg. Groceries tell a different story – $335 in Hamburg vs $347 in Magdeburg – so Hamburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🇩🇪 Magdeburg

🕒 Local time

11:09 11:09 AM

Same time as Hamburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,812,709

231,021

💱 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 Magdeburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamburg costs about 25% more than Magdeburg, 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 $2,808 in Magdeburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Magdeburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $607 there versus $1,212 in Hamburg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,332 in Hamburg and $1,872 in Magdeburg. That makes Magdeburg about 20% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Hamburg. 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 $1,872 in Magdeburg, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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