Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Passau

For one person, living is cheaper in Passau: $1,547 a month against $2,332 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hamburg, Germany
Passau, Germany
Hamburg
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,332
/mo nomad
Passau
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,547
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamburg and in Passau

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

A single person spends $2,332 per month in Hamburg vs $1,547 in Passau, rent included.

  • Hamburg $2,332
  • Passau $1,547

A couple spends around $3,481 per month in Hamburg vs $2,585 in Passau, rent included.

  • Hamburg $3,481
  • Passau $2,585

A family of three spends $4,631 per month in Hamburg vs $3,623 in Passau, rent included.

  • Hamburg $4,631
  • Passau $3,623

Hamburg costs about 51% more than Passau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Hamburg and Passau sit above the global median – Hamburg by 71%, Passau by 14%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hamburg
Passau
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.03 €15.29
$16.66 €14.96
2.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.6 €66.1
$60.8 €54.6
20.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.65 €12.27
$11.94 €10.72
14.32%
Cappuccino
$4.67 €4.20
$3.75 €3.37
24.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.18 €3.75
$3.56 €3.19
17.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.24 €2.91
$3.09 €2.78
4.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.96 €5.36
$4.38 €3.93
36.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.98 €4.48
$5.10 €4.58
-2.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hamburg
Passau
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 €1.08
$1.16 €1.04
3.45%
White Bread (500g)
$2.60 €2.33
$2.14 €1.92
21.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.79 €2.51
$3.31 €2.97
-15.71%
Eggs
$4.24 €3.81
$3.77 €3.38
12.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.36 €11.11
$14.47 €13.00
-14.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.02 €10.80
$16.45 €14.77
-26.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.94 €17.01
$20.53 €18.44
-7.74%
Apples (1kg)
$3.24 €2.91
$2.82 €2.53
14.89%
Banana (1kg)
$2.33 €2.09
$1.75 €1.57
33.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.95 €2.65
$2.13 €1.92
38.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.12 €3.70
$4.54 €4.07
-9.25%
Potato (1kg)
$1.83 €1.64
$1.50 €1.34
22.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.75 €1.57
$1.62 €1.46
8.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.83 €1.65
-5.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 €1.05
$1.07 €0.96
9.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.07 €9.04
$9.12 €8.19
10.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.61 €5.94
$5.70 €5.12
15.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.13 €1.02
$1.05 €0.94
7.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.50 €1.34
$1.73 €1.56
-13.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Hamburg
Passau
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.43 €3.98
$2.82 €2.54
57.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$69.4 €62.4
$64.8 €58.2
7.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.79 €6.10
$4.45 €3.99
52.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.98 €2.68
$2.53 €2.27
17.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.72 €37.48
$39.45 €35.44
5.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.29 €2.06
$1.85 €1.66
23.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.6K
$32.6K €29.3K
1.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.9K €35.0K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamburg
Passau
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$383 €344
$264 €237
45.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.47 €17.49
$16.57 €14.88
17.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.79 €34.84
$52.1 €46.80
-25.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hamburg
Passau
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.26 €37.96
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.37 €25.49
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.46 €13.88
$12.50 €11.23
23.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hamburg
Passau
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$502 €451
$698 €627
-27.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.8K €12.4K
$19.2K €17.3K
-28.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hamburg
Passau
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.6 €77.8
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.18 €32.50
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 €90.4
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 €105
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hamburg
Passau
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,212 €1,088
$677 €608
79.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$919 €825
$471 €423
94.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,155 €1,935
$1,681 €1,510
28.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,667 €1,498
$1,347 €1,210
23.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,358 €8,406
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,163 €4,638
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hamburg
Passau
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,622 €3,253
$3,514 €3,157
3.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.69
3.98
-7.29%

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

Last update for Hamburg: October 26, 2026

Last update for Passau: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hamburg
$919
Passau
$471 48.7% $447
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamburg
$441
Passau
$332 24.6% $109
Groceries & Markets
Hamburg
$335
Passau
$352 5.3% $18
Eating Out
Hamburg
$303
Passau
$273 9.9% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Hamburg
$153
Passau
- * 100%
Getting Around
Hamburg
$109
Passau
$93 14.4% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Hamburg
$73
Passau
$25 * 65.8% $48

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 $677 in Passau. 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 3% 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 $61 in Passau. Groceries tell a different story – $335 in Hamburg vs $352 in Passau – so Hamburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Hamburg
🇩🇪 Passau
🕒 Local time
23:15 11:15 PM
23:15 11:15 PM
Same time as Hamburg
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,812,709
54,401
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hamburg Passau 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Hamburg
  • Passau

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 Passau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Hamburg or Passau?
Hamburg costs about 51% more than Passau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Hamburg and in Passau?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,499 per month in Hamburg and $2,321 in Passau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Hamburg or Passau?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Passau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $677 there versus $1,212 in Hamburg.
How much does it cost to live in Hamburg compared to Passau?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,332 in Hamburg and $1,547 in Passau. That makes Passau about 34% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Hamburg compared to Passau?
Public transport costs about 7% less in Passau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Hamburg or in Passau?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Passau, where all-in costs run around $1,547, than in Hamburg at $2,332. In Passau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Hamburg or Passau?
It depends on your priorities. Hamburg has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,547 in Passau to $2,332 in Hamburg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Hamburg compared to Passau?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Hamburg or to Passau?
If budget matters most, go with Passau. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hamburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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