Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Recklinghausen

For one person, living is cheaper in Recklinghausen: $1,980 a month against $2,332 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hamburg outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

113

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
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Hamburg Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Recklinghausen
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Recklinghausen Living Index

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Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,332

/mo nomad

Recklinghausen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,980

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamburg and in Recklinghausen

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

A single person spends $2,332 per month in Hamburg vs $1,980 in Recklinghausen, rent included.

Hamburg $2,332
Recklinghausen $1,980

A couple spends around $3,481 per month in Hamburg vs $2,932 in Recklinghausen, rent included.

Hamburg $3,481
Recklinghausen $2,932

A family of three spends $4,631 per month in Hamburg vs $3,885 in Recklinghausen, rent included.

Hamburg $4,631
Recklinghausen $3,885

Hamburg costs about 18% more than Recklinghausen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Hamburg and Recklinghausen sit above the global median – Hamburg by 71%, Recklinghausen by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €15.26

$20.39 €18.27

-16.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 €66.0

$83.3 €74.7

-11.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 €12.24

$12.20 €10.93

11.89%

Cappuccino

$4.67 €4.19

$3.38 €3.03

38.17%

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

$4.18 €3.75

$2.86 €2.57

46.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.90

$2.22 €1.99

45.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 €5.34

$5.54 €4.96

7.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 €4.47

$3.37 €3.02

47.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.23 €1.10

-2.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 €2.33

$2.11 €1.89

23.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.50

$3.19 €2.86

-12.54%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.80

$3.50 €3.14

21.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.36 €11.08

$16.68 €14.95

-25.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 €10.77

$11.51 €10.32

4.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 €16.97

$24.02 €21.53

-21.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.90

$3.22 €2.88

0.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.09

$2.01 €1.80

15.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 €2.65

$2.26 €2.03

30.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 €3.69

$5.06 €4.53

-18.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.64

$1.36 €1.22

34.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.26 €1.13

38.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.80 €1.62

-3.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.05

$1.14 €1.02

2.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 €9.02

$9.66 €8.66

4.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.61 €5.92

$6.83 €6.12

-3.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.02

$1.03 €0.92

9.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.58 €1.42

-5.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 €3.97

$3.66 €3.28

21.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.4 €62.2

$65.7 €58.9

5.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 €6.08

$3.31 €2.97

105.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 €2.67

$0.99 €0.89

201.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.72 €37.39

$33.17 €29.72

25.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €2.05

$2.25 €2.01

1.78%

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

$33.0K €29.6K

$30.9K €27.7K

6.85%

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

$38.9K €34.9K

$37.8K €33.9K

2.96%

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

$383 €343

$374 €335

2.31%

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

$19.47 €17.45

$34.22 €30.67

-43.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.79 €34.76

$53.2 €47.66

-27.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 €37.87

$22.44 €20.11

88.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.37 €25.43

$15.88 €14.23

78.65%

Cinema Ticket

$15.46 €13.85

$10.75 €9.63

43.81%

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

$502 €450

$459 €411

9.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K €12.3K

$9,410 €8,432

46.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 €77.6

$95.1 €85.2

-8.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.18 €32.42

$33.80 €30.29

7.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.2

$111 €99.6

-9.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €105

$143 €128

-17.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 €1,086

$639 €573

89.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 €823

$566 €508

62.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 €1,931

$950 €851

126.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 €1,494

$869 €779

91.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,358 €8,385

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,163 €4,627

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,622 €3,245

$2,801 €2,510

29.28%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Recklinghausen: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamburg

$919 39.4%

Recklinghausen

$566 28.6% 38.4% $352

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamburg

$441 18.9%

Recklinghausen

$462 23.3% 4.7% $21

Groceries & Markets

Hamburg

$335 14.3%

Recklinghausen

$352 17.8% 5.2% $17

Eating Out

Hamburg

$303 13%

Recklinghausen

$295 14.9% 2.5% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

Hamburg

$153 6.6%

Recklinghausen

$172 8.7% 12.4% $19

Getting Around

Hamburg

$109 4.7%

Recklinghausen

$89 4.5% 18.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Hamburg

$73 3.1%

Recklinghausen

$44 2.2% 39.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,212 in Hamburg versus $639 in Recklinghausen. 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 29% higher in Hamburg. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Hamburg versus $83 in Recklinghausen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $335 vs $352 – making Hamburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🇩🇪 Recklinghausen

🕒 Local time

14:50 2:50 PM

Same time as Hamburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,812,709

115,320

💱 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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Hamburg vs Recklinghausen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamburg costs about 18% more than Recklinghausen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. 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 $2,970 in Recklinghausen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Recklinghausen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $639 there versus $1,212 in Hamburg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,332 in Hamburg and $1,980 in Recklinghausen. That makes Recklinghausen about 15% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Recklinghausen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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