Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Siegen

For one person, living is cheaper in Siegen: $1,737 a month against $2,383 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
Learn more

Hamburg Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Siegen
Learn more

Siegen Living Index

Jump to prices

Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,383

/mo nomad

Siegen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamburg and in Siegen

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

A single person spends $2,383 per month in Hamburg vs $1,737 in Siegen, rent included.

Hamburg $2,383
Siegen $1,737

A couple spends around $3,529 per month in Hamburg vs $2,625 in Siegen, rent included.

Hamburg $3,529
Siegen $2,625

A family of three spends $4,675 per month in Hamburg vs $3,513 in Siegen, rent included.

Hamburg $4,675
Siegen $3,513

Hamburg costs about 37% more than Siegen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hamburg and Siegen sit above the global median – Hamburg by 76%, Siegen by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.59 €14.76

$13.27 €11.81

25.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 €62.8

$54.1 €48.09

30.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.60 €12.10

$11.05 €9.83

23.08%

Cappuccino

$4.65 €4.14

$3.86 €3.43

20.47%

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

$4.28 €3.80

$3.79 €3.37

12.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 €2.97

$3.31 €2.94

0.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.68 €5.05

$4.54 €4.04

25.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 €4.19

$4.35 €3.87

8.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.06

$1.27 €1.13

-6.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 €2.32

$1.88 €1.67

38.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 €2.56

$3.00 €2.66

-4.00%

Eggs

$4.34 €3.86

$3.47 €3.09

25.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.37 €11.00

$14.04 €12.49

-11.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.17 €10.83

$12.33 €10.97

-1.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 €16.53

$18.47 €16.43

0.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 €2.84

$2.94 €2.61

8.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.09

$1.90 €1.69

23.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 €2.62

$2.15 €1.91

37.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 €3.68

$4.78 €4.25

-13.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 €1.69

$1.34 €1.19

42.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.34 €1.19

30.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.87 €1.66

-3.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.97

$0.74 €0.66

47.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.52 €9.35

$9.98 €8.88

5.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.56 €5.83

$5.65 €5.03

16.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.05

$1.04 €0.92

13.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.39 €1.23

-6.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.41 €3.93

$3.96 €3.52

11.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 €63.2

$72.0 €64.0

-1.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 €5.94

$3.28 €2.91

103.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 €2.71

$2.09 €1.86

45.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.16 €37.51

$40.14 €35.70

5.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.07 €1.84

10.14%

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

$32.9K €29.2K

$30.9K €27.5K

6.27%

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

$39.4K €35.0K

$38.2K €34.0K

3.17%

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

$380 €338

$331 €295

14.71%

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

$20.60 €18.32

$32.78 €29.15

-37.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €34.67

$50.6 €45.01

-22.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.63 €40.59

$30.55 €27.17

49.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.67 €25.50

$22.12 €19.67

29.61%

Cinema Ticket

$16.05 €14.28

$13.44 €11.95

19.42%

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

$512 €455

$163 €145

213.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €12.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 €73.3

$33.42 €29.72

146.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.74 €33.57

$28.17 €25.05

33.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 €86.4

$88.4 €78.7

9.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$76.0 €67.6

55.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 €1,171

$638 €567

106.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$972 €865

$499 €444

94.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,327 €2,070

$1,136 €1,011

104.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 €1,540

$985 €876

75.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,875 €8,784

$2,425 €2,157

307.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,007 €4,454

$2,002 €1,781

150.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,616 €3,216

$2,565 €2,282

40.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.69

3.86

-4.40%

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

Last update for Hamburg: October 19, 2026

Last update for Siegen: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamburg

$972 40.8%

Siegen

$499 28.8% 48.6% $473

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamburg

$440 18.4%

Siegen

$415 23.9% 5.7% $25

Groceries & Markets

Hamburg

$334 14%

Siegen

$317 18.3% 5% $17

Eating Out

Hamburg

$298 12.5%

Siegen

$245 14.1% 17.6% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Hamburg

$151 6.3%

Siegen

$102 5.9% 32.7% $49

Getting Around

Hamburg

$111 4.6%

Siegen

$102 5.8% 8.2% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Hamburg

$78 3.3%

Siegen

$57 3.3% 26.1% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,317 in Hamburg versus $638 in Siegen. 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, 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 $71.0 in Hamburg versus $54.0 in Siegen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $334 vs $317 – making Siegen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🇩🇪 Siegen

🕒 Local time

07:21 7:21 AM

Same time as Hamburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,812,709

99,403

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hamburg Siegen 330 km

From you

Hamburg
Siegen

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 Siegen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamburg costs about 37% more than Siegen, 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 $3,575 per month in Hamburg and $2,606 in Siegen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Siegen, 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 $2,383 in Hamburg and $1,737 in Siegen. That's a gap of about 37%.

Public transport costs about 1% less in Siegen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Siegen, where all-in costs run around $1,737, than in Hamburg at $2,383. In Siegen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Siegen costs $1,737 versus $2,383 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 Siegen. 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.