Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Soest

For one person, living is cheaper in Soest: $1,925 a month against $2,332 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
93

Cost of Living Index in Soest
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Soest Living Index

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Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,332

/mo nomad

Soest

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamburg and in Soest

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

A single person spends $2,332 per month in Hamburg vs $1,925 in Soest, rent included.

Hamburg $2,332
Soest $1,925

A couple spends around $3,481 per month in Hamburg vs $2,869 in Soest, rent included.

Hamburg $3,481
Soest $2,869

A family of three spends $4,631 per month in Hamburg vs $3,812 in Soest, rent included.

Hamburg $4,631
Soest $3,812

Hamburg costs about 21% more than Soest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hamburg and Soest sit above the global median – Hamburg by 71%, Soest by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €15.29

$13.52 €12.14

25.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 €66.1

$68.1 €61.2

8.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 €12.27

$11.28 €10.13

21.01%

Cappuccino

$4.67 €4.20

$2.97 €2.66

57.24%

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

$4.18 €3.75

$2.19 €1.97

90.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.91

$2.25 €2.02

44.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 €5.36

$3.52 €3.16

69.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 €4.48

$2.29 €2.06

117.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.30 €1.16

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 €2.33

$1.78 €1.60

46.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.51

$3.95 €3.55

-29.37%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.81

$3.38 €3.03

25.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.36 €11.11

$14.26 €12.81

-13.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 €10.80

$11.78 €10.58

2.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 €17.01

$18.18 €16.33

4.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.91

$2.60 €2.34

24.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.97 €1.77

18.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 €2.65

$2.09 €1.88

41.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 €3.70

$2.26 €2.03

82.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.64

$1.34 €1.20

36.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.57

$1.23 €1.10

42.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.58 €1.42

9.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.05

$1.02 €0.92

14.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 €9.04

$9.38 €8.43

7.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.61 €5.94

$6.07 €5.46

8.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.02

$0.89 €0.80

26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.47 €1.32

2.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 €3.98

$3.41 €3.06

29.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.4 €62.4

$60.6 €54.5

14.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 €6.10

$3.84 €3.45

76.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 €2.68

$2.63 €2.36

13.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.72 €37.48

$33.48 €30.07

24.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €2.06

$2.05 €1.84

11.71%

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

$33.0K €29.6K

$30.1K €27.1K

9.49%

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

$38.9K €35.0K

$38.5K €34.6K

1.13%

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

$383 €344

$377 €339

1.53%

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

$19.47 €17.49

$16.99 €15.26

14.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.79 €34.84

$43.10 €38.71

-10.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 €37.96

$27.92 €25.08

51.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.37 €25.49

$30.12 €27.06

-5.81%

Cinema Ticket

$15.46 €13.88

$10.60 €9.52

45.85%

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

$502 €451

$467 €420

7.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K €12.4K

$17.1K €15.3K

-19.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 €77.8

$128 €115

-32.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.18 €32.50

$33.35 €29.96

8.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.4

$118 €106

-14.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €105

$122 €110

-4.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 €1,088

$1,109 €996

9.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 €825

$644 €578

42.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 €1,935

$1,457 €1,309

47.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 €1,498

$1,142 €1,026

45.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,358 €8,406

$4,354 €3,911

114.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,163 €4,638

$3,673 €3,300

40.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,622 €3,253

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 Soest: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamburg

$919 39.4%

Soest

$644 33.4% 30% $275

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamburg

$441 18.9%

Soest

$437 22.7% 0.9% $3.9

Groceries & Markets

Hamburg

$335 14.3%

Soest

$305 15.9% 8.7% $29

Eating Out

Hamburg

$303 13%

Soest

$218 11.3% 28.1% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Hamburg

$153 6.6%

Soest

$181 9.4% 17.9% $27

Getting Around

Hamburg

$109 4.7%

Soest

$91 4.7% 16.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Hamburg

$73 3.1%

Soest

$49 2.6% 32.9% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,212 in Hamburg versus $1,109 in Soest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Hamburg versus $68 in Soest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $335 vs $305 – making Soest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🇩🇪 Soest

🕒 Local time

21:22 9:22 PM

Same time as Hamburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,812,709

47,460

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Hamburg Soest 250 km

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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 Soest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamburg costs about 21% more than Soest, 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 $2,887 in Soest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,212 in Hamburg and $1,109 in Soest. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,332 in Hamburg and $1,925 in Soest. That makes Soest about 17% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Soest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Families tend to lean toward Soest – 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.

For expats, Soest is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 17% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.