Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Solingen

For one person, living is cheaper in Solingen: $2,001 a month against $2,347 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.

114

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
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Hamburg Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Solingen
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Solingen Living Index

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Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,347

/mo nomad

Solingen

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,001

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamburg and in Solingen

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

A single person spends $2,347 per month in Hamburg vs $2,001 in Solingen, rent included.

Hamburg $2,347
Solingen $2,001

A couple spends around $3,488 per month in Hamburg vs $3,003 in Solingen, rent included.

Hamburg $3,488
Solingen $3,003

A family of three spends $4,628 per month in Hamburg vs $4,006 in Solingen, rent included.

Hamburg $4,628
Solingen $4,006

Hamburg costs about 17% more than Solingen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Hamburg and Solingen sit above the global median – Hamburg by 74%, Solingen by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.02 €15.14

$19.24 €17.11

-11.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €61.0

$73.5 €65.4

-6.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.41 €11.93

$13.48 €11.99

-0.52%

Cappuccino

$4.49 €3.99

$3.88 €3.45

15.72%

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

$4.20 €3.74

$3.13 €2.78

34.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 €2.86

$2.92 €2.59

10.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.51 €4.90

$5.11 €4.55

7.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 €4.32

$4.50 €4.00

8.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.12

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 €2.32

$2.08 €1.85

25.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.48

$2.96 €2.63

-5.74%

Eggs

$4.19 €3.73

$3.91 €3.48

7.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.24 €10.89

$16.36 €14.55

-25.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.68

$12.79 €11.38

-6.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.58 €16.53

$22.56 €20.06

-17.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 €2.78

$3.12 €2.77

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.14

$2.12 €1.88

13.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 €2.60

$2.13 €1.89

37.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 €3.82

$3.89 €3.46

10.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.63

$1.20 €1.06

52.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.30 €1.16

35.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.58 €1.41

13.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.06

$1.16 €1.04

2.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$9.94 €8.84

5.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.01

$5.64 €5.01

19.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.05 €0.94

6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.46 €1.30

-11.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.46 €3.96

$3.43 €3.05

30.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$65.1 €57.9

10.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.74 €5.99

$5.01 €4.46

34.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 €2.74

$3.04 €2.71

1.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.00 €37.36

$38.45 €34.20

9.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.20 €1.96

3.64%

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

$32.9K €29.3K

$33.4K €29.7K

-1.42%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$37.6K €33.5K

2.48%

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

$384 €342

$330 €294

16.43%

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

$19.76 €17.58

$19.79 €17.61

-0.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.03 €34.72

$41.22 €36.66

-5.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.03 €40.05

$39.77 €35.37

13.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.80 €25.62

$23.78 €21.15

21.11%

Cinema Ticket

$16.44 €14.62

$15.29 €13.60

7.52%

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

$509 €453

$470 €418

8.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €12.0K

$9,286 €8,260

45.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 €74.6

$94.6 €84.2

-11.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.19 €33.08

$41.74 €37.13

-10.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 €84.1

$112 €99.2

-15.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €103

$166 €148

-30.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 €1,129

$842 €749

50.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 €831

$611 €543

52.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 €2,021

$1,372 €1,220

65.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,692 €1,505

$1,023 €910

65.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,500 €8,450

$4,992 €4,441

90.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,121 €4,555

$3,334 €2,966

53.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,647 €3,244

$5,206 €4,631

-29.95%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Solingen: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamburg

$934 39.8%

Solingen

$611 30.5% 34.6% $323

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamburg

$443 18.9%

Solingen

$391 19.6% 11.7% $52

Groceries & Markets

Hamburg

$335 14.3%

Solingen

$344 17.2% 2.8% $9.3

Eating Out

Hamburg

$297 12.7%

Solingen

$300 15% 0.8% $2.5

Clothing & Footwear

Hamburg

$149 6.4%

Solingen

$186 9.3% 24.8% $37

Getting Around

Hamburg

$112 4.8%

Solingen

$99 5% 11.2% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Hamburg

$78 3.3%

Solingen

$70 3.5% 9.7% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,270 in Hamburg versus $842 in Solingen. 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 43% higher in Solingen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Hamburg versus $73.0 in Solingen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $335 vs $344 – making Hamburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🇩🇪 Solingen

🕒 Local time

19:48 7:48 PM

Same time as Hamburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,812,709

164,205

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Hamburg Solingen 330 km

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Hamburg
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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 Solingen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamburg costs about 17% more than Solingen, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,521 per month in Hamburg and $3,001 in Solingen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Solingen, 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 $2,347 in Hamburg and $2,001 in Solingen. That's a gap of about 17%.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Solingen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Solingen, where all-in costs run around $2,001, than in Hamburg at $2,347. In Solingen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Solingen costs $2,001 versus $2,347 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 Solingen. 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.