Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Ulm

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulm: $2,140 a month against $2,347 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
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Hamburg Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Ulm
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Ulm Living Index

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Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,347

/mo nomad

Ulm

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,140

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamburg and in Ulm

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

A single person spends $2,347 per month in Hamburg vs $2,140 in Ulm, rent included.

Hamburg $2,347
Ulm $2,140

A couple spends around $3,488 per month in Hamburg vs $3,245 in Ulm, rent included.

Hamburg $3,488
Ulm $3,245

A family of three spends $4,628 per month in Hamburg vs $4,350 in Ulm, rent included.

Hamburg $4,628
Ulm $4,350

Hamburg costs about 10% more than Ulm, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Hamburg and Ulm sit above the global median – Hamburg by 74%, Ulm by 59%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.02 €15.14

$16.80 €14.94

1.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €61.0

$66.6 €59.2

2.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.41 €11.93

$13.31 €11.84

0.75%

Cappuccino

$4.49 €3.99

$3.84 €3.42

16.93%

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

$4.20 €3.74

$4.64 €4.13

-9.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 €2.86

$1.92 €1.71

67.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.51 €4.90

$4.62 €4.11

19.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 €4.32

$4.41 €3.92

10.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.47 €1.30

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 €2.32

$2.05 €1.83

27.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.48

$4.14 €3.68

-32.61%

Eggs

$4.19 €3.73

$3.64 €3.24

15.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.24 €10.89

$14.34 €12.76

-14.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.68

$9.83 €8.74

22.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.58 €16.53

$25.54 €22.72

-27.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 €2.78

$3.44 €3.06

-9.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.14

$2.21 €1.96

8.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 €2.60

$1.92 €1.71

52.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 €3.82

$3.91 €3.48

9.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.63

$1.08 €0.96

69.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.12 €1.00

57.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.66 €1.48

8.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.06

$1.20 €1.06

-0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$9.59 €8.53

8.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.01

$5.67 €5.04

19.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.15 €1.02

-2.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.52 €1.35

-15.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.46 €3.96

$3.10 €2.76

43.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$64.4 €57.3

11.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.74 €5.99

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 €2.74

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.00 €37.36

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.13 €1.89

7.04%

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

$32.9K €29.3K

$32.2K €28.6K

2.31%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$37.9K €33.7K

1.84%

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

$384 €342

$377 €336

1.90%

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

$19.76 €17.58

$34.04 €30.28

-41.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.03 €34.72

$52.9 €47.05

-26.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.03 €40.05

$33.61 €29.89

33.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.80 €25.62

$22.70 €20.19

26.87%

Cinema Ticket

$16.44 €14.62

$13.44 €11.95

22.32%

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

$509 €453

$441 €393

15.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €12.0K

$13.0K €11.6K

3.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 €74.6

$90.3 €80.3

-7.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.19 €33.08

$55.2 €49.08

-32.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 €84.1

$89.4 €79.6

5.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €103

$148 €131

-21.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 €1,129

$931 €828

36.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 €831

$749 €666

24.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 €2,021

$1,830 €1,628

24.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,692 €1,505

$1,471 €1,308

15.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,500 €8,450

$5,901 €5,249

60.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,121 €4,555

$3,961 €3,524

29.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,647 €3,244

$3,737 €3,324

-2.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.69

3.97

-7.05%

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

Last update for Hamburg: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ulm: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamburg

$934 39.8%

Ulm

$749 35% 19.8% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamburg

$443 18.9%

Ulm

$464 21.7% 4.7% $21

Groceries & Markets

Hamburg

$335 14.3%

Ulm

$339 15.9% 1.5% $4.9

Eating Out

Hamburg

$297 12.7%

Ulm

$279 13% 6.3% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Hamburg

$149 6.4%

Ulm

$172 8% 15.3% $23

Getting Around

Hamburg

$112 4.8%

Ulm

$77 * 3.6% 31.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Hamburg

$78 3.3%

Ulm

$60 2.8% 22.4% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,270 in Hamburg versus $931 in Ulm. 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 2% higher in Ulm, 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 $67.0 in Ulm. Groceries tell a different story – $335 in Hamburg vs $339 in Ulm – so Hamburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🇩🇪 Ulm

🕒 Local time

00:03 12:03 AM

Same time as Hamburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,812,709

121,648

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hamburg Ulm 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hamburg
Ulm

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 Ulm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamburg costs about 10% more than Ulm, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $3,211 in Ulm. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ulm, 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 $2,140 in Ulm. That's a gap of about 10%.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Ulm. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Ulm, where all-in costs run around $2,140, than in Hamburg at $2,347. In Ulm it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ulm costs $2,140 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 Ulm. 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.