Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Wilhelmshaven

For one person, living is cheaper in Wilhelmshaven: $1,827 a month against $2,332 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
88

Cost of Living Index in Wilhelmshaven
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Wilhelmshaven Living Index

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Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,332

/mo nomad

Wilhelmshaven

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,827

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamburg and in Wilhelmshaven

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

A single person spends $2,332 per month in Hamburg vs $1,827 in Wilhelmshaven, rent included.

Hamburg $2,332
Wilhelmshaven $1,827

A couple spends around $3,481 per month in Hamburg vs $2,758 in Wilhelmshaven, rent included.

Hamburg $3,481
Wilhelmshaven $2,758

A family of three spends $4,631 per month in Hamburg vs $3,690 in Wilhelmshaven, rent included.

Hamburg $4,631
Wilhelmshaven $3,690

Hamburg costs about 28% more than Wilhelmshaven, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Hamburg and Wilhelmshaven sit above the global median – Hamburg by 71%, Wilhelmshaven by 34%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €15.26

$17.56 €15.74

-3.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 €66.0

$74.1 €66.4

-0.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 €12.24

$13.49 €12.09

1.19%

Cappuccino

$4.67 €4.19

$4.67 €4.18

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

$4.18 €3.75

$4.17 €3.74

0.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.90

$3.34 €2.99

-2.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 €5.34

$5.77 €5.17

3.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 €4.47

$4.96 €4.44

0.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.08 €0.97

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 €2.33

$2.53 €2.26

2.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.50

$2.78 €2.49

0.36%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.80

$4.20 €3.77

0.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.36 €11.08

$12.14 €10.88

1.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 €10.77

$12.16 €10.89

-1.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 €16.97

$18.82 €16.87

0.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.90

$2.52 €2.26

28.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.85 €1.65

25.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 €2.65

$2.07 €1.86

42.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 €3.69

$4.03 €3.61

2.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.64

$1.88 €1.68

-2.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.59 €1.42

10.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.77 €1.59

-2.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.05

$1.13 €1.02

3.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 €9.02

$9.56 €8.56

5.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.61 €5.92

$5.65 €5.06

16.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.02

$1.14 €1.03

-0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.51 €1.36

-0.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 €3.97

$2.78 €2.49

59.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.4 €62.2

$53.8 €48.22

28.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 €6.08

$6.69 €5.99

1.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 €2.67

$2.95 €2.64

1.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.72 €37.39

$41.90 €37.54

-0.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €2.05

$2.01 €1.80

13.93%

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

$33.0K €29.6K

$31.8K €28.5K

3.65%

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

$38.9K €34.9K

$38.0K €34.0K

2.57%

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

$383 €343

$292 €262

30.95%

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

$19.47 €17.45

$11.01 €9.86

76.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.79 €34.76

$39.01 €34.95

-0.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 €37.87

$28.11 €25.19

50.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.37 €25.43

Cinema Ticket

$15.46 €13.85

$15.88 €14.23

-2.64%

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

$502 €450

$500 €448

0.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K €12.3K

$13.6K €12.2K

1.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 €77.6

$86.3 €77.3

0.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.18 €32.42

$36.65 €32.84

-1.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.2

$55.6 €49.80

81.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €105

0.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 €1,086

$778 €697

55.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 €823

$580 €520

58.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 €1,931

$1,026 €920

109.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 €1,494

$1,009 €904

65.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,358 €8,385

$3,966 €3,554

135.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,163 €4,627

$2,273 €2,036

127.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,622 €3,245

$3,163 €2,834

14.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.69

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

Last update for Hamburg: October 26, 2026

Last update for Wilhelmshaven: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamburg

$919 39.4%

Wilhelmshaven

$580 31.8% 36.9% $339

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamburg

$441 18.9%

Wilhelmshaven

$342 18.7% 22.4% $99

Groceries & Markets

Hamburg

$335 14.3%

Wilhelmshaven

$319 17.5% 4.5% $15

Eating Out

Hamburg

$303 13%

Wilhelmshaven

$306 16.7% 1% $3.1

Clothing & Footwear

Hamburg

$153 6.6%

Wilhelmshaven

$133 7.3% 13.3% $20

Getting Around

Hamburg

$109 4.7%

Wilhelmshaven

$86 4.7% 20.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Hamburg

$73 3.1%

Wilhelmshaven

$60 3.3% 18.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,212 in Hamburg versus $778 in Wilhelmshaven. 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 15% 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 $74 in Hamburg versus $74 in Wilhelmshaven. Groceries tell a different story – $335 in Hamburg vs $319 in Wilhelmshaven – so Wilhelmshaven wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🇩🇪 Wilhelmshaven

🕒 Local time

05:12 5:12 AM

Same time as Hamburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,812,709

75,728

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Hamburg Wilhelmshaven 130 km

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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 Wilhelmshaven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamburg costs about 28% more than Wilhelmshaven, 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 $3,499 per month in Hamburg and $2,740 in Wilhelmshaven. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wilhelmshaven, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $778 there versus $1,212 in Hamburg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,332 in Hamburg and $1,827 in Wilhelmshaven. That makes Wilhelmshaven about 22% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $502 per month in Hamburg and $500 in Wilhelmshaven. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,332 in Hamburg and $1,827 in Wilhelmshaven, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Hamburg has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,827 in Wilhelmshaven to $2,332 in Hamburg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Wilhelmshaven. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hamburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.