Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilmenau and Boras

For one person, living is cheaper in Boras: $1,862 a month against $2,071 in Ilmenau, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Ilmenau
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Ilmenau Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Boras
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Boras Living Index

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Ilmenau

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,071

/mo nomad

Boras

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ilmenau and in Boras

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ilmenau and in Boras actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,071 in Ilmenau versus $1,862 in Boras.

Ilmenau $2,071
Boras $1,862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,525 in Ilmenau versus $2,190 in Boras.

Ilmenau $2,525
Boras $2,190

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Ilmenau versus $2,519 in Boras.

Ilmenau $2,980
Boras $2,519

Living in Ilmenau is roughly 11% more expensive than in Boras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ilmenau 53% above, Boras 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 €9.75

$12.85 SEK 127

-14.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 €59.2

$90.2 SEK 894

-26.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.02

$9.85 SEK 97.6

14.42%

Cappuccino

$3.41 €3.04

$4.33 SEK 42.89

-21.25%

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

$4.26 €3.79

$2.12 SEK 21.02

100.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 €7.09

$1.95 SEK 19.33

308.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.41 €3.92

$6.85 SEK 67.9

-35.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 €4.44

$6.94 SEK 68.8

-28.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.62 SEK 16.06

-30.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.56 SEK 25.34

-16.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 €2.88

$2.94 SEK 29.17

10.20%

Eggs

$3.23 €2.87

$4.53 SEK 44.88

-28.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 €12.75

$12.43 SEK 123

15.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 €9.11

$11.63 SEK 115

-11.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.79

$15.46 SEK 153

14.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$3.10 SEK 30.72

-7.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 €1.24

$2.61 SEK 25.83

-46.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 €3.11

$2.75 SEK 27.27

27.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 €3.40

$3.47 SEK 34.42

10.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$1.46 SEK 14.43

44.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.35 SEK 13.41

0.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.45

$2.21 SEK 21.85

-26.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.78

$1.35 SEK 13.39

-34.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.22 €8.20

$6.49 SEK 64.3

42.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 €5.53

$8.23 SEK 81.6

-24.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.99

$1.78 SEK 17.65

-37.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.62 SEK 16.08

-8.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.66 SEK 36.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 €58.1

$75.5 SEK 748

-13.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.23 €4.65

$5.03 SEK 49.83

3.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.21 €3.75

$1.07 SEK 10.64

293.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.78 €38.94

$40.70 SEK 403

7.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.90

$1.77 SEK 17.55

20.90%

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

$32.3K €28.7K

$25.3K SEK 250.5K

27.58%

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

$37.8K €33.6K

$15.2K SEK 150.9K

147.95%

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

$675 €600

$58.6 SEK 580

1052.37%

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

$27.38 €24.36

$28.96 SEK 287

-5.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.08 €30.32

$39.63 SEK 393

-14.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.13 €42.81

$34.24 SEK 339

40.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.72 SEK 245

Cinema Ticket

$13.20 €11.74

$14.86 SEK 147

-11.17%

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

$454 €404

$156 SEK 1,542

191.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 €82.8

$49.27 SEK 488

88.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.50 €28.02

$50.7 SEK 502

-37.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 €107

$78.5 SEK 778

53.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €101

$101 SEK 998

12.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 €419

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 €404

$862 SEK 8,540

-47.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 €737

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,254 €2,894

$2,412 SEK 23.9K

34.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

4.8

-17.71%

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

Last update for Ilmenau: October 11, 2026

Last update for Boras: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilmenau

$736 35.6%

Boras

$127 6.8% 82.7% $609

Accommodation & Living

Ilmenau

$455 22%

Boras

$862 46.3% 89.6% $407

Groceries & Markets

Ilmenau

$309 14.9%

Boras

$334 17.9% 8% $25

Eating Out

Ilmenau

$243 11.8%

Boras

$249 13.4% 2.2% $5.3

Clothing & Footwear

Ilmenau

$161 7.8%

Boras

$126 6.8% 22.1% $36

Getting Around

Ilmenau

$92 * 4.4%

Boras

$101 5.4% 9.8% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Ilmenau

$75 3.6%

Boras

$64 3.4% 14.2% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

Ilmenau pays 35% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67.0 in Ilmenau vs $90.0 in Boras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $309 vs $334 per month, with Ilmenau cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Ilmenau

🇸🇪 Boras

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

Same time as Ilmenau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,000

66,273

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ilmenau Boras 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ilmenau
Boras

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

Ilmenau vs Boras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boras is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and leisure. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 35% higher in Ilmenau, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you'll spend $2,071 per month in Ilmenau versus $1,862 in Boras – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Boras runs roughly 16% less than in Ilmenau. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,862 in Boras versus $2,071 in Ilmenau, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Boras but tight or insufficient in Ilmenau. The gap between the two cities makes Boras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ilmenau and Boras are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Boras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Ilmenau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.