Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilmenau and Groningen Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilmenau and Groningen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,134 in Ilmenau versus $2,106 in Groningen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,121 in Ilmenau versus $3,107 in Groningen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,109 in Ilmenau versus $4,107 in Groningen.

Living in Ilmenau is roughly 1% more expensive than in Groningen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ilmenau 60% above, Groningen 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.85 €12.99

$17.16 €15.01

-13.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.0 €61.3

$93.9 €82.2

-25.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.32 €7.28

$13.66 €11.96

-39.09%

Cappuccino

$3.50 €3.06

$3.84 €3.36

-8.85%

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

$3.59 €3.14

$2.96 €2.59

21.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 €2.45

$2.59 €2.27

8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.56 €3.99

$5.92 €5.18

-22.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.01

$4.01 €3.51

-14.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 €0.89

$1.25 €1.10

-19.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 €0.99

$2.01 €1.76

-43.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 €2.81

$3.16 €2.76

1.58%

Eggs

$3.68 €3.22

$4.81 €4.21

-23.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.57 €12.75

$13.65 €11.94

6.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.33 €11.66

$15.59 €13.64

-14.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.71 €16.37

$17.30 €15.13

8.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 €2.52

$2.21 €1.93

30.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 €1.29

$2.56 €2.24

-42.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$2.01 €1.75

31.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 €4.28

$3.60 €3.15

35.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 €0.74

$2.08 €1.82

-59.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.91 €1.67

-17.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.30 €1.14

38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.74 €0.65

28.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.59 €8.39

$13.94 €12.19

-31.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.43 €5.63

$6.77 €5.93

-5.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.87

$1.50 €1.31

-34.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.44

$2.54 €2.23

-35.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.51 €3.07

$4.06 €3.55

-13.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 €54.6

$68.8 €60.2

-9.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 €4.71

$3.82 €3.35

40.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 €1.96

$2.56 €2.24

-12.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.61 €35.53

$29.76 €26.04

36.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$2.29 €2.00

-9.61%

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

$31.8K €27.8K

$28.8K €25.2K

10.18%

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

$36.0K €31.5K

$32.2K €28.2K

11.61%

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

$449 €393

$212 €185

112.07%

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

$29.40 €25.72

$21.70 €18.98

35.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 €47.04

$47.20 €41.30

13.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.23 €35.20

$38.96 €34.08

3.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.91 €20.04

$14.54 €12.72

57.57%

Cinema Ticket

$14.10 €12.34

$14.46 €12.65

-2.49%

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

$472 €413

$1,766 €1,545

-73.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K €10.2K

$8,627 €7,547

34.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.5 €83.5

$68.1 €59.6

40.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.72 €28.63

$25.94 €22.69

26.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 €110

$86.9 €76.1

44.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 €134

$90.9 €79.5

68.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$847 €741

$1,186 €1,037

-28.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 €585

$912 €798

-26.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,557 €1,362

$1,721 €1,506

-9.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 €1,057

$1,405 €1,229

-13.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,361 €4,691

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,973 €3,476

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,357 €2,937

$3,058 €2,675

9.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.87

3.64

6.32%

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

Last update for Ilmenau: July 13, 2026

Last update for Groningen: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $847 in Ilmenau and $1,186 in Groningen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilmenau pays 10% 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: $70.0 in Ilmenau vs $94.0 in Groningen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $338 per month, with Ilmenau cheaper across the board.

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 Groningen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Groningen wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Ilmenau. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Groningen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Ilmenau, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $847 in Ilmenau versus $1,186 in Groningen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Ilmenau pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Groningen – a meal for two runs $94.0 versus $70.0 in Ilmenau. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,106 in Groningen versus $2,134 in Ilmenau, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Groningen but tight or insufficient in Ilmenau. The gap between the two cities makes Groningen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Groningen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,106 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Groningen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ilmenau and Groningen 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 Groningen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Ilmenau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.