Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston upon Thames and Dortmund Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston upon Thames and Dortmund

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,339 in Kingston upon Thames versus $2,123 in Dortmund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,816 in Kingston upon Thames versus $3,319 in Dortmund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,293 in Kingston upon Thames versus $4,514 in Dortmund.

Living in Kingston upon Thames is roughly 57% more expensive than in Dortmund, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston upon Thames 150% above, Dortmund 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.36 £17.37

$17.30 €15.14

35.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.3 £64.2

$63.2 €55.3

36.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 £7.52

$12.62 €11.04

-19.89%

Cappuccino

$5.12 £3.81

$3.64 €3.19

40.66%

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

$2.85 £2.12

$2.82 €2.47

1.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 £1.33

$2.73 €2.39

-34.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.62 £6.41

$5.88 €5.14

46.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 £5.96

$4.12 €3.61

94.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 £1.16

$1.17 €1.02

34.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 £1.12

$2.33 €2.03

-35.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 £2.06

$3.38 €2.95

-18.05%

Eggs

$4.13 £3.07

$3.75 €3.28

10.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 £7.55

$14.66 €12.82

-30.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 £6.63

$14.20 €12.43

-37.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.89 £11.07

$18.78 €16.43

-20.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 £2.55

$3.25 €2.85

5.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 £1.51

$1.87 €1.64

8.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 £2.28

$2.38 €2.08

28.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 £2.57

$5.16 €4.51

-33.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 £1.15

$1.82 €1.59

-14.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 £1.38

$1.88 €1.65

-1.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 £0.80

$1.96 €1.72

-44.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.11 €0.97

72.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 £13.46

$9.63 €8.42

87.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 £8.36

$6.93 €6.06

62.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.44

$1.09 €0.95

201.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 £3.01

$1.69 €1.48

139.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 £1.76

$3.91 €3.42

-39.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.68 £32.49

$61.8 €54.1

-29.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 £3.81

$5.78 €5.05

-11.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 £1.61

$1.93 €1.69

12.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.21 £25.45

$68.9 €60.3

-50.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$2.04 €1.78

-3.92%

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

$38.4K £28.5K

$31.5K €27.5K

21.88%

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

$39.3K £29.3K

$37.9K €33.2K

3.78%

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

$329 £244

$428 €374

-23.18%

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

$15.66 £11.65

$36.79 €32.19

-57.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.27 £30.70

$55.7 €48.68

-25.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.0 £67.7

$44.86 €39.25

102.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.75 £7.25

$23.01 €20.13

-57.63%

Cinema Ticket

$20.73 £15.42

$17.68 €15.47

17.25%

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

$1,896 £1,410

$426 €373

344.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K £13.4K

$28.9K €25.3K

-37.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.7 £64.5

$95.6 €83.6

-9.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.70 £31.76

$45.18 €39.53

-5.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 £66.9

$106 €93.0

-15.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 £103

$180 €157

-23.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 £1,520

$767 €671

166.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 £1,384

$624 €546

198.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,743 £2,784

$1,338 €1,171

179.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,262 £2,426

$1,361 €1,191

139.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.3K £12.1K

$3,014 €2,637

440.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,372 £3,252

$2,261 €1,978

93.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,830 £3,592

$3,239 €2,834

49.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

3.98

48.24%

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

Last update for Kingston upon Thames: July 11, 2026

Last update for Dortmund: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,044 in Kingston upon Thames and $767 in Dortmund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston upon Thames pays 49% 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: $86.0 in Kingston upon Thames vs $63.0 in Dortmund. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $351, with Kingston upon Thames cheaper for home cooking.

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

Kingston upon Thames vs Dortmund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dortmund wins on cost – living expenses run 57% lower than in Kingston upon Thames. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dortmund the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 49% higher in Kingston upon Thames, 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: $2,044 in Kingston upon Thames versus $767 in Dortmund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dortmund – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $86.0 in Kingston upon Thames. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,339 per month in Kingston upon Thames versus $2,123 in Dortmund – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,123 in Dortmund versus $3,339 in Kingston upon Thames, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dortmund but tight or insufficient in Kingston upon Thames. The gap between the two cities makes Dortmund the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dortmund delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,123 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dortmund hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kingston upon Thames and Dortmund 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 Dortmund gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Kingston upon Thames. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.