Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krefeld and Hamburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Krefeld: $1,899 a month against $2,347 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Krefeld
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,899
/mo nomad
Hamburg
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,347
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Krefeld and in Hamburg

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

A single person spends $1,899 per month in Krefeld vs $2,347 in Hamburg, rent included.

  • Krefeld $1,899
  • Hamburg $2,347

A couple spends around $2,932 per month in Krefeld vs $3,488 in Hamburg, rent included.

  • Krefeld $2,932
  • Hamburg $3,488

A family of three spends $3,964 per month in Krefeld vs $4,628 in Hamburg, rent included.

  • Krefeld $3,964
  • Hamburg $4,628

Krefeld is about 19% cheaper than Hamburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Krefeld and Hamburg sit above the global median – Krefeld by 41%, Hamburg by 74%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Krefeld
Hamburg
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.81 €14.95
$17.02 €15.14
-1.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.6 €63.7
$68.5 €61.0
4.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.93 €11.50
$13.41 €11.93
-3.58%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$4.49 €3.99
-10.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.69 €3.28
$4.20 €3.74
-12.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 €2.85
$3.22 €2.86
-0.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$5.51 €4.90
4.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.46 €4.85
$4.86 €4.32
12.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Krefeld
Hamburg
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 €1.12
$1.26 €1.12
-
White Bread (500g)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.61 €2.32
-19.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.62 €3.22
$2.79 €2.48
29.75%
Eggs
$3.74 €3.33
$4.19 €3.73
-10.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.16 €11.70
$12.24 €10.89
7.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.34 €10.98
$12.00 €10.68
2.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.32 €20.75
$18.58 €16.53
25.51%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 €2.68
$3.12 €2.78
-3.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.99 €1.77
$2.40 €2.14
-17.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.39 €2.12
$2.93 €2.60
-18.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.17 €3.71
$4.29 €3.82
-2.80%
Potato (1kg)
$1.40 €1.25
$1.83 €1.63
-23.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.19 €1.06
$1.76 €1.57
-32.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.61 €1.43
$1.80 €1.60
-10.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 €0.92
$1.19 €1.06
-12.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.98 €8.88
$10.44 €9.29
-4.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.58 €5.86
$6.76 €6.01
-2.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.12 €1.00
-2.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 €1.38
$1.29 €1.15
20.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Krefeld
Hamburg
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.42 €3.04
$4.46 €3.96
-23.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.6 €53.9
$71.6 €63.7
-15.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.06 €4.50
$6.74 €5.99
-24.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.20 €1.95
$3.08 €2.74
-28.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.02 €30.26
$42.00 €37.36
-19.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.28 €2.03
-0.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K €28.8K
$32.9K €29.3K
-1.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$38.6K €34.3K
-0.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Krefeld
Hamburg
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$300 €267
$384 €342
-21.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.28 €22.49
$19.76 €17.58
27.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.06 €36.52
$39.03 €34.72
5.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Krefeld
Hamburg
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.80 €35.41
$45.03 €40.05
-11.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.10 €20.55
$28.80 €25.62
-19.79%
Cinema Ticket
$13.54 €12.05
$16.44 €14.62
-17.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Krefeld
Hamburg
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$465 €414
$509 €453
-8.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.8K €19.4K
$13.5K €12.0K
61.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Krefeld
Hamburg
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.8 €79.0
$83.9 €74.6
5.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.10 €36.56
$37.19 €33.08
10.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$94.6 €84.1
10.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$130 €116
$116 €103
11.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Krefeld
Hamburg
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 €637
$1,270 €1,129
-43.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$584 €519
$934 €831
-37.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,425 €1,267
$2,272 €2,021
-37.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,128 €1,004
$1,692 €1,505
-33.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,248 €2,889
$9,500 €8,450
-65.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,481 €3,985
$5,121 €4,555
-12.51%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Krefeld
Hamburg
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,002 €1,781
$3,647 €3,244
-45.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.96
3.69
7.32%

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

Last update for Krefeld: October 13, 2026

Last update for Hamburg: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Krefeld
$583
Hamburg
$934 60% $350
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Krefeld
$366
Hamburg
$443 20.9% $77
Groceries & Markets
Krefeld
$339
Hamburg
$335 1.3% $4.3
Eating Out
Krefeld
$289
Hamburg
$297 2.9% $8.4
Clothing & Footwear
Krefeld
$164
Hamburg
$149 9% $15
Getting Around
Krefeld
$90
Hamburg
$112 23.5% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Krefeld
$67
Hamburg
$78 16.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Krefeld versus $1,270 in Hamburg. 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 82% 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 $72.0 in Krefeld versus $69.0 in Hamburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $335 – making Hamburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Krefeld
🇩🇪 Hamburg
🕒 Local time
16:47 4:47 PM
16:47 4:47 PM
Same time as Krefeld
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
222,058
1,812,709
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Krefeld Hamburg 340 km
From you
  • Krefeld
  • Hamburg

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
Krefeld vs Hamburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Krefeld or Hamburg?
Hamburg costs about 24% more than Krefeld, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Krefeld and in Hamburg?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,848 per month in Krefeld and $3,521 in Hamburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Krefeld or Hamburg?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Krefeld, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Krefeld compared to Hamburg?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,899 in Krefeld and $2,347 in Hamburg. That's a gap of about 24%.
How expensive is transport in Krefeld compared to Hamburg?
Public transport costs about 18% less in Krefeld. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Krefeld or in Hamburg?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Krefeld, where all-in costs run around $1,899, than in Hamburg at $2,347. In Krefeld it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Krefeld or Hamburg?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Krefeld costs $1,899 versus $2,347 in Hamburg. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Krefeld compared to Hamburg?
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.
Should I move to Krefeld or to Hamburg?
If budget matters most, go with Krefeld. 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.

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