Cost of Living Comparison Between Leiden and Solingen Cost of Living Comparison Between Leiden and Solingen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,654 in Leiden versus $2,137 in Solingen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,897 in Leiden versus $3,168 in Solingen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,140 in Leiden versus $4,199 in Solingen.

Living in Leiden is roughly 24% more expensive than in Solingen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leiden 99% above, Solingen 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.32 €15.13

$17.63 €15.40

-1.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.8 €75.0

$80.3 €70.1

6.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.73 €12.00

$11.68 €10.21

17.55%

Cappuccino

$3.76 €3.28

$3.40 €2.97

10.59%

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

$3.87 €3.38

$2.93 €2.56

32.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 €2.49

$2.83 €2.47

0.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.92 €6.05

$5.34 €4.66

29.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 €5.10

$4.70 €4.11

24.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.32 €1.15

-3.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 €1.97

$2.26 €1.97

-0.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 €2.76

$3.57 €3.12

-11.48%

Eggs

$4.72 €4.13

$3.91 €3.41

20.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 €13.19

$14.83 €12.96

1.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.45 €14.37

$16.51 €14.42

-0.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 €15.23

$19.82 €17.32

-12.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.21 €2.80

-26.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 €2.26

$1.76 €1.54

47.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$2.34 €2.04

-17.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.01 €3.50

$5.24 €4.58

-23.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.83

$1.58 €1.38

32.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.74

$1.58 €1.38

25.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 €1.08

$2.04 €1.78

-39.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.64

$1.18 €1.03

-38.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.19 €11.53

$9.28 €8.11

42.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 €6.23

$5.82 €5.08

22.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.07 €0.93

37.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.31

$1.75 €1.53

51.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.62

$3.29 €2.87

-8.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.3 €76.3

$62.1 €54.3

40.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 €5.03

$4.67 €4.08

23.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.89 €1.65

12.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.09 €29.78

$28.18 €24.62

20.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 €1.95

$2.04 €1.79

9.31%

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

$29.6K €25.8K

$31.5K €27.6K

-6.26%

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

$28.3K €24.7K

$36.9K €32.3K

-23.32%

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

$286 €250

$351 €306

-18.41%

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

$21.72 €18.97

$28.07 €24.52

-22.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 €45.20

$47.86 €41.81

8.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.42 €37.07

$57.7 €50.4

-26.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.86 €17.35

$23.13 €20.21

-14.14%

Cinema Ticket

$14.03 €12.26

$13.72 €11.98

2.26%

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

$2,118 €1,850

$576 €503

267.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.3K

$14.4K €12.6K

13.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €97.3

$117 €103

-5.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.08 €41.14

$46.75 €40.85

0.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €101

$138 €121

-16.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 €131

$164 €143

-8.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 €1,355

$932 €815

66.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 €1,142

$683 €597

91.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,368 €2,069

$1,531 €1,338

54.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 €1,742

$1,104 €965

80.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,792 €6,808

$4,310 €3,765

80.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,931 €5,182

$4,482 €3,916

32.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,916 €3,421

$5,365 €4,688

-27.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.99

3.98

0.25%

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

Last update for Leiden: July 13, 2026

Last update for Solingen: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,550 in Leiden and $932 in Solingen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solingen pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $86.0 in Leiden vs $80.0 in Solingen. Groceries flip the comparison at $353 vs $365, with Leiden 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

Leiden vs Solingen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Solingen wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Leiden. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Solingen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Solingen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,550 in Leiden versus $932 in Solingen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Leiden pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Solingen – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $86.0 in Leiden. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,137 in Solingen versus $2,654 in Leiden, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Solingen but tight or insufficient in Leiden. The gap between the two cities makes Solingen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Solingen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,137 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Solingen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Leiden and Solingen 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 Solingen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Leiden. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.