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: $2,734 in Leiden versus $2,138 in Solingen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,894 in Leiden versus $3,163 in Solingen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,053 in Leiden versus $4,188 in Solingen.

Living in Leiden is roughly 28% more expensive than Solingen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leiden 104% above, Solingen 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 €14.69

$17.34 €14.94

-1.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.3 €76.0

$82.2 €70.8

7.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.17

$11.64 €10.02

21.39%

Cappuccino

$3.95 €3.40

$3.35 €2.88

17.91%

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

$3.73 €3.21

$2.91 €2.51

28.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.49

$2.87 €2.47

0.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 €6.06

$5.28 €4.55

33.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 €4.96

$4.59 €3.95

25.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.08

$1.28 €1.11

-1.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.26 €1.94

-0.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 €2.85

$3.46 €2.98

-4.34%

Eggs

$4.78 €4.12

$4.08 €3.52

17.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.54 €12.52

$14.68 €12.64

-0.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.81 €14.48

$16.45 €14.17

2.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.33 €14.92

$20.01 €17.23

-13.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$3.14 €2.70

-28.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$1.82 €1.56

41.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.34 €2.02

-16.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 €3.34

$5.22 €4.50

-25.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.59 €1.37

30.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.60 €1.37

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 €1.04

$2.07 €1.78

-42.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.63

$1.20 €1.04

-38.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.82 €11.04

$9.72 €8.37

31.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 €6.44

$5.97 €5.14

25.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.07 €0.92

44.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.75 €1.50

50.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 €2.60

$3.29 €2.83

-8.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.7 €75.5

$62.5 €53.8

40.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 €4.96

$4.61 €3.97

24.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.87 €1.61

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.44 €29.65

$27.62 €23.78

24.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.06 €1.77

11.17%

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

$29.4K €25.4K

$31.8K €27.4K

-7.41%

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

$28.9K €24.9K

$36.2K €31.2K

-20.17%

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

$289 €248

$361 €311

-20.16%

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

$21.66 €18.65

$28.77 €24.78

-24.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 €43.76

$49.33 €42.48

3.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.07 €37.09

$56.7 €48.81

-24.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.40 €17.56

$23.18 €19.96

-11.99%

Cinema Ticket

$14.11 €12.15

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

$2,050 €1,765

$562 €484

264.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €14.0K

$14.6K €12.6K

11.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €98.2

$119 €102

-4.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.59 €39.26

$47.31 €40.74

-3.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €99.1

$138 €119

-16.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 €132

$166 €143

-7.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 €1,309

$943 €812

61.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 €1,125

$695 €599

87.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,389 €2,057

$1,515 €1,304

57.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$1,121 €965

79.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,052 €6,934

$4,449 €3,831

81.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,214 €5,351

$4,586 €3,949

35.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,018 €3,460

$5,616 €4,836

-28.45%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Solingen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,520 in Leiden and $943 in Solingen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solingen pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88.0 in Leiden vs $82.0 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 28% 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, Solingen earns 40% less. 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: $1,520 in Leiden versus $943 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 $82.0 versus $88.0 in Leiden. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,138 in Solingen versus $2,734 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 $2,138 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 28% less than in Leiden. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.