Cost of Living Comparison Between Lexington, KY and Bochum Cost of Living Comparison Between Lexington, KY and Bochum

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,317 per month in Lexington, KY vs $1,980 in Bochum, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,410 per month in Lexington, KY vs $3,052 in Bochum, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,503 per month in Lexington, KY vs $4,123 in Bochum, rent included.

Lexington, KY costs about 17% more than Bochum, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Lexington, KY and Bochum sit above the global median – Lexington, KY by 73%, Bochum by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.75 $14.75

$17.16 €14.77

-14.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 $71.0

$75.7 €65.2

-6.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.20 $10.20

$11.74 €10.11

-13.12%

Cappuccino

$5.05 $5.05

$3.71 €3.20

36.12%

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

$2.28 $2.28

$2.83 €2.43

-19.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.74 €2.36

-36.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.84 $4.84

$5.94 €5.12

-18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.04 $8.04

$4.02 €3.46

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 $0.71

$1.21 €1.04

-41.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.14 €1.84

35.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$3.31 €2.85

38.37%

Eggs

$3.20 $3.20

$3.88 €3.34

-17.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 $12.77

$14.95 €12.87

-14.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.02 $11.02

$14.63 €12.60

-24.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.43 $16.43

$20.79 €17.90

-20.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$3.42 €2.95

40.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.73 €1.49

-28.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.23 €1.92

56.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$5.07 €4.37

-10.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.69 €1.46

99.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$1.70 €1.46

90.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.03 €1.75

0.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.11 €0.96

59.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.08 $8.08

$9.66 €8.31

-16.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.78 $12.78

$5.69 €4.90

124.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.06 €0.91

164.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 $3.23

$1.71 €1.47

88.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 $0.99

$3.83 €3.30

-74.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.54 $30.54

$57.5 €49.51

-46.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.96 €5.13

-14.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.93 €1.66

-15.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$34.68 €29.86

-14.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$2.01 €1.73

-61.19%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$31.3K €27.0K

-25.61%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$32.2K €27.7K

-18.28%

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

$207 $207

$416 €359

-50.39%

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

$72.6 $72.6

$35.61 €30.66

103.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.8 $67.8

$53.3 €45.88

27.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.38 $35.38

$30.35 €26.13

16.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.06 $30.06

$23.26 €20.03

29.23%

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 $14.79

$17.32 €14.91

-14.61%

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

$1,168 $1,168

$427 €368

173.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.7K $24.7K

$14.4K €12.4K

70.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 $58.2

$85.7 €73.8

-32.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.11 $35.11

$45.19 €38.91

-22.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$106 €91.6

-2.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 $157

$142 €123

10.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 $1,105

$686 €591

60.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 $1,034

$499 €430

107.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 $2,102

$1,298 €1,118

61.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 $1,731

$1,038 €894

66.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,079 $2,079

$4,090 €3,522

-49.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,106 $2,106

$4,544 €3,913

-53.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,059 $4,059

$2,777 €2,391

46.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

3.97

68.01%

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

Last update for Lexington, KY: June 1, 2026

Last update for Bochum: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,105 in Lexington, KY versus $686 in Bochum. 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 46% higher in Lexington, KY, 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 $71.0 in Lexington, KY versus $76.0 in Bochum. Groceries tell a different story – $370 in Lexington, KY vs $354 in Bochum – so Bochum wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Lexington, KY vs Bochum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,317 in Lexington, KY, $1,980 in Bochum – roughly 17% apart. Lexington, KY costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,475 per month in Lexington, KY and $2,970 in Bochum. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bochum, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Lexington, KY and $76.0 in Bochum. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,317 in Lexington, KY and $1,980 in Bochum. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Bochum, where all-in costs run around $1,980, than in Lexington, KY at $2,317. In Bochum it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lexington, KY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bochum – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Bochum. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lexington, KY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.