Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lübeck and Hamburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Lübeck: $2,185 a month against $2,383 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hamburg outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

105

Cost of Living Index in Lübeck
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Lübeck Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
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Hamburg Living Index

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Lübeck

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,185

/mo nomad

Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,383

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lübeck 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 Lübeck and in Hamburg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,185 per month in Lübeck vs $2,383 in Hamburg, rent included.

Lübeck $2,185
Hamburg $2,383

A couple spends around $3,254 per month in Lübeck vs $3,529 in Hamburg, rent included.

Lübeck $3,254
Hamburg $3,529

A family of three spends $4,323 per month in Lübeck vs $4,675 in Hamburg, rent included.

Lübeck $4,323
Hamburg $4,675

Lübeck is about 8% cheaper than Hamburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Lübeck and Hamburg sit above the global median – Lübeck by 61%, Hamburg by 76%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €15.26

$16.59 €14.76

3.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.8 €56.7

$70.6 €62.8

-9.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.10 €11.65

$13.60 €12.10

-3.68%

Cappuccino

$4.02 €3.58

$4.65 €4.14

-13.55%

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

$3.25 €2.89

$4.28 €3.80

-24.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 €3.20

$3.34 €2.97

7.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 €4.93

$5.68 €5.05

-2.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 €3.96

$4.71 €4.19

-5.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.08

$1.19 €1.06

2.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.61 €2.32

-18.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 €3.26

$2.88 €2.56

27.08%

Eggs

$3.54 €3.15

$4.34 €3.86

-18.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.62 €13.00

$12.37 €11.00

18.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.39 €10.13

$12.17 €10.83

-6.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.10 €16.99

$18.59 €16.53

2.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 €2.75

$3.19 €2.84

-3.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.53

$2.35 €2.09

-26.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.95 €2.62

-25.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 €4.16

$4.14 €3.68

13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.91 €1.69

-32.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.06

$1.75 €1.56

-32.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.52

$1.80 €1.60

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.79

$1.09 €0.97

-18.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.57 €8.51

$10.52 €9.35

-9.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.70 €5.96

$6.56 €5.83

2.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.93

$1.18 €1.05

-11.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.30 €1.16

6.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 €3.04

$4.41 €3.93

-22.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.1 €62.3

$71.0 €63.2

-1.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 €3.46

$6.67 €5.94

-41.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.82 €3.39

$3.04 €2.71

25.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.02 €15.14

$42.16 €37.51

-59.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.28 €2.03

-6.14%

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

$30.8K €27.4K

$32.9K €29.2K

-6.23%

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

$38.5K €34.2K

$39.4K €35.0K

-2.33%

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

$339 €302

$380 €338

-10.69%

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

$34.84 €30.99

$20.60 €18.32

69.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 €47.06

$38.98 €34.67

35.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.41 €36.83

$45.63 €40.59

-9.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 €24.67

$28.67 €25.50

-3.24%

Cinema Ticket

$13.68 €12.17

$16.05 €14.28

-14.77%

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

$457 €407

$512 €455

-10.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €12.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.4 €70.6

$82.4 €73.3

-3.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.46 €35.10

$37.74 €33.57

4.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 €112

$97.1 €86.4

29.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 €131

$118 €105

24.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 €697

$1,317 €1,171

-40.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 €706

$972 €865

-18.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 €1,614

$2,327 €2,070

-22.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 €1,269

$1,731 €1,540

-17.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,891 €3,461

$9,875 €8,784

-60.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,133 €3,676

$5,007 €4,454

-17.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,509 €3,121

$3,616 €3,216

-2.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

3.69

7.59%

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

Last update for Lübeck: October 17, 2026

Last update for Hamburg: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lübeck

$793 36.3%

Hamburg

$972 40.8% 22.6% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lübeck

$427 19.6%

Hamburg

$440 18.4% 2.9% $12

Groceries & Markets

Lübeck

$324 14.8%

Hamburg

$334 14% 3.3% $11

Eating Out

Lübeck

$289 13.2%

Hamburg

$298 12.5% 3.1% $8.9

Clothing & Footwear

Lübeck

$177 8.1%

Hamburg

$151 6.3% 14.4% $25

Getting Around

Lübeck

$107 4.9%

Hamburg

$111 4.6% 3.6% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Lübeck

$69 3.2%

Hamburg

$78 3.3% 13% $9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Lübeck versus $1,317 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 3% 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 $64.0 in Lübeck versus $71.0 in Hamburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $334 – making Lübeck the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Lübeck

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🕒 Local time

22:39 10:39 PM

Same time as Lübeck

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

212,958

1,812,709

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Lübeck Hamburg 57 km

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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

Lübeck vs Hamburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamburg costs about 9% more than Lübeck, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,277 per month in Lübeck and $3,575 in Hamburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,185 in Lübeck and $2,383 in Hamburg. That's a gap of about 9%.

Public transport costs about 1% less in Lübeck. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Lübeck, where all-in costs run around $2,185, than in Hamburg at $2,383. In Lübeck it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lübeck costs $2,185 versus $2,383 in Hamburg. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Lübeck. 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.