Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ludwigshafen and Hamburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Ludwigshafen: $1,848 a month against $2,332 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Ludwigshafen
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Ludwigshafen Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
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Hamburg Living Index

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Ludwigshafen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,848

/mo nomad

Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,332

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,848 per month in Ludwigshafen vs $2,332 in Hamburg, rent included.

Ludwigshafen $1,848
Hamburg $2,332

A couple spends around $2,726 per month in Ludwigshafen vs $3,481 in Hamburg, rent included.

Ludwigshafen $2,726
Hamburg $3,481

A family of three spends $3,604 per month in Ludwigshafen vs $4,631 in Hamburg, rent included.

Ludwigshafen $3,604
Hamburg $4,631

Ludwigshafen is about 21% cheaper than Hamburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ludwigshafen and Hamburg sit above the global median – Ludwigshafen by 36%, Hamburg by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.73 €14.98

$17.03 €15.25

-1.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 €70.4

$73.6 €65.9

6.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.42 €11.12

$13.65 €12.23

-9.01%

Cappuccino

$4.20 €3.76

$4.67 €4.18

-10.06%

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

$3.44 €3.08

$4.18 €3.74

-17.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.35

$3.24 €2.90

-19.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.91 €4.40

$5.96 €5.34

-17.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 €3.95

$4.98 €4.46

-11.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.07

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.49

$2.60 €2.33

-36.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 €2.48

$2.79 €2.50

-0.72%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.59

$4.24 €3.80

-5.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 €11.84

$12.36 €11.07

6.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.75 €9.62

$12.02 €10.77

-10.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.92 €23.21

$18.94 €16.96

36.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.36

$3.24 €2.90

-18.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 €1.33

$2.33 €2.09

-36.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.52

$2.95 €2.64

-4.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 €1.99

$4.12 €3.69

-45.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.83 €1.63

-25.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.75 €1.56

-16.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.25

$1.73 €1.55

-19.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.91

$1.17 €1.05

-12.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 €8.87

$10.07 €9.01

-1.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 €5.96

$6.61 €5.92

0.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.94

$1.13 €1.02

-7.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.50 €1.34

10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.44 €3.08

$4.43 €3.97

-22.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 €62.1

$69.4 €62.2

-0.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.36 €8.39

$6.79 €6.08

37.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.40 €3.05

$2.98 €2.67

14.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.32 €17.30

$41.72 €37.37

-53.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.75

$2.29 €2.05

-14.85%

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

$33.3K €29.8K

$33.0K €29.5K

0.90%

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

$38.2K €34.2K

$38.9K €34.9K

-1.94%

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

$261 €234

$383 €343

-31.70%

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

$11.38 €10.19

$19.47 €17.44

-41.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.33 €41.49

$38.79 €34.74

19.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.46 €35.34

$42.26 €37.84

-6.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.28 €25.33

$28.37 €25.41

-0.32%

Cinema Ticket

$16.93 €15.16

$15.46 €13.84

9.51%

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

$466 €418

$502 €450

-7.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €20.0K

$13.8K €12.3K

62.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.4 €60.4

$86.6 €77.5

-22.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.10 €40.39

$36.18 €32.40

24.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 €74.5

$101 €90.1

-17.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.02 €40.32

$117 €105

-61.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 €717

$1,212 €1,085

-33.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 €574

$919 €823

-30.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,470 €1,316

$2,155 €1,930

-31.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$922 €826

$1,667 €1,493

-44.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,605 €4,124

$9,358 €8,381

-50.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,374 €3,022

$5,163 €4,624

-34.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,396 €3,041

$3,622 €3,244

-6.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

3.69

7.05%

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

Last update for Ludwigshafen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Hamburg: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ludwigshafen

$641 34.7%

Hamburg

$919 39.4% 43.4% $278

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ludwigshafen

$319 17.3%

Hamburg

$441 18.9% 38.2% $122

Groceries & Markets

Ludwigshafen

$318 17.2%

Hamburg

$335 14.3% 5.2% $17

Eating Out

Ludwigshafen

$279 15.1%

Hamburg

$303 13% 8.4% $24

Getting Around

Ludwigshafen

$109 5.9%

Hamburg

$109 4.7% 0.6% $0.6

Clothing & Footwear

Ludwigshafen

$108 5.9%

Hamburg

$153 6.6% 41.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Ludwigshafen

$73 4%

Hamburg

$73 3.1% 0.2% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Ludwigshafen versus $1,212 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 7% 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 $79 in Ludwigshafen versus $74 in Hamburg. Groceries tell a different story – $318 in Ludwigshafen vs $335 in Hamburg – so Ludwigshafen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Ludwigshafen

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🕒 Local time

10:20 10:20 AM

Same time as Ludwigshafen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

163,340

1,812,709

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Ludwigshafen Hamburg 470 km

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Ludwigshafen
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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

Ludwigshafen vs Hamburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamburg costs about 26% more than Ludwigshafen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,772 per month in Ludwigshafen and $3,499 in Hamburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ludwigshafen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $801 there versus $1,212 in Hamburg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,848 in Ludwigshafen and $2,332 in Hamburg. That makes Ludwigshafen about 21% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $466 per month in Ludwigshafen and $502 in Hamburg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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