Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Magdeburg and Hamburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Magdeburg: $1,872 a month against $2,332 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Magdeburg
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Magdeburg Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
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Hamburg Living Index

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Magdeburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,872

/mo nomad

Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,332

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,872 per month in Magdeburg vs $2,332 in Hamburg, rent included.

Magdeburg $1,872
Hamburg $2,332

A couple spends around $2,769 per month in Magdeburg vs $3,481 in Hamburg, rent included.

Magdeburg $2,769
Hamburg $3,481

A family of three spends $3,665 per month in Magdeburg vs $4,631 in Hamburg, rent included.

Magdeburg $3,665
Hamburg $4,631

Magdeburg is about 20% cheaper than Hamburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Magdeburg and Hamburg sit above the global median – Magdeburg by 38%, Hamburg by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 €11.64

$17.03 €15.19

-23.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €59.1

$73.6 €65.7

-9.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.37 €10.14

$13.65 €12.18

-16.70%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$4.67 €4.17

-33.19%

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

$3.66 €3.27

$4.18 €3.73

-12.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.67

$3.24 €2.89

-7.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.41 €3.94

$5.96 €5.32

-26.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 €3.95

$4.98 €4.45

-11.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.25

$1.20 €1.07

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 €1.84

$2.60 €2.32

-20.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 €3.53

$2.79 €2.49

41.94%

Eggs

$3.85 €3.43

$4.24 €3.78

-9.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.55 €12.98

$12.36 €11.03

17.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.88 €9.70

$12.02 €10.73

-9.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.84 €21.27

$18.94 €16.90

25.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.90

$3.24 €2.89

0.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.33 €2.08

-8.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$2.95 €2.63

-30.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 €3.88

$4.12 €3.67

5.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 €1.25

$1.83 €1.63

-23.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.75 €1.56

-38.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.73 €1.54

-16.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.44

$1.17 €1.05

37.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.76 €8.71

$10.07 €8.98

-3.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.03

$6.61 €5.90

-14.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.09

$1.13 €1.01

7.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.50 €1.34

14.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 €3.00

$4.43 €3.95

-24.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.5 €63.8

$69.4 €61.9

2.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.38 €10.15

$6.79 €6.05

67.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.76 €2.47

$2.98 €2.66

-7.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.12 €9.92

$41.72 €37.23

-73.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.29 €2.04

-8.73%

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

$33.3K €29.7K

$33.0K €29.4K

0.93%

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

$38.5K €34.3K

$38.9K €34.7K

-1.13%

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

$431 €384

$383 €342

12.49%

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

$25.89 €23.10

$19.47 €17.37

32.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.07 €33.97

$38.79 €34.61

-1.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.13 €34.02

$42.26 €37.70

-9.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.92 €28.48

$28.37 €25.32

12.51%

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 €12.33

$15.46 €13.79

-10.61%

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

$226 €202

$502 €448

-54.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K €12.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 €79.9

$86.6 €77.2

3.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.51 €29.90

$36.18 €32.28

-7.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €95.5

$101 €89.8

6.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 €148

$117 €105

41.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 €542

$1,212 €1,081

-49.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 €396

$919 €820

-51.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 €1,035

$2,155 €1,922

-46.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 €667

$1,667 €1,488

-55.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,878 €3,460

$9,358 €8,349

-58.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,837 €1,639

$5,163 €4,607

-64.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,733 €2,438

$3,622 €3,231

-24.55%

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 Magdeburg: October 24, 2026

Last update for Hamburg: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Magdeburg

$495 26.4%

Hamburg

$441 18.9% 10.8% $54

Accommodation & Living

Magdeburg

$443 23.7%

Hamburg

$919 39.4% 107% $475

Groceries & Markets

Magdeburg

$347 18.5%

Hamburg

$335 14.3% 3.5% $12

Eating Out

Magdeburg

$233 12.5%

Hamburg

$303 13% 29.6% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Magdeburg

$178 9.5%

Hamburg

$153 6.6% 14% $25

Getting Around

Magdeburg

$110 5.9%

Hamburg

$109 4.7% 1.2% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Magdeburg

$66 3.5%

Hamburg

$73 3.1% 11.3% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $607 in Magdeburg 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 33% higher in Hamburg. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Magdeburg versus $74 in Hamburg. Groceries tell a different story – $347 in Magdeburg vs $335 in Hamburg – so Hamburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Magdeburg

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🕒 Local time

21:16 9:16 PM

Same time as Magdeburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

231,021

1,812,709

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Magdeburg vs Hamburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamburg costs about 25% more than Magdeburg, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,808 per month in Magdeburg 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 Magdeburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $607 there versus $1,212 in Hamburg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,872 in Magdeburg and $2,332 in Hamburg. That makes Magdeburg about 20% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Hamburg. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,872 in Magdeburg and $2,332 in Hamburg, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Magdeburg – 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 Magdeburg. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hamburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.