Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Munich and Aachen

For one person, living is cheaper in Aachen: $1,938 a month against $2,681 in Munich, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Munich
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Munich Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Aachen
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Aachen Living Index

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Munich

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,681

/mo nomad

Aachen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Munich and in Aachen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Munich and in Aachen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,681 per month in Munich vs $1,938 in Aachen, rent included.

Munich $2,681
Aachen $1,938

A couple spends around $4,080 per month in Munich vs $2,902 in Aachen, rent included.

Munich $4,080
Aachen $2,902

A family of three spends $5,480 per month in Munich vs $3,867 in Aachen, rent included.

Munich $5,480
Aachen $3,867

Munich costs about 38% more than Aachen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Munich and Aachen sit above the global median – Munich by 97%, Aachen by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.66 €16.76

$15.79 €14.19

18.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 €80.1

$61.7 €55.5

44.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €12.02

$11.16 €10.02

19.89%

Cappuccino

$4.32 €3.88

$3.73 €3.35

15.82%

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

$3.86 €3.47

$2.70 €2.43

42.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 €3.01

$2.99 €2.69

12.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.22 €4.69

$5.05 €4.54

3.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 €5.15

$5.47 €4.91

4.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.15

$1.22 €1.10

4.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 €2.09

$1.92 €1.73

20.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 €2.42

$3.62 €3.25

-25.69%

Eggs

$4.57 €4.10

$3.57 €3.20

28.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.92 €16.10

$14.48 €13.01

23.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.29 €11.94

$11.33 €10.18

17.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.85 €19.63

$20.98 €18.85

4.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 €2.86

$3.42 €3.07

-6.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 €1.80

$2.27 €2.04

-11.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.52

$2.05 €1.84

37.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 €4.07

$3.48 €3.12

30.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$1.47 €1.32

25.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 €1.65

$1.48 €1.33

23.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.48 €1.33

1.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.78

$1.24 €1.11

-30.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.22 €10.08

$10.00 €8.98

12.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 €5.99

$6.76 €6.07

-1.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.16

$1.15 €1.03

12.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.44

$1.56 €1.40

2.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.74 €4.26

$4.03 €3.62

17.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.1 €62.9

$71.5 €64.2

-1.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 €6.08

$5.53 €4.96

22.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.77

$2.59 €2.32

19.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.44 €39.02

$37.36 €33.56

16.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.08

$2.32 €2.08

-0.43%

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

$33.9K €30.4K

$33.0K €29.7K

2.54%

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

$39.3K €35.3K

$38.9K €35.0K

0.85%

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

$350 €314

$378 €339

-7.41%

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

$18.57 €16.68

$16.71 €15.01

11.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.33 €35.33

$47.56 €42.73

-17.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 €46.53

$35.89 €32.24

44.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.64 €30.22

$27.56 €24.76

22.06%

Cinema Ticket

$15.92 €14.31

$15.41 €13.84

3.31%

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

$868 €780

$743 €667

16.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

$19.2K €17.3K

-14.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.8

$91.4 €82.1

-4.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €37.81

$42.26 €37.96

-0.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.5

$85.1 €76.4

19.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €103

$134 €120

-14.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,664 €1,495

$818 €735

103.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,126

$571 €513

119.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,113 €2,796

$1,504 €1,351

107.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,352 €2,113

$1,058 €951

122.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.5K €11.2K

$4,493 €4,036

177.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,605 €7,730

$3,378 €3,035

154.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,072 €3,658

$3,534 €3,175

15.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

3.96

-3.54%

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

Last update for Munich: October 24, 2026

Last update for Aachen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Munich

$1.3K 46.8%

Aachen

$571 29.5% 54.5% $683

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Munich

$407 15.2%

Aachen

$442 22.8% 8.4% $34

Groceries & Markets

Munich

$361 13.5%

Aachen

$330 17% 8.6% $31

Eating Out

Munich

$308 11.5%

Aachen

$264 13.6% 14.4% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Munich

$156 5.8%

Aachen

$159 8.2% 2% $3.1

Getting Around

Munich

$111 4.2%

Aachen

$106 5.5% 4.7% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Munich

$84 3.1%

Aachen

$67 3.4% 20.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,664 in Munich versus $818 in Aachen. 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 15% higher in Munich, 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 $89 in Munich versus $62 in Aachen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $361 vs $330 – making Aachen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Munich

🇩🇪 Aachen

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

Same time as Munich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,484,226

241,683

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 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

Munich vs Aachen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,681 in Munich, $1,938 in Aachen – Aachen comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,021 per month in Munich and $2,907 in Aachen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aachen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $818 there versus $1,664 in Munich.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Munich and $62 in Aachen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Munich, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,681 in Munich and $1,938 in Aachen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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