Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Munich and Kassel

For one person, living is cheaper in Kassel: $1,912 a month against $2,681 in Munich, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 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
92

Cost of Living Index in Kassel
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Kassel Living Index

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Munich

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,681

/mo nomad

Kassel

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Munich and in Kassel

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 Kassel actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,681 in Munich versus $1,912 in Kassel.

Munich $2,681
Kassel $1,912

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,080 in Munich versus $2,822 in Kassel.

Munich $4,080
Kassel $2,822

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,480 in Munich versus $3,732 in Kassel.

Munich $5,480
Kassel $3,732

Living in Munich is roughly 40% more expensive than in Kassel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Munich 97% above, Kassel 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.66 €16.76

$14.62 €13.13

27.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 €80.1

$55.4 €49.79

60.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €12.02

$12.14 €10.91

10.21%

Cappuccino

$4.32 €3.88

$3.82 €3.43

13.09%

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

$3.86 €3.47

$3.93 €3.53

-1.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 €3.01

$2.48 €2.23

35.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.22 €4.69

$5.56 €4.99

-6.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 €5.15

$4.54 €4.08

26.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.15

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 €2.09

$2.07 €1.86

12.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 €2.42

$3.30 €2.96

-18.48%

Eggs

$4.57 €4.10

$3.55 €3.19

28.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.92 €16.10

$13.44 €12.07

33.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.29 €11.94

$10.85 €9.74

22.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.85 €19.63

$24.96 €22.42

-12.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 €2.86

$3.29 €2.96

-3.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 €1.80

$2.15 €1.93

-6.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.52

$2.32 €2.08

21.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 €4.07

$4.97 €4.47

-8.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$1.52 €1.36

21.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 €1.65

$1.30 €1.17

40.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.76 €1.58

-14.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.78

$0.92 €0.83

-6.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.22 €10.08

$9.36 €8.40

19.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 €5.99

$6.07 €5.46

9.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.16

$0.95 €0.85

35.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.44

$1.53 €1.37

4.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.74 €4.26

$3.71 €3.33

27.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.1 €62.9

$69.0 €62.0

1.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 €6.08

$4.21 €3.78

60.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.77

$2.51 €2.25

23.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.44 €39.02

$39.65 €35.62

9.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.08

$2.11 €1.90

9.48%

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

$33.9K €30.4K

$32.5K €29.2K

4.41%

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

$39.3K €35.3K

$37.9K €34.1K

3.52%

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

$350 €314

$402 €361

-13.02%

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

$18.57 €16.68

$41.28 €37.08

-55.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.33 €35.33

$51.5 €46.27

-23.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 €46.53

$35.64 €32.01

45.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.64 €30.22

$11.15 €10.02

201.70%

Cinema Ticket

$15.92 €14.31

$13.36 €12.00

19.16%

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

$868 €780

$364 €327

138.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

$16.1K €14.4K

2.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.8

$92.4 €83.0

-5.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €37.81

$44.16 €39.67

-4.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.5

$86.2 €77.4

18.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €103

$111 €100.0

2.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,664 €1,495

$649 €583

156.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,126

$503 €452

149.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,113 €2,796

$1,083 €973

187.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,352 €2,113

$915 €822

157.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.5K €11.2K

$4,725 €4,244

163.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,605 €7,730

$2,801 €2,516

207.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,072 €3,658

$2,574 €2,312

58.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

3.95

-3.29%

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

Last update for Munich: October 24, 2026

Last update for Kassel: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Munich

$1.3K 46.8%

Kassel

$503 26.3% 59.9% $751

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Munich

$407 15.2%

Kassel

$495 25.9% 21.4% $87

Groceries & Markets

Munich

$361 13.5%

Kassel

$339 17.7% 6.2% $22

Eating Out

Munich

$308 11.5%

Kassel

$262 13.7% 14.9% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Munich

$156 5.8%

Kassel

$150 7.9% 3.4% $5.3

Getting Around

Munich

$111 4.2%

Kassel

$101 5.3% 9.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Munich

$84 3.1%

Kassel

$62 3.3% 25.5% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,664 in Munich and $649 in Kassel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Munich pays 58% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Munich vs $55 in Kassel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $339 per month, with Kassel cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Munich

🇩🇪 Kassel

🕒 Local time

19:39 7:39 PM

Same time as Munich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,484,226

204,021

💱 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 Kassel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kassel wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Munich. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kassel the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 58% higher in Munich, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,664 in Munich versus $649 in Kassel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $868 in Munich versus $364 in Kassel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kassel – a meal for two runs $55 versus $89 in Munich. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Munich and Kassel are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Kassel wins on affordability, Munich on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.