Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Munich and Krefeld

For one person, living is cheaper in Krefeld: $1,899 a month against $2,658 in Munich, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 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 Krefeld
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Krefeld Living Index

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Munich

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,658

/mo nomad

Krefeld

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,899

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Munich and in Krefeld

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,658 in Munich versus $1,899 in Krefeld.

Munich $2,658
Krefeld $1,899

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,003 in Munich versus $2,932 in Krefeld.

Munich $4,003
Krefeld $2,932

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,347 in Munich versus $3,964 in Krefeld.

Munich $5,347
Krefeld $3,964

Living in Munich is roughly 40% more expensive than in Krefeld, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Munich 97% above, Krefeld 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.97 €15.98

$16.81 €14.95

6.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.9 €79.1

$71.6 €63.7

24.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.60 €12.10

$12.93 €11.50

5.18%

Cappuccino

$4.29 €3.81

$4.03 €3.58

6.45%

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

$3.83 €3.41

$3.69 €3.28

3.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 €2.85

$3.20 €2.85

0.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 €4.50

$5.74 €5.10

-11.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 €4.89

$5.46 €4.85

0.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.14

$1.26 €1.12

2.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.17

$2.10 €1.87

16.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$3.62 €3.22

-24.59%

Eggs

$4.60 €4.09

$3.74 €3.33

22.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.94 €16.85

$13.16 €11.70

43.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.53 €11.14

$12.34 €10.98

1.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.30 €18.94

$23.32 €20.75

-8.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 €2.73

$3.01 €2.68

1.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 €1.81

$1.99 €1.77

2.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 €2.45

$2.39 €2.12

15.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 €3.74

$4.17 €3.71

0.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.40 €1.25

40.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 €1.63

$1.19 €1.06

54.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.61 €1.43

-9.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$1.04 €0.92

-20.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.95 €9.74

$9.98 €8.88

9.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$6.58 €5.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.12

$1.09 €0.97

14.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.38

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.70 €4.18

$3.42 €3.04

37.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.1 €63.2

$60.6 €53.9

17.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 €5.94

$5.06 €4.50

31.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.00 €2.67

$2.20 €1.95

36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.82 €38.98

$34.02 €30.26

28.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.26 €2.01

3.10%

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

$33.1K €29.5K

$32.4K €28.8K

2.28%

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

$37.2K €33.1K

$38.3K €34.0K

-2.66%

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

$351 €312

$300 €267

17.01%

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

$18.75 €16.68

$25.28 €22.49

-25.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.33 €35.87

$41.06 €36.52

-1.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 €45.65

$39.80 €35.41

28.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.36 €29.68

$23.10 €20.55

44.42%

Cinema Ticket

$15.34 €13.64

$13.54 €12.05

13.29%

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

$840 €747

$465 €414

80.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €14.4K

$21.8K €19.4K

-25.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €79.3

$88.8 €79.0

0.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 €36.95

$41.10 €36.56

1.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €90.8

$105 €93.3

-2.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €99.7

$130 €116

-13.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 €1,498

$716 €637

135.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,104

$584 €519

112.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,988 €2,658

$1,425 €1,267

109.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,248 €1,999

$1,128 €1,004

99.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.6K €11.2K

$3,248 €2,889

289.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,622 €7,669

$4,481 €3,985

92.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,153 €3,694

$2,002 €1,781

107.44%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Krefeld: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Munich

$1.2K 46.7%

Krefeld

$583 30.7% 53% $658

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Munich

$410 15.4%

Krefeld

$366 19.3% 10.7% $44

Groceries & Markets

Munich

$357 13.4%

Krefeld

$339 17.8% 5.2% $18

Eating Out

Munich

$300 11.3%

Krefeld

$289 15.2% 3.9% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Munich

$155 5.8%

Krefeld

$164 8.6% 5.8% $8.9

Getting Around

Munich

$112 4.2%

Krefeld

$90 4.8% 19% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Munich

$82 3.1%

Krefeld

$67 3.5% 18.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,684 in Munich and $716 in Krefeld. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Munich pays 107% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $89.0 in Munich vs $72.0 in Krefeld for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $339 per month, with Krefeld cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Munich

🇩🇪 Krefeld

🕒 Local time

17:21 5:21 PM

Same time as Munich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,484,226

222,058

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Munich Krefeld 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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 Krefeld: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Krefeld is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 107% 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: $1,684 in Munich versus $716 in Krefeld. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,658 per month in Munich versus $1,899 in Krefeld – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Krefeld runs roughly 17% less than in Munich. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,899 in Krefeld versus $2,658 in Munich, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Krefeld but tight or insufficient in Munich. The gap between the two cities makes Krefeld the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Krefeld is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Munich, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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

Expats usually find Krefeld gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Munich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.