Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Munich and Oberhausen

For one person, living is cheaper in Oberhausen: $1,997 a month against $2,663 in Munich, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Munich
Learn more

Munich Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Oberhausen
Learn more

Oberhausen Living Index

Jump to prices

Munich

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,663

/mo nomad

Oberhausen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,997

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Munich and in Oberhausen

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

A single person spends $2,663 per month in Munich vs $1,997 in Oberhausen, rent included.

Munich $2,663
Oberhausen $1,997

A couple spends around $4,043 per month in Munich vs $2,847 in Oberhausen, rent included.

Munich $4,043
Oberhausen $2,847

A family of three spends $5,423 per month in Munich vs $3,698 in Oberhausen, rent included.

Munich $5,423
Oberhausen $3,698

Munich costs about 33% more than Oberhausen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Munich and Oberhausen sit above the global median – Munich by 97%, Oberhausen by 47%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.62 €16.62

$16.51 €14.74

12.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €81.4

$85.2 €76.0

7.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.60 €12.13

$13.18 €11.76

3.19%

Cappuccino

$4.32 €3.85

$4.09 €3.65

5.62%

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

$3.81 €3.40

$3.11 €2.78

22.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 €3.00

$3.12 €2.78

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.91 €4.39

$5.51 €4.91

-10.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 €5.14

$5.70 €5.08

1.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.25 €1.12

4.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.16

$2.12 €1.89

14.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.70 €2.41

$3.29 €2.93

-17.93%

Eggs

$4.63 €4.13

$3.68 €3.28

25.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.25 €16.29

$13.76 €12.28

32.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.41 €11.97

$11.99 €10.70

11.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.95 €19.59

$22.69 €20.25

-3.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 €2.72

$2.93 €2.62

4.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.04 €1.82

2.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 €2.46

$2.23 €1.99

23.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 €3.84

$3.94 €3.52

9.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$1.32 €1.17

46.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.25 €1.12

43.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.52 €1.35

-5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.78

$1.12 €1.00

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.99 €9.81

$9.91 €8.84

10.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.79 €6.06

$5.59 €4.99

21.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.10

$1.04 €0.93

18.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.67 €1.49

-7.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.46 €3.98

$3.32 €2.96

34.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.0 €64.3

$49.51 €44.19

45.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.47 €5.78

$5.00 €4.46

29.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.00 €2.68

$2.84 €2.53

5.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.32 €38.66

$33.76 €30.13

28.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €2.04

$2.16 €1.93

6.02%

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

$33.3K €29.7K

$33.0K €29.4K

0.99%

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

$38.9K €34.7K

$38.3K €34.2K

1.49%

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

$353 €315

$381 €340

-7.36%

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

$18.28 €16.32

$12.35 €11.02

48.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.60 €36.24

$37.20 €33.20

9.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €47.73

$38.75 €34.58

38.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.12 €29.56

$25.63 €22.88

29.22%

Cinema Ticket

$15.87 €14.16

$15.68 €14.00

1.21%

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

$815 €727

$466 €416

74.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €14.5K

$9,576 €8,547

69.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.7

$88.9 €79.3

-0.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.95 €38.34

$41.50 €37.04

3.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.9

$98.2 €87.7

4.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €102

$142 €126

-19.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,664 €1,485

$604 €539

175.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,096

$630 €563

94.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,969 €2,650

$749 €668

296.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 €2,030

$767 €684

196.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.9K €11.5K

$4,945 €4,413

160.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,927 €7,968

$3,384 €3,020

163.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,185 €3,735

$3,396 €3,031

23.23%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Oberhausen: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Munich

$1.2K 46.1%

Oberhausen

$630 31.6% 48.7% $598

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Munich

$412 15.5%

Oberhausen

$431 21.6% 4.5% $19

Groceries & Markets

Munich

$363 13.6%

Oberhausen

$332 16.6% 8.5% $31

Eating Out

Munich

$306 11.5%

Oberhausen

$285 14.3% 7.1% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Munich

$157 5.9%

Oberhausen

$167 8.3% 6.3% $9.9

Getting Around

Munich

$111 4.2%

Oberhausen

$82 4.1% 26.4% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Munich

$85 3.2%

Oberhausen

$70 3.5% 17.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,664 in Munich versus $604 in Oberhausen. 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 23% 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 $91 in Munich versus $85 in Oberhausen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $332 – making Oberhausen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Munich

🇩🇪 Oberhausen

🕒 Local time

22:13 10:13 PM

Same time as Munich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,484,226

209,292

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Munich Oberhausen 500 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Munich
Oberhausen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Oberhausen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,663 in Munich, $1,997 in Oberhausen – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,995 per month in Munich and $2,995 in Oberhausen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oberhausen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $604 there versus $1,664 in Munich.

Public transport costs about 31% less in Oberhausen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $815 per month in Munich and $466 in Oberhausen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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