Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Munich and Solingen

For one person, living is cheaper in Solingen: $2,001 a month against $2,658 in Munich, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
98

Cost of Living Index in Solingen
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Solingen Living Index

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Munich

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,658

/mo nomad

Solingen

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,001

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Munich and in Solingen

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

A single person spends $2,658 per month in Munich vs $2,001 in Solingen, rent included.

Munich $2,658
Solingen $2,001

A couple spends around $4,003 per month in Munich vs $3,003 in Solingen, rent included.

Munich $4,003
Solingen $3,003

A family of three spends $5,347 per month in Munich vs $4,006 in Solingen, rent included.

Munich $5,347
Solingen $4,006

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

Both Munich and Solingen sit above the global median – Munich by 97%, Solingen by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.97 €15.98

$19.24 €17.11

-6.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.9 €79.1

$73.5 €65.4

21.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.60 €12.10

$13.48 €11.99

0.89%

Cappuccino

$4.29 €3.81

$3.88 €3.45

10.57%

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

$3.83 €3.41

$3.13 €2.78

22.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 €2.85

$2.92 €2.59

9.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 €4.50

$5.11 €4.55

-0.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 €4.89

$4.50 €4.00

22.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.14

$1.26 €1.12

2.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.17

$2.08 €1.85

17.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$2.96 €2.63

-7.77%

Eggs

$4.60 €4.09

$3.91 €3.48

17.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.94 €16.85

$16.36 €14.55

15.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.53 €11.14

$12.79 €11.38

-2.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.30 €18.94

$22.56 €20.06

-5.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 €2.73

$3.12 €2.77

-1.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 €1.81

$2.12 €1.88

-3.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 €2.45

$2.13 €1.89

29.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 €3.74

$3.89 €3.46

7.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.20 €1.06

64.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 €1.63

$1.30 €1.16

41.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.58 €1.41

-8.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$1.16 €1.04

-28.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.95 €9.74

$9.94 €8.84

10.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$5.64 €5.01

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.12

$1.05 €0.94

19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.46 €1.30

6.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.70 €4.18

$3.43 €3.05

37.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.1 €63.2

$65.1 €57.9

9.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 €5.94

$5.01 €4.46

33.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.00 €2.67

$3.04 €2.71

-1.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.82 €38.98

$38.45 €34.20

13.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.20 €1.96

5.91%

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

$33.1K €29.5K

$33.4K €29.7K

-0.82%

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

$37.2K €33.1K

$37.6K €33.5K

-1.01%

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

$351 €312

$330 €294

6.37%

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

$18.75 €16.68

$19.79 €17.61

-5.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.33 €35.87

$41.22 €36.66

-2.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 €45.65

$39.77 €35.37

29.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.36 €29.68

$23.78 €21.15

40.29%

Cinema Ticket

$15.34 €13.64

$15.29 €13.60

0.33%

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

$840 €747

$470 €418

78.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €14.4K

$9,286 €8,260

74.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €79.3

$94.6 €84.2

-5.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 €36.95

$41.74 €37.13

-0.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €90.8

$112 €99.2

-8.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €99.7

$166 €148

-32.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 €1,498

$842 €749

100.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,104

$611 €543

103.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,988 €2,658

$1,372 €1,220

117.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,248 €1,999

$1,023 €910

119.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.6K €11.2K

$4,992 €4,441

153.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,622 €7,669

$3,334 €2,966

158.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,153 €3,694

$5,206 €4,631

-20.22%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Solingen: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Munich

$1.2K 46.7%

Solingen

$611 30.5% 50.8% $631

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Munich

$410 15.4%

Solingen

$391 19.6% 4.7% $19

Groceries & Markets

Munich

$357 13.4%

Solingen

$344 17.2% 3.8% $13

Eating Out

Munich

$300 11.3%

Solingen

$300 15% 0.3% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Munich

$155 5.8%

Solingen

$186 9.3% 20.1% $31

Getting Around

Munich

$112 4.2%

Solingen

$99 5% 11.2% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Munich

$82 3.1%

Solingen

$70 3.5% 14.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,684 in Munich versus $842 in Solingen. 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 25% higher in Solingen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Munich versus $73.0 in Solingen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $344 – making Solingen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Munich

🇩🇪 Solingen

🕒 Local time

19:48 7:48 PM

Same time as Munich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,484,226

164,205

💱 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

Munich vs Solingen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,658 in Munich, $2,001 in Solingen – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,987 per month in Munich and $3,001 in Solingen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Solingen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Solingen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $840 per month in Munich and $470 in Solingen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Solingen, where all-in costs run around $2,001, than in Munich at $2,658. In Solingen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Munich it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Munich has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,001 in Solingen to $2,658 in Munich. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Solingen. 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.