Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Munich and Wilhelmshaven

For one person, living is cheaper in Wilhelmshaven: $1,827 a month against $2,681 in Munich, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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
88

Cost of Living Index in Wilhelmshaven
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Wilhelmshaven Living Index

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Munich

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,681

/mo nomad

Wilhelmshaven

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,827

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Munich and in Wilhelmshaven

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

A single person spends $2,681 per month in Munich vs $1,827 in Wilhelmshaven, rent included.

Munich $2,681
Wilhelmshaven $1,827

A couple spends around $4,080 per month in Munich vs $2,758 in Wilhelmshaven, rent included.

Munich $4,080
Wilhelmshaven $2,758

A family of three spends $5,480 per month in Munich vs $3,690 in Wilhelmshaven, rent included.

Munich $5,480
Wilhelmshaven $3,690

Munich costs about 47% more than Wilhelmshaven, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Munich and Wilhelmshaven sit above the global median – Munich by 97%, Wilhelmshaven by 34%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.66 €16.75

$17.56 €15.76

6.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 €80.0

$74.1 €66.5

20.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €12.01

$13.49 €12.10

-0.82%

Cappuccino

$4.32 €3.88

$4.67 €4.19

-7.49%

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

$3.86 €3.47

$4.17 €3.74

-7.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 €3.00

$3.34 €3.00

0.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.22 €4.68

$5.77 €5.18

-9.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 €5.15

$4.96 €4.45

15.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.15

$1.08 €0.97

18.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 €2.09

$2.53 €2.27

-8.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 €2.41

$2.78 €2.49

-3.24%

Eggs

$4.57 €4.10

$4.20 €3.77

8.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.92 €16.08

$12.14 €10.90

47.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.29 €11.93

$12.16 €10.91

9.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.85 €19.61

$18.82 €16.89

16.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 €2.86

$2.52 €2.26

26.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 €1.80

$1.85 €1.66

8.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.52

$2.07 €1.86

35.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 €4.06

$4.03 €3.61

12.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$1.88 €1.69

-1.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 €1.65

$1.59 €1.42

15.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.77 €1.59

-15.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.78

$1.13 €1.02

-23.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.22 €10.07

$9.56 €8.57

17.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 €5.98

$5.65 €5.07

18.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.16

$1.14 €1.03

13.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.44

$1.51 €1.36

5.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.74 €4.25

$2.78 €2.50

70.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.1 €62.9

$53.8 €48.28

30.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 €6.07

$6.69 €6.00

1.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.77

$2.95 €2.65

4.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.44 €38.98

$41.90 €37.59

3.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.08

$2.01 €1.81

14.93%

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

$33.9K €30.4K

$31.8K €28.5K

6.49%

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

$39.3K €35.2K

$38.0K €34.1K

3.46%

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

$350 €314

$292 €262

19.58%

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

$18.57 €16.67

$11.01 €9.88

68.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.33 €35.29

$39.01 €35.00

0.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 €46.48

$28.11 €25.22

84.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.64 €30.19

Cinema Ticket

$15.92 €14.29

$15.88 €14.25

0.25%

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

$868 €779

$500 €449

73.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

$13.6K €12.2K

20.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.7

$86.3 €77.4

1.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €37.77

$36.65 €32.88

14.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.4

$55.6 €49.87

83.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €102

$117 €105

-2.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,664 €1,493

$778 €698

113.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,125

$580 €521

116.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,113 €2,793

$1,026 €921

203.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,352 €2,111

$1,009 €906

133.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.5K €11.2K

$3,966 €3,559

213.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,605 €7,721

$2,273 €2,039

278.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,072 €3,654

$3,163 €2,838

28.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

3.69

3.52%

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

Last update for Munich: October 24, 2026

Last update for Wilhelmshaven: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Munich

$1.3K 46.8%

Wilhelmshaven

$580 31.8% 53.7% $674

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Munich

$407 15.2%

Wilhelmshaven

$342 18.7% 16% $65

Groceries & Markets

Munich

$361 13.5%

Wilhelmshaven

$319 17.5% 11.6% $42

Eating Out

Munich

$308 11.5%

Wilhelmshaven

$306 16.7% 0.6% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Munich

$156 5.8%

Wilhelmshaven

$133 7.3% 14.6% $23

Getting Around

Munich

$111 4.2%

Wilhelmshaven

$86 4.7% 22.3% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Munich

$84 3.1%

Wilhelmshaven

$60 3.3% 28.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,664 in Munich versus $778 in Wilhelmshaven. 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 29% 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 $74 in Wilhelmshaven. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $361 vs $319 – making Wilhelmshaven the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Munich

🇩🇪 Wilhelmshaven

🕒 Local time

19:21 7:21 PM

Same time as Munich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,484,226

75,728

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Munich Wilhelmshaven 650 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 Wilhelmshaven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,681 in Munich, $1,827 in Wilhelmshaven – Wilhelmshaven comes out roughly 32% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,021 per month in Munich and $2,740 in Wilhelmshaven. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wilhelmshaven, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $778 there versus $1,664 in Munich.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Wilhelmshaven. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $868 per month in Munich and $500 in Wilhelmshaven. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,681 in Munich and $1,827 in Wilhelmshaven, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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