Cost of Living Comparison Between Nottingham and Gelsenkirchen Cost of Living Comparison Between Nottingham and Gelsenkirchen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,265 per month in Nottingham vs $1,883 in Gelsenkirchen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,208 per month in Nottingham vs $2,922 in Gelsenkirchen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,150 per month in Nottingham vs $3,960 in Gelsenkirchen, rent included.

Nottingham costs about 20% more than Gelsenkirchen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Nottingham and Gelsenkirchen sit above the global median – Nottingham by 70%, Gelsenkirchen by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.75 £15.72

$11.41 €9.95

81.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.6 £51.2

$118 €103

-42.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 £8.35

$10.33 €9.01

6.68%

Cappuccino

$4.48 £3.39

$3.73 €3.25

20.11%

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

$2.42 £1.84

$3.31 €2.88

-26.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 £1.06

$2.98 €2.60

-53.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.28 £4.76

$5.29 €4.61

18.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.51 £4.93

$2.29 €2.00

184.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 £1.31

$1.27 €1.11

36.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 £1.16

$2.26 €1.98

-32.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 £1.06

$3.29 €2.87

-57.45%

Eggs

$4.38 £3.32

$3.94 €3.44

11.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.22 £5.47

$15.06 €13.14

-52.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 £6.65

$14.50 €12.65

-39.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 £12.17

$23.61 €20.60

-31.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 £2.37

$3.18 €2.77

-1.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 £1.64

$1.65 €1.44

30.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 £3.18

$2.30 €2.00

82.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 £2.37

$4.66 €4.07

-32.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 £1.32

$1.47 €1.28

18.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.16

$1.59 €1.39

-3.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 £0.98

$2.07 €1.80

-37.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 £1.22

$0.94 €0.82

71.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.01 £15.16

$9.53 €8.31

109.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.34 £10.10

$5.93 €5.18

124.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.65 £2.77

$1.11 €0.97

228.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 £3.65

$1.61 €1.41

199.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.03 £3.06

$4.08 €3.56

-1.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.2 £71.4

$57.2 €49.93

64.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 £4.22

$5.13 €4.47

8.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 £1.14

$1.83 €1.60

-17.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.47 £17.78

$34.43 €30.04

-31.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 £1.43

$1.96 €1.71

-3.57%

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

$37.8K £28.6K

$31.2K €27.2K

20.95%

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

$42.3K £32.0K

$39.8K €34.7K

6.32%

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

$253 £192

$332 €289

-23.75%

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

$16.32 £12.36

$34.57 €30.16

-52.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.94 £31.01

$56.0 €48.87

-26.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.20 £31.97

$32.42 €28.29

30.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.69 £5.82

$28.39 €24.77

-72.91%

Cinema Ticket

$15.90 £12.04

$10.61 €9.26

49.86%

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

$1,732 £1,312

$235 €205

637.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K £17.5K

$11.4K €9,961

102.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.9 £58.3

$95.4 €83.2

-19.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.8 £51.4

$50.7 €44.20

33.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.6 £74.7

$152 €133

-35.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 £72.6

$188 €164

-49.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 £917

$615 €537

96.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$936 £709

$552 €482

69.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 £1,383

$893 €780

104.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 £1,053

$873 €762

59.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,401 £3,334

$1,717 €1,498

156.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,922 £3,728

$1,409 €1,229

249.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,346 £2,535

$2,346 €2,047

42.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

3.98

48.24%

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

Last update for Nottingham: June 15, 2026

Last update for Gelsenkirchen: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,210 in Nottingham versus $615 in Gelsenkirchen. 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 43% higher in Nottingham, 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 $68.0 in Nottingham versus $118 in Gelsenkirchen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $359 – making Nottingham the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Nottingham vs Gelsenkirchen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nottingham costs about 20% more than Gelsenkirchen, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,398 per month in Nottingham and $2,825 in Gelsenkirchen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Nottingham and $118 in Gelsenkirchen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,265 in Nottingham and $1,883 in Gelsenkirchen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Gelsenkirchen, where all-in costs run around $1,883, than in Nottingham at $2,265. In Gelsenkirchen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nottingham it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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