Cost of Living Comparison Between Rochester and Wilhelmshaven Cost of Living Comparison Between Rochester and Wilhelmshaven

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,245 in Rochester versus $1,909 in Wilhelmshaven.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,317 in Rochester versus $2,947 in Wilhelmshaven.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,390 in Rochester versus $3,986 in Wilhelmshaven.

Living in Rochester is roughly 18% more expensive than in Wilhelmshaven, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rochester 63% above, Wilhelmshaven 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 £18.17

$14.08 €12.12

74.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 £73.2

$80.8 €69.6

22.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 £7.55

$13.17 €11.34

-22.48%

Cappuccino

$4.76 £3.52

$4.04 €3.48

17.82%

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

$3.18 £2.36

$3.92 €3.38

-18.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 £2.05

$2.27 €1.95

22.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.20 £4.58

$5.11 €4.39

21.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 £4.14

$4.62 €3.98

21.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.13 €0.97

48.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 £1.55

$2.19 €1.88

-4.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 £1.28

$3.91 €3.36

-55.75%

Eggs

$2.96 £2.19

$3.62 €3.11

-18.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.85 £3.59

$14.80 €12.74

-67.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.42 £5.49

$11.68 €10.05

-36.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.47 £8.48

$19.50 €16.79

-41.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 £2.03

$2.58 €2.22

6.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.86 €1.60

4.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 £1.89

$2.08 €1.79

23.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 £1.77

$5.20 €4.48

-53.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 £1.50

$1.37 €1.18

48.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 £0.95

$1.25 €1.07

3.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 £0.77

$1.91 €1.64

-45.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 £1.26

$1.09 €0.94

56.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.80 £16.87

$9.72 €8.36

134.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.79 £7.98

$5.81 €5.00

85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 £2.22

$1.04 €0.89

188.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 £2.41

$1.51 €1.30

115.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.53 £2.61

$3.45 €2.97

2.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.7 £70.1

$69.8 €60.1

35.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 £3.76

$5.58 €4.80

-8.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 £2.06

$2.57 €2.21

8.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.53 £30.72

$42.27 €36.39

-1.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.57

$2.05 €1.76

3.90%

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

$39.7K £29.3K

$33.3K €28.7K

18.98%

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

$41.2K £30.5K

$39.9K €34.4K

3.28%

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

$194 £143

$300 €258

-35.36%

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

$17.17 £12.70

$11.64 €10.02

47.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.26 £22.38

$52.0 €44.75

-41.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.99 £30.32

$29.15 €25.09

40.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.87 €19.68

Cinema Ticket

$18.11 £13.40

$15.32 €13.18

18.21%

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

$506 £374

$482 €415

4.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K £23.4K

$14.5K €12.4K

118.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.4 £49.83

$94.4 €81.3

-28.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.50 £29.96

$29.09 €25.04

39.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.4 £44.70

$58.8 €50.6

2.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 £67.3

$140 €121

-35.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 £1,019

$589 €507

133.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 £785

$670 €577

58.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 £1,350

$1,552 €1,336

17.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,725 £1,276

$1,114 €959

54.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,369 £3,972

$5,261 €4,529

2.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,056 £3,001

$2,315 €1,993

75.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,352 £2,480

$3,686 €3,173

-9.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.12

3.95

29.62%

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

Last update for Rochester: August 31, 2026

Last update for Wilhelmshaven: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,378 in Rochester and $589 in Wilhelmshaven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wilhelmshaven pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $99.0 in Rochester vs $81.0 in Wilhelmshaven. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $330, with Rochester cheaper for home cooking.

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

Rochester vs Wilhelmshaven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wilhelmshaven wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Rochester. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Wilhelmshaven the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Wilhelmshaven. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,378 in Rochester versus $589 in Wilhelmshaven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,245 per month in Rochester versus $1,909 in Wilhelmshaven – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Wilhelmshaven runs roughly 36% less than in Rochester. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,909 in Wilhelmshaven versus $2,245 in Rochester, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Wilhelmshaven but tight or insufficient in Rochester. The gap between the two cities makes Wilhelmshaven the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Rochester and Wilhelmshaven 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 Wilhelmshaven gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Rochester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.