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: $2,132 in Rochester versus $1,658 in Wilhelmshaven.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,290 in Rochester versus $2,847 in Wilhelmshaven.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,449 in Rochester versus $4,036 in Wilhelmshaven.

Living in Rochester is roughly 29% more expensive than in Wilhelmshaven, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rochester 60% above, Wilhelmshaven 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.54 £18.25

$13.67 €11.96

79.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.8 £71.3

$79.1 €69.2

21.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 £7.59

$12.34 €10.80

-17.26%

Cappuccino

$4.55 £3.38

$3.87 €3.38

17.57%

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

$2.29 £1.70

$2.87 €2.51

-20.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 £2.00

$2.38 €2.08

12.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.26 £4.66

$5.32 €4.65

17.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.32 £3.96

$5.11 €4.47

4.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 £1.05

$1.18 €1.03

20.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 £0.97

$2.12 €1.86

-38.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 £1.23

$3.46 €3.03

-52.31%

Eggs

$2.99 £2.23

$3.97 €3.47

-24.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.87 £3.62

$14.85 €12.99

-67.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.36 £5.47

$14.72 €12.88

-50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.61 £8.63

$19.21 €16.81

-39.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 £2.13

$2.51 €2.20

13.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 £1.11

$1.79 €1.56

-16.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 £1.80

$2.19 €1.91

10.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 £1.79

$5.42 €4.75

-55.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 £1.10

$1.55 €1.36

-4.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 £0.95

$1.48 €1.29

-13.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 £0.74

$2.09 €1.83

-52.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.03 €0.90

52.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.71 £15.40

$10.00 €8.75

107.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.65 £7.92

$5.65 €4.94

88.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 £1.72

$1.07 €0.94

115.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 £2.49

$1.75 €1.53

90.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 £2.57

$3.02 €2.64

14.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.9 £66.9

$56.3 €49.24

59.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.13 £3.07

$7.26 €6.35

-43.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 £1.25

$2.00 €1.75

-16.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.70 £10.94

$51.2 €44.76

-71.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.41

$2.01 €1.76

-5.47%

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

$33.8K £25.1K

$31.6K €27.6K

6.97%

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

$32.4K £24.1K

$36.3K €31.7K

-10.79%

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

$189 £141

$307 €269

-38.28%

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

$18.80 £13.98

$11.52 €10.08

63.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.02 £22.33

$51.7 €45.27

-41.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 £38.31

$29.27 €25.61

75.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.15 £14.99

$23.42 €20.49

-13.96%

Cinema Ticket

$13.66 £10.16

$15.30 €13.39

-10.72%

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

$508 £378

$686 €601

-25.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K £19.2K

$10.2K €8,965

151.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 £50.9

$84.7 €74.1

-19.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.11 £30.58

$34.10 €29.83

20.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.1 £45.44

$58.5 €51.1

4.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.8 £72.0

$148 €129

-34.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 £903

$573 €501

111.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 £740

$401 €351

148.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,839 £1,368

$777 €680

136.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,717 £1,277

$1,229 €1,075

39.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,096 £3,790

$5,273 €4,613

-3.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,703 £3,498

$2,263 €1,980

107.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,302 £2,456

$3,587 €3,139

-7.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

3.96

39.65%

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

Last update for Rochester: July 14, 2026

Last update for Wilhelmshaven: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,214 in Rochester and $573 in Wilhelmshaven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wilhelmshaven pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $96.0 in Rochester vs $79.0 in Wilhelmshaven. Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $346, 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 29% 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 9% 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: $1,214 in Rochester versus $573 in Wilhelmshaven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,132 per month in Rochester versus $1,658 in Wilhelmshaven – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Wilhelmshaven runs roughly 60% less than in Rochester. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,658 in Wilhelmshaven versus $2,132 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 29% less than in Rochester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.