Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulm and Munich

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulm: $2,140 a month against $2,658 in Munich, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Ulm
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Ulm Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Munich
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Munich Living Index

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Ulm

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,140

/mo nomad

Munich

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,658

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ulm and in Munich

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ulm and in Munich actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,140 per month in Ulm vs $2,658 in Munich, rent included.

Ulm $2,140
Munich $2,658

A couple spends around $3,245 per month in Ulm vs $4,003 in Munich, rent included.

Ulm $3,245
Munich $4,003

A family of three spends $4,350 per month in Ulm vs $5,347 in Munich, rent included.

Ulm $4,350
Munich $5,347

Ulm is about 19% cheaper than Munich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ulm and Munich sit above the global median – Ulm by 59%, Munich by 97%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.80 €14.94

$17.97 €15.98

-6.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.6 €59.2

$88.9 €79.1

-25.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.31 €11.84

$13.60 €12.10

-2.13%

Cappuccino

$3.84 €3.42

$4.29 €3.81

-10.49%

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

$4.64 €4.13

$3.83 €3.41

21.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.71

$3.21 €2.85

-40.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.62 €4.11

$5.06 €4.50

-8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 €3.92

$5.50 €4.89

-19.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.30

$1.29 €1.14

13.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.83

$2.44 €2.17

-15.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.14 €3.68

$2.73 €2.43

51.65%

Eggs

$3.64 €3.24

$4.60 €4.09

-20.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 €12.76

$18.94 €16.85

-24.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.74

$12.53 €11.14

-21.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.54 €22.72

$21.30 €18.94

19.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 €3.06

$3.07 €2.73

12.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.96

$2.04 €1.81

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$2.75 €2.45

-30.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 €3.48

$4.20 €3.74

-6.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.97 €1.75

-45.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.84 €1.63

-39.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.45 €1.29

14.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.06

$0.83 €0.74

44.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.59 €8.53

$10.95 €9.74

-12.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$6.58 €5.85

-13.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.25 €1.12

-8.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.55 €1.38

-1.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.10 €2.76

$4.70 €4.18

-34.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 €57.3

$71.1 €63.2

-9.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 €5.94

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.00 €2.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.82 €38.98

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.89

$2.33 €2.08

-8.58%

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

$32.2K €28.6K

$33.1K €29.5K

-2.84%

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

$37.9K €33.7K

$37.2K €33.1K

1.65%

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

$377 €336

$351 €312

7.42%

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

$34.04 €30.28

$18.75 €16.68

81.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 €47.05

$40.33 €35.87

31.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.61 €29.89

$51.3 €45.65

-34.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.70 €20.19

$33.36 €29.68

-31.95%

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 €11.95

$15.34 €13.64

-12.39%

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

$441 €393

$840 €747

-47.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K €11.6K

$16.2K €14.4K

-19.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.3 €80.3

$89.2 €79.3

1.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 €49.08

$41.55 €36.95

32.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 €79.6

$102 €90.8

-12.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 €131

$112 €99.7

31.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$931 €828

$1,684 €1,498

-44.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 €666

$1,242 €1,104

-39.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 €1,628

$2,988 €2,658

-38.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 €1,308

$2,248 €1,999

-34.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,901 €5,249

$12.6K €11.2K

-53.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,961 €3,524

$8,622 €7,669

-54.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,737 €3,324

$4,153 €3,694

-10.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

3.82

3.93%

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

Last update for Ulm: October 13, 2026

Last update for Munich: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ulm

$749 35%

Munich

$1.2K 46.7% 65.8% $493

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulm

$464 21.7%

Munich

$410 15.4% 11.6% $54

Groceries & Markets

Ulm

$339 15.9%

Munich

$357 13.4% 5.3% $18

Eating Out

Ulm

$279 13%

Munich

$300 11.3% 7.8% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Ulm

$172 8%

Munich

$155 5.8% 9.9% $17

Getting Around

Ulm

$77 * 3.6%

Munich

$112 4.2% 45.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Ulm

$60 2.8%

Munich

$82 3.1% 35.6% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $931 in Ulm versus $1,684 in Munich. 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 11% 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 $67.0 in Ulm versus $89.0 in Munich. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $357 – making Ulm the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Ulm

🇩🇪 Munich

🕒 Local time

23:28 11:28 PM

Same time as Ulm

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

121,648

1,484,226

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Ulm Munich 120 km

From you

Ulm
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Ulm vs Munich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,140 in Ulm, $2,658 in Munich – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,211 per month in Ulm and $3,987 in Munich. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 10% less in Ulm. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $441 per month in Ulm and $840 in Munich. 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 Ulm, where all-in costs run around $2,140, than in Munich at $2,658. In Ulm 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 $2,140 in Ulm 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 Ulm. 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.