Cost of Living Comparison Between Varese and Essen Cost of Living Comparison Between Varese and Essen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,104 per month in Varese vs $2,102 in Essen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,499 per month in Varese vs $3,247 in Essen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,895 per month in Varese vs $4,391 in Essen, rent included.

Varese and Essen have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Varese and Essen sit above the global median – Varese by 53%, Essen by 53%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.56 €20.32

$20.51 €17.69

14.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 €91.6

$94.6 €81.6

12.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.09 €13.02

$13.81 €11.91

9.27%

Cappuccino

$2.27 €1.96

$4.15 €3.58

-45.30%

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

$3.87 €3.34

$3.45 €2.98

12.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.46

$2.97 €2.56

-43.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 €6.13

$6.83 €5.89

4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 €5.48

$5.83 €5.03

9.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.38 €1.19

28.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 €2.45

$2.27 €1.96

25.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 €2.73

$3.42 €2.95

-7.60%

Eggs

$4.56 €3.93

$3.80 €3.28

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.75 €15.31

$17.31 €14.93

2.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.40 €11.56

$10.87 €9.37

23.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.90 €24.92

$25.29 €21.81

14.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$3.32 €2.87

-21.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$2.14 €1.85

14.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 €2.67

$2.22 €1.91

39.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 €3.37

$4.16 €3.59

-6.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 €2.37

$1.41 €1.22

94.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.86

$1.36 €1.17

58.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.38

$1.53 €1.32

3.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.52

$1.27 €1.10

-52.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.08 €6.10

$9.94 €8.57

-28.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 €6.87

$5.86 €5.05

36.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.13 €0.98

53.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.58 €1.36

-1.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 €2.30

$4.14 €3.57

-35.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.8 €44.65

$67.2 €58.0

-23.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 €4.87

$4.96 €4.28

13.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 €2.03

$3.52 €3.04

-32.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.03 €34.53

$39.94 €34.45

0.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.84

$2.26 €1.95

-5.75%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$34.3K €29.6K

9.35%

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

$36.8K €31.7K

$39.7K €34.3K

-7.43%

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

$227 €196

$407 €351

-44.22%

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

$13.67 €11.79

$40.28 €34.74

-66.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.41 €27.09

$42.65 €36.78

-26.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.46 €40.94

$41.93 €36.17

13.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.82 €22.27

$38.63 €33.32

-33.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 €10.32

$15.77 €13.60

-24.16%

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

$747 €645

$477 €412

56.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,281 €6,280

$9,856 €8,501

-26.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €95.5

$99.1 €85.5

11.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 €49.13

$88.0 €75.9

-35.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 €114

$114 €98.3

16.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 €144

$160 €138

4.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 €846

$669 €577

46.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 €644

$511 €441

46.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,783 €1,538

$1,464 €1,263

21.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,676 €1,446

$992 €856

68.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,614 €2,255

$4,871 €4,201

-46.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,731 €1,493

$3,112 €2,684

-44.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,488 €2,146

$3,191 €2,753

-22.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

3.95

-8.35%

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

Last update for Varese: September 1, 2026

Last update for Essen: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $981 in Varese versus $669 in Essen. 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 28% higher in Essen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $106 in Varese versus $95.0 in Essen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $356 – making Essen 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

Varese vs Essen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,155 per month in Varese and $3,153 in Essen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Essen, 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 $106 in Varese and $95.0 in Essen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Essen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Essen, where all-in costs run around $2,102, than in Varese at $2,104. In Essen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Varese it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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