Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wilhelmshaven and Hamburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Wilhelmshaven: $1,835 a month against $2,383 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Wilhelmshaven
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Wilhelmshaven Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
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Hamburg Living Index

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Wilhelmshaven

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,835

/mo nomad

Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,383

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wilhelmshaven and in Hamburg

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Wilhelmshaven vs $2,383 in Hamburg, rent included.

Wilhelmshaven $1,835
Hamburg $2,383

A couple spends around $2,750 per month in Wilhelmshaven vs $3,529 in Hamburg, rent included.

Wilhelmshaven $2,750
Hamburg $3,529

A family of three spends $3,664 per month in Wilhelmshaven vs $4,675 in Hamburg, rent included.

Wilhelmshaven $3,664
Hamburg $4,675

Wilhelmshaven is about 23% cheaper than Hamburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Wilhelmshaven and Hamburg sit above the global median – Wilhelmshaven by 35%, Hamburg by 76%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.51 €14.68

$16.59 €14.76

-0.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.2 €62.4

$70.6 €62.8

-0.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.58 €12.08

$13.60 €12.10

-0.15%

Cappuccino

$4.73 €4.21

$4.65 €4.14

1.72%

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

$4.22 €3.75

$4.28 €3.80

-1.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 €2.92

$3.34 €2.97

-1.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 €4.96

$5.68 €5.05

-1.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 €4.25

$4.71 €4.19

1.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.19 €1.06

-9.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.61 €2.32

1.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 €2.59

$2.88 €2.56

1.04%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.78

$4.34 €3.86

-2.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.35 €10.99

$12.37 €11.00

-0.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.14 €10.79

$12.17 €10.83

-0.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €16.63

$18.59 €16.53

0.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$3.19 €2.84

-21.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 €1.61

$2.35 €2.09

-22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.95 €2.62

-26.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 €3.71

$4.14 €3.68

0.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.67

$1.91 €1.69

-2.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.75 €1.56

-10.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.80 €1.60

-5.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.09 €0.97

5.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.74 €8.66

$10.52 €9.35

-7.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.47 €4.87

$6.56 €5.83

-16.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.18 €1.05

-5.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.30 €1.16

1.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 €2.56

$4.41 €3.93

-34.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.7 €49.55

$71.0 €63.2

-21.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.82 €6.06

$6.67 €5.94

2.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.01 €2.67

$3.04 €2.71

-0.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.30 €38.52

$42.16 €37.51

2.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.78

$2.28 €2.03

-12.28%

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

$32.3K €28.8K

$32.9K €29.2K

-1.57%

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

$38.9K €34.6K

$39.4K €35.0K

-1.28%

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

$290 €258

$380 €338

-23.79%

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

$11.36 €10.11

$20.60 €18.32

-44.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.81 €35.41

$38.98 €34.67

2.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.55 €24.50

$45.63 €40.59

-39.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.67 €25.50

Cinema Ticket

$15.79 €14.04

$16.05 €14.28

-1.62%

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

$499 €444

$512 €455

-2.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K €11.9K

$13.5K €12.0K

-0.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.8 €74.6

$82.4 €73.3

1.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.59 €33.43

$37.74 €33.57

-0.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.6 €49.46

$97.1 €86.4

-42.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

-0.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$785 €699

$1,317 €1,171

-40.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$595 €529

$972 €865

-38.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 €933

$2,327 €2,070

-54.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 €904

$1,731 €1,540

-41.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,901 €3,470

$9,875 €8,784

-60.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,207 €1,963

$5,007 €4,454

-55.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,125 €2,780

$3,616 €3,216

-13.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.69

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

Last update for Wilhelmshaven: October 18, 2026

Last update for Hamburg: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wilhelmshaven

$595 32.4%

Hamburg

$972 40.8% 63.4% $377

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wilhelmshaven

$341 18.6%

Hamburg

$440 18.4% 29% $99

Groceries & Markets

Wilhelmshaven

$321 17.5%

Hamburg

$334 14% 4.1% $13

Eating Out

Wilhelmshaven

$297 16.2%

Hamburg

$298 12.5% 0.2% $0.6

Clothing & Footwear

Wilhelmshaven

$133 7.2%

Hamburg

$151 6.3% 13.7% $18

Getting Around

Wilhelmshaven

$89 4.9%

Hamburg

$111 4.6% 24.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Wilhelmshaven

$59 3.2%

Hamburg

$78 3.3% 31.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $785 in Wilhelmshaven versus $1,317 in Hamburg. 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 16% higher in Hamburg, 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 $70.0 in Wilhelmshaven versus $71.0 in Hamburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $321 vs $334 – making Wilhelmshaven the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Wilhelmshaven

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🕒 Local time

16:25 4:25 PM

Same time as Wilhelmshaven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,728

1,812,709

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Wilhelmshaven vs Hamburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamburg costs about 30% more than Wilhelmshaven, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,752 per month in Wilhelmshaven and $3,575 in Hamburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,835 in Wilhelmshaven and $2,383 in Hamburg. That's a gap of about 30%.

Public transport costs about 27% less in Wilhelmshaven. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Wilhelmshaven, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Hamburg at $2,383. In Wilhelmshaven it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Wilhelmshaven costs $1,835 versus $2,383 in Hamburg. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Wilhelmshaven. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hamburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.