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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Wilhelmshaven costs roughly 15% less than in Rochester, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.08 €12.12

$24.56 £18.17

-42.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 €69.6

$98.9 £73.2

-18.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.17 €11.34

$10.21 £7.55

28.99%

Cappuccino

$4.04 €3.48

$4.76 £3.52

-15.13%

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

$3.92 €3.38

$3.18 £2.36

23.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €1.95

$2.77 £2.05

-18.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 €4.39

$6.20 £4.58

-17.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$5.60 £4.14

-17.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €0.97

$1.68 £1.25

-32.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.10 £1.55

4.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.91 €3.36

$1.73 £1.28

126.01%

Eggs

$3.62 €3.11

$2.96 £2.19

22.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.80 €12.74

$4.85 £3.59

205.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.68 €10.05

$7.42 £5.49

57.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 €16.79

$11.47 £8.48

70.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.75 £2.03

-6.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.94 £1.44

-4.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.79

$2.56 £1.89

-18.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.20 €4.48

$2.40 £1.77

116.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.03 £1.50

-32.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.29 £0.95

-3.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.04 £0.77

83.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.94

$1.71 £1.26

-36.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.72 €8.36

$22.80 £16.87

-57.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.81 €5.00

$10.79 £7.98

-46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.89

$3.00 £2.22

-65.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.30

$3.25 £2.41

-53.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 €2.97

$3.53 £2.61

-2.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.8 €60.1

$94.7 £70.1

-26.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 €4.80

$5.08 £3.76

9.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.57 €2.21

$2.79 £2.06

-7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.27 €36.39

$41.53 £30.72

1.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.13 £1.57

-3.76%

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

$33.3K €28.7K

$39.7K £29.3K

-15.95%

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

$39.9K €34.4K

$41.2K £30.5K

-3.17%

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

$300 €258

$194 £143

54.71%

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

$11.64 €10.02

$17.17 £12.70

-32.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 €44.75

$30.26 £22.38

71.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.15 €25.09

$40.99 £30.32

-28.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.87 €19.68

Cinema Ticket

$15.32 €13.18

$18.11 £13.40

-15.41%

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

$482 €415

$506 £374

-4.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K €12.4K

$31.6K £23.4K

-54.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 €81.3

$67.4 £49.83

40.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.09 €25.04

$40.50 £29.96

-28.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.8 €50.6

$60.4 £44.70

-2.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €121

$90.9 £67.3

54.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 €507

$1,378 £1,019

-57.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 €577

$1,061 £785

-36.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 €1,336

$1,824 £1,350

-14.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €959

$1,725 £1,276

-35.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,261 €4,529

$5,369 £3,972

-2.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,315 €1,993

$4,056 £3,001

-42.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,686 €3,173

$3,352 £2,480

9.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

5.12

-22.85%

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

Last update for Wilhelmshaven: August 30, 2026

Last update for Rochester: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Wilhelmshaven and $1,378 in Rochester. 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: $81.0 in Wilhelmshaven vs $99.0 in Rochester. Groceries flip the comparison at $330 vs $267, 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

Wilhelmshaven vs Rochester: 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.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Wilhelmshaven, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

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

All in, you'll spend $1,909 per month in Wilhelmshaven versus $2,245 in Rochester – 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, Wilhelmshaven and Rochester 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.