Cost of Living in Germany - Updated Prices & Insights

Name: Germany
Address: DE

Solo nomad: Estimated monthly costs are $1,065 (excluding rent), and $2,196 including rent.

Family of 3: Estimated monthly costs are $2,621 (excluding rent), and $4,348 including rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.16

$9.87 €8.50

$29.30 €25.26

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.0 €64.7

$57.7 €49.76

$115 €99.5

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.54 €9.95

$10.39 €8.96

$13.85 €11.94

Cappuccino

$4.10 €3.53

$2.33 €2.01

$5.84 €5.04

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

$3.40 €2.93

$2.34 €2.02

$4.70 €4.05

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 €2.61

$2.35 €2.03

$4.71 €4.06

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.26 €4.53

$3.50 €3.02

$6.43 €5.54

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.96

$3.44 €2.97

$6.32 €5.44

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.12 €0.96

$1.64 €1.41

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.54 €1.33

$3.57 €3.08

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

$1.99 €1.71

$5.27 €4.54

Eggs

$3.79 €3.27

$2.72 €2.35

$4.64 €4.00

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.54 €12.54

$10.22 €8.81

$24.86 €21.43

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.28 €12.31

$8.20 €7.07

$19.80 €17.06

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.99 €17.23

$12.79 €11.03

$34.77 €29.98

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.72

$2.04 €1.76

$3.40 €2.93

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.45 €1.25

$2.57 €2.22

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.86 €1.60

$3.93 €3.39

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 €4.07

$2.23 €1.92

$5.61 €4.83

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.86 €0.74

$2.28 €1.96

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.41

$1.12 €0.97

$2.35 €2.03

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.14 €0.98

$2.26 €1.95

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.92

$0.34 €0.30

$1.37 €1.18

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.80 €8.45

$9.57 €8.25

$10.51 €9.06

Wine (Bottle)

$6.94 €5.98

$4.63 €3.99

$9.27 €7.99

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.77 €0.66

$1.30 €1.12

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.40

$1.30 €1.12

$2.14 €1.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.68 €3.17

$2.94 €2.53

$4.61 €3.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 €57.5

$56.4 €48.59

$78.7 €67.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 €4.90

$3.98 €3.43

$8.88 €7.66

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 €1.96

$1.86 €1.60

$3.10 €2.68

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.16 €32.89

$27.76 €23.93

$46.25 €39.87

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.90 €1.64

$2.17 €1.87

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

$31.8K €27.4K

$34.3K €29.6K

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

$37.4K €32.2K

$34.5K €29.8K

$38.4K €33.1K

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

$354 €306

$235 €203

$577 €497

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

$27.69 €23.87

$11.64 €10.04

$46.53 €40.11

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 €44.29

$38.11 €32.85

$57.1 €49.25

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.25 €35.55

$23.46 €20.22

$70.4 €60.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.49 €21.11

$17.14 €14.78

$34.28 €29.55

Cinema Ticket

$13.87 €11.96

$11.56 €9.96

$18.50 €15.94

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

$461 €397

$191 €165

$1,025 €883

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$8,456 €7,289

$25.8K €22.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 €80.8

$46.38 €39.98

$133 €115

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.43 €37.44

$22.80 €19.66

$68.4 €59.0

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €86.4

$56.8 €48.93

$142 €122

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €115

$69.2 €59.7

$208 €179

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 €895

$668 €576

$1,786 €1,540

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 €667

$519 €447

$1,321 €1,138

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 €1,665

$1,280 €1,104

$3,405 €2,935

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 €1,251

$923 €796

$2,532 €2,183

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,257 €5,393

$4,034 €3,477

$12.9K €11.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,369 €3,766

$2,574 €2,219

$8,979 €7,740

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,444 €2,969

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.98

3.45

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

Last update: January 11, 2026

By City in Germany

Lowest

Highest

Rank	City	Population	Living Index	Solo costs (no rent) / month	Solo costs (with rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (no rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (with rent) / month	Mobile download speed (Mbps)	Internet download speed (Mbps)
1	Aachen	241683	99	$1,032	$2,002	$2,617	$4,078	92.95	101.56
2	Aalen	66503	98	$978	$1,951	$2,055	$4,149	44.17	145.15
3	Abensberg	14000	84	$985	$1,655	$2,274	$3,640	70.39	116.27
4	Amberg	42000	79	$814	$1,604	$1,679	$3,918	35.86	78.24
5	Annaberg-Buchholz	22248	107	$936	$2,127	$2,461	$4,159	141.64	77.41
6	Ansbach	41159	92	$788	$1,834	$1,957	$3,544	14.21	123.65
7	Aschaffenburg	67844	100	$925	$1,982	$2,456	$3,794	119.04	159.55
8	Augsburg	286374	118	$1,122	$2,361	$2,714	$4,509	194.43	158.01
9	Bad Honnef	24845	104	$1,026	$2,065	$2,616	$4,087	231.44	107.25
10	Bad Kreuznach	52385	101	$1,064	$1,975	$2,525	$4,295	131.96	126.51
11	Bad Mergentheim	22505	94	$1,102	$1,854	$3,019	$3,952	118.9	136.74
12	Bad Salzuflen	54000	100	$947	$1,991	$2,825	$4,023	61.23	122.48
13	Bad Säckingen	16673	98	$895	$1,983	$2,245	$3,948	98.68	217.4
14	Baden Wurttemburg	-	101	$1,087	$2,008	$2,723	$4,276	-	-
15	Bamberg	72821	99	$1,006	$1,975	$2,281	$3,250	36.56	112.11
16	Bayreuth	72295	86	$898	$1,717	$1,995	$4,095	151.45	134.52
17	Bensheim	-	100	$855	$1,981	$2,890	$4,153	400.86	151.4
18	Bergisch Gladbach	109425	104	$1,016	$2,094	$2,213	$4,083	9.22	113.58
19	Berlin	3769962	123	$1,042	$2,487	$2,558	$4,898	21.12	167.82
20	Bielefeld	328012	98	$1,025	$1,972	$2,576	$4,114	59.38	136.93
21	Bitburg	15228	106	$974	$2,148	$2,619	$4,324	94.8	107.28
22	Bochum	371075	98	$1,043	$1,949	$2,834	$4,071	28.24	172.48
23	Bonn	335913	112	$1,050	$2,196	$2,620	$4,629	109.18	139.07
24	Bottrop	116055	93	$1,013	$1,829	$2,774	$3,690	188.23	148.83
25	Braunschweig	253167	89	$1,021	$1,753	$2,504	$3,715	10.03	157.62
26	Bremen	551767	100	$1,073	$2,001	$2,631	$4,252	58.43	150.83
27	Bremerhaven	117281	107	$894	$2,099	$2,240	$4,209	56.09	169.06
28	Bruchsal	42911	109	$1,005	$2,161	$2,872	$4,547	39.61	164.37
29	Böblingen	46714	113	$962	$2,244	$3,087	$4,216	78.86	160.98
30	Celle	68712	94	$724	$1,872	$2,196	$3,870	189.04	122.64
31	Chemnitz	243089	84	$988	$1,649	$2,411	$3,332	176.33	108.75
32	Coburg	41405	90	$987	$1,824	$2,281	$3,335	155.6	100.36
33	Cologne	1095520	120	$1,056	$2,392	$2,679	$4,629	244.56	137.39
34	Cottbus	101036	81	$877	$1,613	$2,022	$3,415	24.63	115.28
35	Crailsheim	32960	88	$810	$1,798	$2,343	$3,381	78.1	136.61
36	Darmstadt	169255	119	$1,110	$2,351	$2,904	$4,739	38.72	146.84
37	Dessau	68116	90	$1,127	$1,807	$2,625	$4,126	164.12	79.93
38	Dortmund	600933	107	$1,072	$2,161	$2,692	$4,462	244.56	136.25
39	Dresden	556780	98	$1,031	$1,912	$2,651	$3,986	136.82	116.58
40	Duisburg	486855	103	$1,010	$2,015	$2,595	$3,836	152.36	141.11
41	Dusseldorf	618128	123	$1,094	$2,426	$2,871	$5,031	46.7	170.61
42	Erding	38644	104	$992	$2,079	$2,139	$4,244	241.07	141.93
43	Erfurt	215000	103	$1,041	$2,027	$2,581	$4,277	103.91	111.44
44	Erlangen	117466	106	$1,050	$2,088	$2,547	$4,279	27.56	134.06
45	Eschenbach	3600	98	$1,132	$1,936	$2,645	$4,074	93.96	117.99
46	Essen	569884	104	$1,063	$2,042	$2,719	$4,206	105.61	156.12
47	Eutin	16948	102	$1,085	$1,991	$2,516	$4,070	144.39	95.07
48	Flensburg	93112	91	$1,008	$1,839	$2,086	$4,113	5.03	150.74
49	Frankfurt	701350	134	$1,100	$2,701	$2,912	$5,385	139.88	181.61
50	Freiberg	41031	82	$781	$1,650	$2,335	$3,702	91.5	105.47

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cost of Living in Germany - Frequently Asked Questions

Germany offers solid value for travelers and expats who plan ahead. Cost of Living in Germany tends to sit mid-to-high in Europe, with big-city variations that can surprise budgets. In Munich or Frankfurt, housing and dining can push costs upward, while cities like Leipzig or Hannover often feel more approachable. Public services, safety, and health care add value that can offset higher prices in some categories. Transportation is efficient and affordable with good rail and transit options, making a car optional for many. Plan housing as your largest line item, then budget groceries, utilities, and dining out. Tip: map a two-week transit and housing search before committing.

Daily life centers on efficient systems and accessible options. When you search housing, expect a mix of older buildings with character and modern flats, with leases that favour longer commitments; be prepared for deposits and utility setup. Food can be affordable if you shop at local markets and discount grocers, and you’ll find delicious options in casual eateries and weekly specials. Transport is robust: city-wide transit passes cover buses, trams, and trains, and cycling is popular. For co-working or errands, look for neighborhood hubs with reliable Wi-Fi and nearby services. Germany living cost varies by city, so compare Berlin's vibe and Leipzig's pace before committing. Tip: start with a two-week neighborhood trial to calibrate commute, noise level, and daily errands.

Quality of life in Germany is often high due to reliable services, safety, and cultural variety. Build a simple budgeting framework: cover essentials (housing, utilities, groceries), allocate flexible spending to experiences, and reserve a buffer for seasonal costs like heating in winter or travel in summer. Seasonality affects activities and prices, but you can balance by exploring local markets, outdoor spaces, and regional festivals. When choosing a neighborhood, prioritize proximity to transit, groceries, and coworking spaces, plus a sense of community. Consider long-term housing options like WG or shared apartments to ease transitions and meet locals. Tip: rotate your routine with seasonal kicks, and set a flexible monthly plan that adapts to changes in work and leisure.