Living costs in Hamburg: You have to spend that much!

In Hamburg, the cost of living is very high according to current reports. The city is one of the seven most expensive cities in Germany. This is due, among other things, to the settlement of many companies and specialists, which creates the growing economy and also increases the cost of living.

The inflation rate in Hamburg was 1.6 % in September 2024, while nationwide inflation was recorded in the same year at 2.2 %. For a family of four, the monthly living costs without rent payment are around 3,600 euros, which leads to an amount of around 5,500 euros per month for a good life in Hamburg, such as t-online.de reported.

food prices and rent

The average rent for a 4-room apartment is around 1,872 euros, while the monthly living costs for a single household, including a two-room apartment close to the city, are around 2,000 euros. The average living costs without rents for singles amount to around 1,037 euros. Compared to cities like Berlin, rents in Hamburg are almost 30 % lower, while the cost of living in Hamburg is 9.8 % above those in Berlin.

A look at food prices shows that, for example, tomatoes (1 kg) cost 2.13 euros and potatoes (1 kg) 1.44 euros. Milk (1 liter) is around 1.18 euros, and a 12-pack eggs is 3.36 euros. For local public transport, for example, 3.80 euros for a simple trip (1-2 rings) and 69.00 euros for a monthly ticket are due, such as Housinganyther.com informed.

income and price index

The median income in Hamburg is 4,127 euros, while the average gross salary is estimated at around 4,609 euros per month, after taxes around 3,964 euros net. Hamburg has a price index of 50.2, which means that the city is 78 % more expensive than other cities in Western Europe. Internationally, Hamburg occupies 52 out of 206 in terms of living costs.