Cologne vs Essen - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Cologne Essen
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1851
$1525
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$4479
$3787
🏠 One person rent
$1019
$681
🏘️ Family rent
$1819
$1217
🍽️ Food expenses
$510
$499
🚐 Transport expenses
$184
$197
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$3275
$3234
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
25 km
🎓 Higher education
92
95
😀 Quality of life
97
95
🏙️ Population
1.08M
585K

The cost of living in Cologne is 21% more expensive than in Essen. Cities ranked 2308th and 3595th ($1851 vs $1525) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 19th and 371st in Germany.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Cologne compared to 2.1 months in Essen. Ranked 2nd vs 5th best cities to live in Germany, and 16th vs 31st among the best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Cologne vs Essen infographic

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Prices in Cologne vs Essen

Prices for goods and services in Cologne and Essen are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Cologne Essen
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$14
$13.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$61.8
$55.9
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$10.8
$11.2
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$4.71
$4.25
☕ Cappuccino
$3.81
$3.32
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.9
$2.49
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1023
$623
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$801
$470
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2061
$1267
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1459
$888
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$129
$138
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$195
$210
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$44
$43.1
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4%
3.99%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$6540
$4052
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$5856
$3592
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$3.56
$3.52
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$59.6
$59.9
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$23.2
$39.9
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.98
$1.85
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.32
$1.21
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.91
$1.9
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.85
$2.58
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.09
$3.42
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14
$13
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.9
$12.9
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$19.7
$20.6
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.84
$2.89
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.61
$1.71
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.21
$2.26
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.81
$4.06
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.74
$1.66
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.71
$1.7
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.57
$0.69
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.34
$1.99
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$6.37
$6.8
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.07
$0.98
🚬 Cigarette pack
$8.82
$8.47
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.07
$11.7
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$2.35
$2.63
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.86
$1.5
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.6
$1.53
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$32
$33.6
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$12.7
$12.9
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$51.7
$86.5
💇 Haircut, simple
$19.9
$14.4
👖 Brand Jeans
$103
$94.7
👟 Brand Sneakers
$102
$97.9
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$822
$440
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$16860
$9380

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Cologne

Distance City Cost of living
9.2 km or 5.7 mi Hurth
$1610
10 km or 6.4 mi Leverkusen
$1947
10 km or 6.4 mi Frechen
$1636
13 km or 7.9 mi Bruhl
$1529
13 km or 7.9 mi Pulheim
$1638
14 km or 8.4 mi Wesseling
$1576
14 km or 8.5 mi Bergisch Gladbach
$1557
15 km or 9.3 mi Niederkassel
$1593
16 km or 10 mi Rosrath
$1577
18 km or 11 mi Monheim am Rhein
$1647
19 km or 12 mi Dormagen
$1620
19 km or 12 mi Erftstadt
$1563
19 km or 12 mi Langenfeld
$1634
20 km or 12 mi Troisdorf
$1586
20 km or 12 mi Leichlingen
$1612
20 km or 12 mi Kerpen
$1580
21 km or 13 mi Bornheim
$1606
21 km or 13 mi Lohmar
$1566
22 km or 14 mi Bergheim
$1582
23 km or 15 mi Siegburg
$1572
24 km or 15 mi Overath
$1530
25 km or 16 mi Sankt Augustin
$1594
25 km or 16 mi Bonn
$1765
26 km or 16 mi Hilden
$1578
26 km or 16 mi Solingen
$1652
27 km or 17 mi Elsdorf
$1564
28 km or 17 mi Wermelskirchen
$1493
28 km or 17 mi Haan
$1558
28 km or 18 mi Bedburg
$1569
29 km or 18 mi Hennef
$1531
31 km or 19 mi Grevenbroich
$1567
31 km or 19 mi Remscheid
$1415
31 km or 20 mi Erkrath
$1571
33 km or 20 mi Konigswinter
$1453
34 km or 21 mi Euskirchen
$1550
34 km or 21 mi Neuss
$1566
34 km or 21 mi Mettmann
$1527
35 km or 21 mi Zulpich
$1548
35 km or 21 mi Meckenheim
$1542
35 km or 22 mi Dusseldorf
$1861

Cities near Essen

Distance City Cost of living
9.5 km or 5.9 mi Gelsenkirchen
$1439
9.6 km or 6 mi Mulheim
$1497
10 km or 6.3 mi Bottrop
$1441
11 km or 7.1 mi Oberhausen
$1543
12 km or 7.8 mi Velbert
$1465
13 km or 8.3 mi Hattingen
$1470
14 km or 8.4 mi Gladbeck
$1472
14 km or 8.8 mi Heiligenhaus
$1489
15 km or 9 mi Bochum
$1618
18 km or 11 mi Herne
$1586
18 km or 11 mi Duisburg
$1425
19 km or 12 mi Herten
$1486
19 km or 12 mi Wulfrath
$1464
19 km or 12 mi Sprockhovel
$1442
20 km or 13 mi Ratingen
$1548
22 km or 14 mi Witten
$1378
23 km or 14 mi Recklinghausen
$1451
23 km or 14 mi Mettmann
$1527
23 km or 14 mi Dinslaken
$1477
24 km or 15 mi Dorsten
$1480
24 km or 15 mi Castrop-Rauxel
$1490
24 km or 15 mi Wuppertal
$1206
25 km or 16 mi Marl
$1477
26 km or 16 mi Erkrath
$1571
27 km or 17 mi Schwelm
$1419
27 km or 17 mi Oer-Erkenschwick
$1462
27 km or 17 mi Moers
$1461
27 km or 17 mi Wetter
$1466
28 km or 17 mi Gevelsberg
$1457
28 km or 18 mi Voerde
$1480
28 km or 18 mi Ennepetal
$1451
29 km or 18 mi Haan
$1558
30 km or 18 mi Dusseldorf
$1861
30 km or 18 mi Herdecke
$1472
30 km or 19 mi Rheinberg
$1480
31 km or 20 mi Hilden
$1578
32 km or 20 mi Neukirchen-Vluyn
$1469
32 km or 20 mi Waltrop
$1376
32 km or 20 mi Solingen
$1652
32 km or 20 mi Datteln
$1431