Cologne vs Essen - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Cologne Essen
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1990
$1561
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$4775
$3822
🏠 One person rent
$1083
$682
🏘️ Family rent
$1841
$1155
🍽️ Food expenses
$556
$545
🚐 Transport expenses
$204
$177
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$3654
$3475
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
25 km
🎓 Higher education
92
96
😀 Quality of life
96
95
🏙️ Population
1.09M
587K

The cost of living in Cologne is 27% more expensive than in Essen. Cities ranked 2067th and 3860th ($1990 vs $1561) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 12th and 496th in Germany.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Cologne compared to 2.2 months in Essen. Ranked 1st vs 2nd best cities to live in Germany, and 15th vs 17th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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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
$16.4
$17
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$79.3
$66.1
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$11.5
$12.1
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$5.6
$5.31
☕ Cappuccino
$4.15
$3.94
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.78
$2.79
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1084
$602
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$844
$468
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1926
$1064
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1474
$848
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$151
$145
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$236
$223
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$39.8
$41.6
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
3.8%
3.92%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$7562
$4998
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$5093
$3089
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$4.03
$4.22
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$68.3
$71.5
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$25.8
$29.4
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$2.03
$1.94
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.39
$1.26
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.19
$1.99
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.03
$2.94
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.3
$3.77
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.8
$14
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.7
$12
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$23.9
$24.5
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.26
$3.31
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.1
$2
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.25
$2.3
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.5
$4.28
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.85
$1.51
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.26
$1.31
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.79
$0.82
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.41
$2.11
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$8.37
$7.03
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.12
$1
🚬 Cigarette pack
$9.33
$9.59
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.13
$11.6
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$2.66
$2.77
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.8
$1.6
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.92
$1.62
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$42.1
$33.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$13.6
$15.6
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$57
$90
💇 Haircut, simple
$20
$15.3
👖 Brand Jeans
$97
$96.5
👟 Brand Sneakers
$113
$102
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$897
$471
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$22470
$10028

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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
$1745
10 km or 6.4 mi Leverkusen
$2007
10 km or 6.4 mi Frechen
$1746
13 km or 7.9 mi Bruhl
$1728
13 km or 7.9 mi Pulheim
$1743
14 km or 8.4 mi Wesseling
$1734
14 km or 8.5 mi Bergisch Gladbach
$1757
15 km or 9.3 mi Niederkassel
$1740
16 km or 10 mi Rosrath
$1711
18 km or 11 mi Monheim am Rhein
$1739
19 km or 12 mi Dormagen
$1722
19 km or 12 mi Erftstadt
$1694
19 km or 12 mi Langenfeld
$1724
20 km or 12 mi Troisdorf
$1731
20 km or 12 mi Leichlingen
$1701
20 km or 12 mi Kerpen
$1689
21 km or 13 mi Bornheim
$1759
21 km or 13 mi Lohmar
$1700
22 km or 14 mi Bergheim
$1686
23 km or 15 mi Siegburg
$1708
24 km or 15 mi Overath
$1663
25 km or 16 mi Sankt Augustin
$1738
25 km or 16 mi Bonn
$1908
26 km or 16 mi Hilden
$1673
26 km or 16 mi Solingen
$1663
27 km or 17 mi Elsdorf
$1661
28 km or 17 mi Wermelskirchen
$1629
28 km or 17 mi Haan
$1640
28 km or 18 mi Bedburg
$1671
29 km or 18 mi Hennef
$1670
31 km or 19 mi Grevenbroich
$1665
31 km or 19 mi Remscheid
$1609
31 km or 20 mi Erkrath
$1661
33 km or 20 mi Konigswinter
$1601
34 km or 21 mi Euskirchen
$1674
34 km or 21 mi Neuss
$1668
34 km or 21 mi Mettmann
$1620
35 km or 21 mi Zulpich
$1653
35 km or 21 mi Meckenheim
$1676
35 km or 22 mi Dusseldorf
$1944

Cities near Essen

Distance City Cost of living
9.5 km or 5.9 mi Gelsenkirchen
$1508
9.6 km or 6 mi Mulheim
$1592
10 km or 6.3 mi Bottrop
$1481
11 km or 7.1 mi Oberhausen
$1642
12 km or 7.8 mi Velbert
$1579
13 km or 8.3 mi Hattingen
$1573
14 km or 8.4 mi Gladbeck
$1549
14 km or 8.8 mi Heiligenhaus
$1588
15 km or 9 mi Bochum
$1561
18 km or 11 mi Herne
$1638
18 km or 11 mi Duisburg
$1467
19 km or 12 mi Herten
$1570
19 km or 12 mi Wulfrath
$1588
19 km or 12 mi Sprockhovel
$1575
20 km or 13 mi Ratingen
$1639
22 km or 14 mi Witten
$1622
23 km or 14 mi Recklinghausen
$1548
23 km or 14 mi Mettmann
$1620
23 km or 14 mi Dinslaken
$1563
24 km or 15 mi Dorsten
$1567
24 km or 15 mi Castrop-Rauxel
$1584
24 km or 15 mi Wuppertal
$1486
25 km or 16 mi Marl
$1572
26 km or 16 mi Erkrath
$1661
27 km or 17 mi Schwelm
$1565
27 km or 17 mi Oer-Erkenschwick
$1570
27 km or 17 mi Moers
$1571
27 km or 17 mi Wetter
$1579
28 km or 17 mi Gevelsberg
$1574
28 km or 18 mi Voerde
$1578
28 km or 18 mi Ennepetal
$1564
29 km or 18 mi Haan
$1640
30 km or 18 mi Dusseldorf
$1944
30 km or 18 mi Herdecke
$1566
30 km or 19 mi Rheinberg
$1579
31 km or 20 mi Hilden
$1673
32 km or 20 mi Neukirchen-Vluyn
$1584
32 km or 20 mi Waltrop
$1614
32 km or 20 mi Solingen
$1663
32 km or 20 mi Datteln
$1587