Cologne vs Essen - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Cologne Essen
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1968
$1516
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$4619
$3719
🏠 One person rent
$1091
$666
🏘️ Family rent
$1830
$1137
🍽️ Food expenses
$536
$520
🚐 Transport expenses
$196
$173
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$3266
$3571
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
25 km
🎓 Higher education
91
95
😀 Quality of life
96
96
🏙️ Population
1.09M
587K

The cost of living in Cologne is 30% more expensive than in Essen. Cities ranked 2104th and 3903rd ($1968 vs $1516) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 11th and 529th in Germany.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.7 months in Cologne compared to 2.4 months in Essen. Ranked 1st vs 2nd best cities to live in Germany, and 23rd vs 24th 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
$15.4
$16.2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$71.5
$58
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$11.3
$11.1
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$5.26
$5.22
☕ Cappuccino
$4.06
$3.67
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.38
$2.61
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1103
$633
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$870
$450
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1997
$1153
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1478
$810
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$133
$142
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$206
$221
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$41.8
$37.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
3.8%
3.94%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$6855
$4342
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$5848
$3278
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$3.93
$4.09
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$67.6
$68.9
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$24
$28.9
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$2.03
$1.89
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.38
$1.26
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.03
$1.93
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.87
$2.7
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.16
$3.61
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.7
$13.8
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.6
$11.9
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$23.3
$22.5
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.25
$3.16
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.05
$2
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.17
$2.27
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.63
$4.11
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.73
$1.61
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.22
$1.52
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.77
$0.77
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.45
$2.05
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$7.3
$6.99
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.14
$1.02
🚬 Cigarette pack
$9.05
$9.06
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.07
$11.7
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$2.45
$2.76
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.93
$1.58
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.67
$1.6
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$40.3
$33.3
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$13.3
$15.4
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$54.3
$88.4
💇 Haircut, simple
$20.9
$15.2
👖 Brand Jeans
$98
$98.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$109
$102
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$773
$460
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$19386
$9800

Cost of living in other countries

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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
$1759
10 km or 6.4 mi Leverkusen
$2037
10 km or 6.4 mi Frechen
$1745
13 km or 7.9 mi Bruhl
$1744
13 km or 7.9 mi Pulheim
$1741
14 km or 8.4 mi Wesseling
$1740
14 km or 8.5 mi Bergisch Gladbach
$1726
15 km or 9.3 mi Niederkassel
$1750
16 km or 10 mi Rosrath
$1699
18 km or 11 mi Monheim am Rhein
$1740
19 km or 12 mi Dormagen
$1711
19 km or 12 mi Erftstadt
$1702
19 km or 12 mi Langenfeld
$1727
20 km or 12 mi Troisdorf
$1736
20 km or 12 mi Leichlingen
$1708
20 km or 12 mi Kerpen
$1695
21 km or 13 mi Bornheim
$1770
21 km or 13 mi Lohmar
$1694
22 km or 14 mi Bergheim
$1678
23 km or 15 mi Siegburg
$1716
24 km or 15 mi Overath
$1642
25 km or 16 mi Sankt Augustin
$1747
25 km or 16 mi Bonn
$1957
26 km or 16 mi Hilden
$1674
26 km or 16 mi Solingen
$1691
27 km or 17 mi Elsdorf
$1654
28 km or 17 mi Wermelskirchen
$1630
28 km or 17 mi Haan
$1645
28 km or 18 mi Bedburg
$1650
29 km or 18 mi Hennef
$1666
31 km or 19 mi Grevenbroich
$1659
31 km or 19 mi Remscheid
$1608
31 km or 20 mi Erkrath
$1661
33 km or 20 mi Konigswinter
$1611
34 km or 21 mi Euskirchen
$1674
34 km or 21 mi Neuss
$1650
34 km or 21 mi Mettmann
$1613
35 km or 21 mi Zulpich
$1662
35 km or 21 mi Meckenheim
$1689
35 km or 22 mi Dusseldorf
$1979

Cities near Essen

Distance City Cost of living
9.5 km or 5.9 mi Gelsenkirchen
$1506
9.6 km or 6 mi Mulheim
$1543
10 km or 6.3 mi Bottrop
$1474
11 km or 7.1 mi Oberhausen
$1605
12 km or 7.8 mi Velbert
$1555
13 km or 8.3 mi Hattingen
$1547
14 km or 8.4 mi Gladbeck
$1533
14 km or 8.8 mi Heiligenhaus
$1567
15 km or 9 mi Bochum
$1560
18 km or 11 mi Herne
$1631
18 km or 11 mi Duisburg
$1340
19 km or 12 mi Herten
$1550
19 km or 12 mi Wulfrath
$1574
19 km or 12 mi Sprockhovel
$1558
20 km or 13 mi Ratingen
$1631
22 km or 14 mi Witten
$1583
23 km or 14 mi Recklinghausen
$1535
23 km or 14 mi Mettmann
$1613
23 km or 14 mi Dinslaken
$1529
24 km or 15 mi Dorsten
$1547
24 km or 15 mi Castrop-Rauxel
$1572
24 km or 15 mi Wuppertal
$1488
25 km or 16 mi Marl
$1552
26 km or 16 mi Erkrath
$1661
27 km or 17 mi Schwelm
$1549
27 km or 17 mi Oer-Erkenschwick
$1558
27 km or 17 mi Moers
$1525
27 km or 17 mi Wetter
$1558
28 km or 17 mi Gevelsberg
$1563
28 km or 18 mi Voerde
$1548
28 km or 18 mi Ennepetal
$1552
29 km or 18 mi Haan
$1645
30 km or 18 mi Dusseldorf
$1979
30 km or 18 mi Herdecke
$1549
30 km or 19 mi Rheinberg
$1543
31 km or 20 mi Hilden
$1674
32 km or 20 mi Neukirchen-Vluyn
$1544
32 km or 20 mi Waltrop
$1591
32 km or 20 mi Solingen
$1691
32 km or 20 mi Datteln
$1575