Cost of Living in Cologne
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Summary of cost of living in Cologne, Germany:
- The estimated monthly costs for a family of four are 4,178.7$ (3,603.4€), excluding rent (using our estimator).
- The estimated monthly costs for a single person are 1,210.4$ (1,043.8€), excluding rent.
- Cologne is 2.3% more expensive than Columbus (excluding rent, see our cost of living index).
- Rent in Cologne is, on average, 20.7% lower than in Columbus.
Restaurants |  Edit |
Range |
|---|---|---|
| Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant | 15.00 € | |
| Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks) | 76.00 € | |
| Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal) | 10.00 € | |
| Domestic Draft Beer (1 Pint) | 4.70 € | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) | 4.50 € | |
| Cappuccino (Regular Size) | 3.76 € | |
| Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle) | 2.86 € | |
| Bottled Water (12 oz) | 2.40 € | |
Markets | Edit |
|
| Milk (Regular, 1 Liter) | 1.12 € | |
| Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf) | 1.79 € | |
| White Rice (1 lb) | 1.41 € | |
| Eggs (12, Large Size) | 3.55 € | |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 5.84 € | |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 5.30 € | |
| Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb) | 9.03 € | |
| Apples (1 lb) | 1.32 € | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | 0.79 € | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 0.85 € | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | 1.85 € | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | 0.59 € | |
| Onions (1 lb) | 0.49 € | |
| Lettuce (1 Head) | 1.59 € | |
| Bottled Water (50 oz) | 0.96 € | |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 5.99 € | |
| Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle) | 0.92 € | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) | 1.29 € | |
| Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro) | 8.45 € | |
Transportation | Edit |
|
| One-Way Ticket (Local Transport) | 3.39 € | |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price) | 58.00 € | |
| Taxi Start (Standard Tariff) | 4.45 € | |
| Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff) | 3.62 € | |
| Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff) | 30.00 € | |
| Gasoline (1 Liter) | 1.70 € | |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car) | 27,180.00 € | |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car) | 32,728.57 € | |
Utilities (Monthly) | Edit |
|
| Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) | 330.94 € | |
| Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data) | 19.66 € | |
| Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher) | 38.35 € | |
Sports And Leisure | Edit |
|
| Monthly Fitness Club Membership | 38.18 € | |
| Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend) | 32.00 € | |
| Cinema Ticket (International Release) | 12.00 € | |
Childcare | Edit |
|
| Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child | 691.00 € | |
| International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child | 17,396.25 € | |
Clothing And Shoes | Edit |
|
| Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar) | 83.89 € | |
| Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M) | 37.99 € | |
| Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 93.62 € | |
| Men's Leather Business Shoes | 116.92 € | |
Rent Per Month | Edit |
|
| 1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre | 1,061.54 € | |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre | 845.83 € | |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre | 1,975.00 € | |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre | 1,344.44 € | |
Buy Apartment Price | Edit |
|
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 563.22 € | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 471.48 € | |
Salaries And Financing | Edit |
|
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 2,887.17 € | |
| Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %) | 3.87 |
Prices in Cologne
This city had 1029 entries in the past 12 months by 121 different contributors.
Last update: 28 November 2025
Last update: 28 November 2025
Sources and References
Moving to Cologne? Explore:
Distribution of Expenses Using Our Statistical Model:
Nearby Cities:| Cost of Living in Bonn | 19.29 miles |
| Cost of Living in Solingen | 20.23 miles |
| Cost of Living in Dusseldorf | 27.01 miles |
| Cost of Living in Jülich, Nordrhein-Westfalen | 34.11 miles |
| Cost of Living in Krefeld | 39.06 miles |
| Cost of Living in Essen | 43.21 miles |
| Cost of Living in Oberhausen | 44.79 miles |
| Cost of Living in Hagen | 45.17 miles |
| Cost of Living in Aachen | 46.04 miles |
| Cost of Living in Bochum | 49.64 miles |
This Page in Other Languages:
 DeutschLebenshaltungskosten in Köln
|
 PortuguêsCusto de Vida em Colônia
|
 ItalianoCosto della vita a Colonia
|
 FrançaisCoût de la vie à Cologne
|
 EspañolCoste de vida en Colonia
|
Salary Calculator:Got a job offer in Cologne? Estimate your take-home pay with our Salary Calculator for Cologne.
Sadly, even white germans are dumber than white americans lol
You didn't stay in germany long enough. All the Asian Germans who I met online and in real life who visited US have mentioned that the social climate in US is much better for asians.
I had zero problems in Germany during my whole stay there. Back in Los Angeles I am greeted as if I invented Covid myself and got racial slurs yelled at me in the streets.
Besides that: Housing prices here for Cologne are very very off. For a city center apartment expect 7000 EUR / sqm or up.
I don't know why these prices are so low here.