Cost of Living in Dusseldorf

Summary of cost of living in Dusseldorf, Germany:

  • The estimated monthly costs for a family of four are 4,244.9$ (3,610.9€), excluding rent (using our estimator).
  • The estimated monthly costs for a single person are 1,222.3$ (1,039.7€), excluding rent.
  • Dusseldorf is 18.2% less expensive than Seattle (excluding rent, see our cost of living index).
  • Rent in Dusseldorf is, on average, 47.5% lower than in Seattle.
Restaurants
Edit Range
Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant 15.00 € 10.00-25.00
Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks) 75.00 € 60.00-120.00
Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal) 12.00 € 10.00-12.00
Domestic Draft Beer (1 Pint) 4.90 € 3.50-6.00
Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) 4.00 € 3.00-5.90
Cappuccino (Regular Size) 3.80 € 3.00-5.00
Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle) 2.92 € 2.50-3.50
Bottled Water (12 oz) 2.52 € 2.00-3.50
Markets
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Milk (Regular, 1 Liter) 1.15 € 0.99-1.45
Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf) 1.84 € 1.36-3.18
White Rice (1 lb) 1.35 € 0.91-2.08
Eggs (12, Large Size) 3.31 € 2.39-4.06
Local Cheese (1 lb) 5.79 € 3.63-11.34
Chicken Fillets (1 lb) 5.07 € 3.43-6.80
Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb) 8.52 € 4.99-13.56
Apples (1 lb) 1.34 € 0.68-1.36
Bananas (1 lb) 0.81 € 0.59-0.91
Oranges (1 lb) 0.92 € 0.64-1.36
Tomatoes (1 lb) 1.90 € 0.91-2.26
Potatoes (1 lb) 0.59 € 0.34-0.91
Onions (1 lb) 0.52 € 0.43-0.91
Lettuce (1 Head) 1.57 € 1.19-1.99
Bottled Water (50 oz) 1.03 € 0.27-1.50
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) 5.50 € 4.00-7.00
Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle) 0.88 € 0.60-1.00
Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) 1.42 € 1.15-2.50
Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro) 8.70 € 8.20-9.05
Transportation
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One-Way Ticket (Local Transport) 3.40 € 3.20-3.60
Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price) 58.00 € 58.00-63.00
Taxi Start (Standard Tariff) 5.00 € 5.00-8.00
Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff) 4.35 € 4.35-4.83
Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff) 43.00 € 43.00-43.00
Gasoline (1 Liter) 1.72 € 1.66-1.85
Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car) 29,395.00 € 27,180.00-29,395.00
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car) 34,273.33 € 34,273.33-34,540.00
Utilities (Monthly)
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Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) 313.47 € 220.00-450.00
Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data) 25.20 € 10.00-39.95
Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher) 39.99 € 30.00-50.00
Sports And Leisure
Edit
Monthly Fitness Club Membership 38.90 € 20.00-75.00
Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend) 31.23 € 30.00-34.00
Cinema Ticket (International Release) 14.25 € 12.00-15.00
Childcare
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Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child 952.00 € 446.00-1,693.00
International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child 18,259.00 € 14,620.00-23,960.00
Clothing And Shoes
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Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar) 78.91 € 50.00-120.00
Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M) 35.49 € 30.00-45.00
Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) 88.50 € 50.00-150.00
Men's Leather Business Shoes 127.03 € 50.00-200.00
Rent Per Month
Edit
1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre 1,086.47 € 800.00-1,400.00
1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre 815.85 € 600.00-1,000.00
3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre 2,178.33 € 1,700.00-2,950.00
3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre 1,576.15 € 1,200.00-2,100.00
Buy Apartment Price
Edit
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre 783.07 € 753.44-805.46
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre 417.83 € 334.45-557.41
Salaries And Financing
Edit
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) 3,455.47 €
Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %) 3.95 3.75-4.00

Prices in Dusseldorf

This city had 609 entries in the past 12 months by 68 different contributors.
Last update: 22 January 2026
Sources and References
Distribution of Expenses Using Our Statistical Model:
Salary Calculator:Got a job offer in Dusseldorf? Estimate your take-home pay with our Salary Calculator for Dusseldorf.
  
  
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3 Comments so far
Bernd Flick on Oct 26, 2025:
Higher incomes pay more taxes (progressive), yes, but most of that gets compensated with higher bruto wages, so you just have to negotiate a good deal, and from the 6000 euro offered you keep at least 4500 a month netto.

If you are not a bit assertive and just get yourself employed for the lowest wage, it's your own mistake.
star on Mar 11, 2022:
pleas you can help me
theris a female 31y from kurdish of iran know she living in dusseldorf.‌
she is in the final of mniger of school .really sheis not apriscious for this job. because shie hasnot a strong person .
DE on Nov 19, 2021:
You should only go to Germany if you are a low-qualification worker. Workers with a high qualification are second class citizens and pay HUGE taxes. The top 10% of people in Germany with highest salaries pay 50% of all social contributions! Comparing to UK or United States, software developers in Germany earn much much less money and need to learn German and it is a very difficult language. Do you want to waste 5 years of your life to learn another language that will not give you any advantage salary-wise?