Cologne at a glance
- Cologne ranks 4th of 10 priced cities in Germany on cost: $1,889 a month in essentials, 23% above Dresden, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $3,389 covers that 1.8×.
- 95.1 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at district level.
- PM2.5 averages 10.5 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 10 Germany cities we track, so every row says whether Cologne is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,889 | $1,925 | $36 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $826 | $873 | $47 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,158 | $1,157 | $1 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $174 | $183 | $9 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $392 | $388 | $4 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $425 | $416 | $10 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $72 | $72 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $3,389 | $3,635 | $246 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,656 | $1,672 | $16 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $2,288 | $2,297 | $9 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Cologne, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $17.06 | $17.06 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $91.00 | $83.47 | $7.53 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $11.94 | $13.65 | $1.71 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $4.12 | $4.37 | $0.25 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $5.69 | $5.69 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $5.12 | $5.26 | $0.14 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $3.73 | $3.82 | $0.09 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $3.34 | $3.25 | $0.09 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.34 | $1.32 | $0.02 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.29 | $2.29 | $0.00 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $3.62 | $3.26 | $0.36 |
| Eggs, 12 | $3.76 | $4.00 | $0.25 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $13.78 | $15.29 | $1.52 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $11.13 | $12.20 | $1.06 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.99 | $3.25 | $0.26 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.11 | $2.21 | $0.10 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $4.04 | $4.00 | $0.04 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.30 | $1.52 | $0.22 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.19 | $1.52 | 1.28× as much |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.03 | $1.02 | $0.01 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $4.07 | $4.21 | $0.13 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $71.66 | $71.66 | same |
| Taxi start | $5.57 | $5.00 | $0.57 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $2.73 | $2.79 | $0.06 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $2.16 | $2.16 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $383.86 | $371.15 | $12.71 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $41.00 | $42.41 | $1.41 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $14.88 | $19.65 | 1.32× as much |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $46.76 | $44.81 | $1.95 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $15.36 | $15.36 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Cologne has 95.1 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (district level). That is the 9th-highest of 10 Germany cities we track. Germany's national figure is 107.5, so Cologne runs 12 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Cologne ranks against every city we track
Cologne sits ahead of 83% of the 545 cities we track on local salary. On salary against local costs it is ahead of 81% of 534. Its weakest measure is cost of living, ahead of only 23% of 542.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Cologne sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 4.0.
