🇩🇪 Germany · 2026

Cost of Living in Cologne

6.6% above the Germany average

Ranked #166 of 577 cities · More expensive than 71.2% of cities worldwide

+6.6%
Cost of Living
+26.2%
Rent
-1.5%
Groceries
+0.4%
Purchasing Power

Compared to Germany average · See Germany ranking →

Rent Prices in Cologne

Apartment City Centre Outside Centre You Save
1-Bedroom EUR 1,042/mo ≈ $1,180 EUR 773/mo ≈ $875 26%
3-Bedroom EUR 2,086/mo ≈ $2,361 EUR 1,420/mo ≈ $1,607 32%
Numbeo · 2026-10-02

Multi-Source Comparison

★★★ High Confidence

Cologne has a cost of living index of 48.2 (New York = 100, rent included), the average of 3 of 3 data sources.

48.2
Index
3
Sources
3.1
Gap between sources

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Numbeo
49.9
Expatistan
48.0
LivingCost
46.8
ShouldIMove price index
No data

ShouldIMove price index: our own basket of real item prices plus rent.

Cost Indices

Cost of Living
+6.6% Average
Rent
+26.2% Very expensive
Groceries
-1.5% Average
Restaurants
+4.9% Average
Purchasing Power
+0.4% Average

Living in Cologne: What to Expect

Cologne is expensive by global standards (ranked #166 of 577 cities). It is 6.6% more expensive than the Germany average, based on 34 cities.

Groceries are average and dining out is average. The best value is groceries and the priciest is rent.

Local purchasing power is strong: residents can afford more goods and services than in most cities.

Workers in Germany earning EUR 50,000 gross take home EUR 2,695/month after tax (35.3% effective rate). See full Germany tax calculator →

How Does Cologne Compare?

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