What is the average rent in Essen?

A 1-bedroom apartment in Essen city centre costs approximately EUR 565 per month. Outside the centre, rent drops to EUR 436 (saving 23%). A 3-bedroom apartment in the centre costs around EUR 1,261.

Is Essen affordable to live in?

Essen is mid-priced by global standards. Groceries are average, restaurants are expensive, and local purchasing power is average. Workers in Germany earning EUR 50,000 gross take home approximately EUR 2,695 per month after tax.

🇩🇪 Germany · 2026

Cost of Living in Essen

Q: How expensive is Essen compared to the rest of Germany?

Essen ranks #307 out of 577 cities globally. It is 17.5% cheaper than the Germany average, based on 34 cities. The rent index is 16.3 and local purchasing power is 130.0.

17.5% below the Germany average

Ranked #307 of 577 cities · More expensive than 46.8% of cities worldwide

-17.5%

Cost of Living

-26.2%

Rent

+0.3%

Groceries

-6.6%

Purchasing Power

Compared to Germany average · See Germany ranking →

Rent Prices in Essen

Apartment	City Centre	Outside Centre	You Save
1-Bedroom	EUR 565/mo ≈ $635	EUR 436/mo ≈ $491	23%
3-Bedroom	EUR 1,261/mo ≈ $1,417	EUR 858/mo ≈ $964	32%

Numbeo · 2026-10-02

Multi-Source Comparison

★★ Medium Confidence

Essen has a cost of living index of 37.2 (New York = 100, rent included), the average of 3 of 4 data sources. Numbeo is left out because it sits more than 15% away from the others.

37.2

Index

Sources

6.6

Gap between sources