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.

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

Kosten van Levensonderhoud in Essen

17.5% onder het Germany-gemiddelde

Gerangschikt op #307 van 577 steden · Duurder dan 46.8% van de steden wereldwijd

-17.5%

Kosten van Levensonderhoud

-26.2%

Huur

+0.3%

Boodschappen

-6.6%

Koopkracht

Vergeleken met het Germany-gemiddelde · Germany-ranking bekijken →

Huurprijzen in Essen

Appartement	Stadscentrum	Buiten het Centrum	Je Bespaart
1-Kamer	EUR 565/mo ≈ $635	EUR 436/mo ≈ $491	23%
3-Kamer	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

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Numbeo

46.3

left out

Expatistan

41.0

LivingCost

36.1

ShouldIMove price index

34.4

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

Eurostat Validation (EU27 = 100) Gov. Data

Eurostat

98.4

Based on 107 country PLI x 0.9 city factor

View all 577 cities | Data collected: Expatistan maart 2026 · LivingCost oktober 2026 · SIM index maart 2026

Kostenindexen

Kosten van Levensonderhoud

-17.5% Affordable

Huur

-26.2% Very affordable

Boodschappen

+0.3% Average

Restaurants

+11.9% Expensive

Koopkracht

-6.6% Average

Wonen in Essen: Wat te Verwachten

Essen is mid-priced naar wereldwijde maatstaven (positie #307 van 577 steden). 17.5% goedkoper dan het Germany-gemiddelde, gebaseerd op 34 steden.

Boodschappen zijn average, terwijl uit eten expensive is. Rent biedt de beste waarde, terwijl Restaurants het duurst is.

De lokale koopkracht is sterk: inwoners kunnen meer goederen en diensten betalen dan in de meeste steden.

Werknemers in Germany met EUR 50,000 bruto ontvangen EUR 2,695/maand netto na belasting (effectief tarief: 35.3%%). Bekijk de volledige Germany belastingcalculator →