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Hamburg vs Rome

Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.

Hamburg, DE vs Rome, IT at a glance — Rome, IT is 9% cheaper than Hamburg, DE overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,200/mo versus $1,200/mo. Top income tax: 43% vs 45%.

$/ year

To keep the same standard of living in Rome, IT, you'd need

$68,139 / year

Rome, IT is 9% cheaper overall

Category breakdown (Rome, IT vs Hamburg, DE)

  • Housing-12%
  • Food & groceries-6%
  • Transport-13%
  • Utilities-6%
  • Healthcare-16%
  • Goods & services-6%

◎ How Hamburg, DE and Rome, IT compare

HousingFood & groceriesTransportUtilitiesHealthcareGoods & services
Hamburg, DERome, IT

Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.

▤ Full comparison

Hamburg, DERome, IT
Cost of living
Overall cost index110100
Housing125110
Food106100
Transport8675
Utilities128120
Healthcare9580
Goods & services106100
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre$1,200/mo$1,200/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside$850/mo$900/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre$2,300/mo$2,400/mo
Buy price / m² centre$7,000$6,500
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as$907$998
Inexpensive meal$15$15
Monthly transit pass$115$38
Taxes
Income tax (top rate)45%43%
VAT / sales tax19%22%
Social security (employee)20%—
Corporate tax30%24%
Capital gains26.4%26%
Economy & salaries
Avg net salary$2,900/mo$1,900/mo
Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP)$76,285✓$53,864✓
Minimum wage$2,716/mo✓—
GDP per capita$60,496✓$43,309✓
Inflation (annual)2.2%✓1.5%✓
Work & digital nomad
Digital-nomad visaNoYes
English proficiencyHighLow
Coworking spaces3540
Time zoneUTC+1UTC+1
Quality of life
Quality of life (overall)7368
Safety index6655
Healthcare index8478
Pollution index3860
Internet speed150 Mbps100 Mbps
Walkability7885
Public transport8275
Family-friendly7264
Tap waterSafe to drinkSafe to drink
Life expectancy81 yr✓84 yr✓
LGBTQ+ acceptanceHighModerate
Climate
January avg+2 °C+8 °C
July avg+18 °C+25 °C
Sunny days / year100200
Rainfall / year770 mm800 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub1 h1 h

Taxes & Economy & salaries: Germany vs Italy. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.

✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), Eurostat 2026, World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →

Cost of living: Hamburg vs Rome — in your currency

HamburgRome
1-bed rent, city centre$1,200$1,200
1-bed rent, outside centre$850$900
Inexpensive meal$15$15
Monthly transit pass$115$38
Utilities (monthly)$250$180

Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).

Good to know before you move to Hamburg

Germany's second city and biggest port — a wealthy media, trade and startup hub laced with canals and red-brick warehouses. Greener and more liveable than Berlin and cheaper than Munich, with the catch of grey, wet, windy weather.

Currency
Euro (€ EUR)
Languages
German
Time zone
UTC+1
Internet
150 Mbps
English
Widely spoken
Safety
66/100
Climate
❄ 2°C · ☀ 18°C · 100 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
F · 230V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Sternschanze · St. Pauli · Eimsbüttel · HafenCity

Good to know before you move to Rome

Living inside an open-air museum — unbeatable food and history, but slow bureaucracy and patchy transit.

Currency
Euro (€ EUR)
Languages
Italian
Time zone
UTC+1
Internet
100 Mbps
English
Rarely spoken
Safety
55/100
Climate
❄ 8°C · ☀ 25°C · 200 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
F/L · 230V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Trastevere · Monti · Prati

? Frequently asked questions

Moving from Hamburg to Rome: cheaper or more expensive?

Moving from Hamburg to Rome, your cost of living will be roughly 9% cheaper. Rome’s cost-of-living index is 100 versus 110 for Hamburg (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.

Is Hamburg cheaper than Rome?

Rome is about 9% cheaper than Hamburg overall — its cost-of-living index is 100 versus 110 for Hamburg.

Which is more expensive, Hamburg or Rome?

Hamburg is more expensive than Rome. Its cost-of-living index is 110 vs 100 (US = 100) — about 10% higher.

Is rent cheaper in Hamburg or Rome?

Rent is cheaper in Hamburg — about $1,200/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $1,200 in Rome.

How much do you need to earn in Rome to live like in Hamburg?

To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Hamburg is worth about $68,139 in Rome. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

Which has lower taxes, Hamburg or Rome?

Italy has the lower top income-tax rate — 43% versus 45% in Germany.

◷ More comparisons from Hamburg

How we calculate these figures →

Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.