Cost of living in Düsseldorf: An expat guide

The cost of living in Düsseldorf pushes the city into the upper price range. We'll show you what expenses you should expect.

Marle

3 minute read

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Updated on 11 Mar 2026

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Living

With one exclusive boutique lining up next to yet another luxury shop on the Kö, newcomers to Düsseldorf soon begin to doubt how affordable life will be here. Wondering what the cost of living is in Düsseldorf?

We'll spoil it for you: the monthly cost of living in Düsseldorf is €1,039 excluding rent on average. This covers expenses such groceries, transportation, health insurance, and leisure.

So, let's break them down and start budgeting!

Yes, Düsseldorf is a good place to live for internationals. The city Düsseldorf has a large international community, plenty of job and education opportunities in English and excellent connectivity to the rest of the world via Germany's 3rd-largest airport.

No wonder internationals feel so at home in Düsseldorf. It's no surprise that even with English you'll quickly settle in as an international as there's no significant language barrier in Germany to slow you down.

To compare, this Cologne vs Düsseldorf guide breakdown puts both Rhine cities side by side so you can weigh your options before committing.

Düsseldorf comes in at 6th place on the list of the most expensive cities in Germany, right behind Munich and Frankfurt. You can expect a cost of living in Düsseldorf of €2,189 monthly for a single person renting a studio. If you're moving with your family you should budget around €5,794 per month as you need to consider expenses like daycare. On the other hand, Düsseldorf is more affordable for students who can budget living expenses around €1,734 per month.

Here's an overview of the cost of living in Düsseldorf:

Good to know: Taking a taxi in Düsseldorf can be very expensive. So, better switch to public transportation!

If you're searching homes for rent in Düsseldorf below you can find average rent prices:

Rent varies significantly by area so exploring Düsseldorf's neighborhoods like Pempelfort and Derendorf gives you a clearer picture of what to expect before you sign anything.

To get an idea of how expensive the cost of living in Düsseldorf is, it's worth putting it in the context of the salary. As an expat in Düsseldorf, you can expect an average monthly net salary of €3,379 of which around 65% will go towards living expenses.

In other words: expats in Düsseldorf may face high costs of living, and in return play in the medium range of the average German salary.

To give you a comparison: the average monthly salary in Berlin is around €3,042, in Frankfurt €3,981 and in Hamburg €3,355. If your income doesn't quite match those numbers yet, English-speaking jobs in Düsseldorf lists options available to internationals across different industries.

Living in Düsseldorf proves to be less expensive. Someone living in Berlin with a salary of €5,461 has to earn about €5,400.0 for the same standard of living in Düsseldorf. To put it in a nutshell: that's 1.1% less than in Berlin. Meanwhile in Düsseldorf you also earn more on average, almost 11% more than in Berlin.

Once the numbers make sense and you're ready to make the move, make sure to check the documents and steps you'll need to get officially registered after you arrive.