Cost of studying in Hamburg
A student in Hamburg needs €1,318–1,354 a month — from an own studio to a room in a shared flat (WG). Rent makes the difference: health insurance and everyday costs are the same.
Budget by type of housing
The difference is almost entirely in housing: health insurance and everyday costs are the same in every column. For the visa you also need a blocked account of €992 a month (€11,904 a year) — the German authorities revise the amount every year.
| Item | Room in a shared flat (WG) | Own studio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | €736 | €700 |
| Health insurance (statutory, students) | €143 | €143 |
| Food, transport, phone and the rest | €475 | €475 |
| Total per month | €1,354 | €1,318 |
| Per semester (6 months) | €8,124 | €7,908 |
WG room and a 30 m² flat (warm rent) — MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026; other costs (food, clothing, transport, study materials) — a student's basic need under BAföG, €475 a month (§ 13 BAföG). Studierendenwerk dormitory rents are not entered yet.
Data for 2026 · source below
Tuition and semester fee
The tuition fee for international students is set by the federal state; the semester contribution is charged by each university.
| Tuition fee for international students | not chargedpublic universities, including international students |
|---|---|
| Semester contribution | €330–384 per semesterall students; what it includes is set by the university |
Comparison with other cities
Living costs per month by the same method for every city; «from» is with the cheapest housing we have data for — a place in a dormitory or a room in a WG.
| City | Room in a WG | Living costs / month | Per semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamburg · you are here | €736 | from €1,318 | from €7,908 |
| Heidelberg | €685 | from €1,303 | from €7,818 |
| Frankfurt am Main | €674 | from €1,292 | from €7,752 |
| Cologne | €672 | from €1,290 | from €7,740 |
| Berlin | €659 | from €1,277 | from €7,662 |
| Freiburg | €609 | from €1,227 | from €7,362 |
| Münster | €606 | from €1,224 | from €7,344 |
| Düsseldorf | €563 | from €1,181 | from €7,086 |
| Konstanz | €559 | from €1,177 | from €7,062 |
| Stuttgart | €559 | from €1,177 | from €7,062 |
| Würzburg | €548 | from €1,166 | from €6,996 |
| Karlsruhe | €548 | from €1,166 | from €6,996 |
| Ulm | €528 | from €1,146 | from €6,876 |
| Aachen | €526 | from €1,144 | from €6,864 |
| Bremen | €521 | from €1,139 | from €6,834 |
| Bonn | €514 | from €1,132 | from €6,792 |
| Regensburg | €512 | from €1,130 | from €6,780 |
| Nuremberg | €509 | from €1,127 | from €6,762 |
| Mainz | €508 | from €1,126 | from €6,756 |
| Mannheim | €494 | from €1,112 | from €6,672 |
| Darmstadt | €492 | from €1,110 | from €6,660 |
| Tübingen | €466 | from €1,084 | from €6,504 |
| Jena | €465 | from €1,083 | from €6,498 |
| Oldenburg | €463 | from €1,081 | from €6,486 |
| Dresden | €463 | from €1,081 | from €6,486 |
| Hanover | €461 | from €1,079 | from €6,474 |
| Saarbrücken | €455 | from €1,073 | from €6,438 |
| Rostock | €450 | from €1,068 | from €6,408 |
| Leipzig | €444 | from €1,062 | from €6,372 |
| Bielefeld | €427 | from €1,045 | from €6,270 |
| Trier | €421 | from €1,039 | from €6,234 |
| Göttingen | €419 | from €1,037 | from €6,222 |
| Kiel | €404 | from €1,022 | from €6,132 |
| Munich | €850 | from €1,018 | from €6,108 |
| Bochum | €386 | from €1,004 | from €6,024 |
| Greifswald | €340 | from €958 | from €5,748 |
| Magdeburg | €336 | from €954 | from €5,724 |
| Chemnitz | €222 | from €840 | from €5,040 |
Choose the city after the programme all the same: a cheaper city does not make up for a programme that does not fit.
Questions about costs in Hamburg
How much does a student need per month in Hamburg?
How much is a room in Hamburg?
Does the blocked account cover these costs?
We'll calculate your budget for the city and the programme
The amount depends on where you qualify and where you will live. In 30 minutes we'll put costs, deadlines and the application into one plan.