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Software Developer Salary Comparison

Side-by-side evaluation of salaries, local taxes, monthly expenses, and real purchasing power

✓ Real-time Comparison
🔍 Change Comparison Cities
City 1:
VS
City 2:

💡 Smart Analysis

Comparing Cologne and Munich: Average gross pay is 14% higher in Munich. Cost of living is 14% cheaper in Cologne. With higher take-home and lower expenses, Cologne is a more financially comfortable place to live with an affordability score of 7.1/10 compared to 6.9/10.

Category Comparison
🇩🇪
Cologne
🇩🇪
Munich

💰 Gross Salaries & Ranges

Average Gross Salary (Annual)
The primary average salary across experience ranges
€63,000/yr
€72,000/yr
HIGHER
Junior Developer Pay
€35,000
€40,000
Mid-Level Developer Pay
€57,000
€65,000
Senior Developer Pay
€84,000
€95,000
Lead / Architect Pay
€105,000
€118,000

🏠 Monthly Cost of Living

Rent — City Center (1 Bed)
€1,350
€1,600
Rent — Suburbs (1 Bed)
€870
€1,000
Groceries (Monthly)
€340
€380
Public Transport Pass
€86
€95
Utilities (Electricity, Internet)
€178
€190
Estimated Cost of Living
Rent center, groceries, transport plans & hobbies included
€2,011/mo
CHEAPER
€2,329/mo

🧾 Tax rates & Take-home

Average Income Tax Rate
19%
19%
Social Security Deduction
20%
20%
Monthly Take-home (After Tax)
Estimated direct net monthly deposit based on mid-level pay
€2,898/mo
€3,304/mo

📊 Affordability & Savings

Affordability Index
Score out of 10 comparing local net pay to costs
7.1
MORE AFFORDABLE
6.9
Monthly Savings Potential
Money left over after all standard cost of living expenses
€802/mo
€975/mo
Months to Save €10,000
~13 months
~11 months
🇩🇪 Complete Cologne Breakdown & Charts → 🇩🇪 Complete Munich Breakdown & Charts →