cost of living
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cost of living
The total expenses that a person or household needs for basic living. These include costs for housing, food, clothing, health, and transportation.
In Großstädten wie München oder Hamburg sind die Lebenshaltungskosten besonders hoch.
In big cities like Munich or Hamburg, the cost of living is especially high.
This complex word is made up of 'Lebenshaltung' (the way one lives and finances one's life) and 'Kosten' (costs). It therefore describes the costs incurred for general day-to-day living.
Ein Umzug aufs Land kann die Lebenshaltungskosten deutlich senken.
Moving to the countryside can significantly lower the cost of living.
The word 'Lebenshaltungskosten' (cost of living) is used almost exclusively in the plural in German, since it usually refers to the sum of different types of costs. The singular form is extremely rare.
Die Studenten protestieren gegen die steigenden Lebenshaltungskosten.
The students are protesting against the rising cost of living.
Common adjectives are 'hoch' (high), 'niedrig' (low), 'steigend' (rising), or 'durchschnittlich' (average). Typical verbs are 'steigen' (to rise), 'sinken' (to fall), 'decken' (to cover, in the sense of being able to pay), and 'vergleichen' (to compare).
Viele Menschen können mit ihrem Gehalt die hohen Lebenshaltungskosten kaum noch decken.
Many people can hardly cover the high cost of living with their salary anymore.
maintenance / support
'Unterhalt' and 'Lebenshaltungskosten' are both connected to money for daily life. 'Lebenshaltungskosten' are the expenses themselves, such as rent, food, clothing, or transportation. 'Unterhalt' can be the financial support that someone has to pay for another person so that such costs are covered. It can also generally mean costs for living needs. The words are easy to confuse because support is often used for cost-of-living expenses. If you are talking about expenses, 'Lebenshaltungskosten' is more precise. If it is about a payment obligation or support, 'Unterhalt' is more natural.
In der großen Stadt sind die Lebenshaltungskosten deutlich höher als auf dem Land.
In the big city, the cost of living is significantly higher than in the countryside.
Auf dem Amt müssen wir angeben, wie viel Unterhalt wir für das Kind bekommen.
At the government office, we have to state how much support we receive for the child.