KVB 24hTicket or Deutschlandticket in Cologne? The Break-Even Maths for 2026 and 2027
In Cologne the KVB 24hTicket costs 9.60 euro for one person and 19.20 euro for up to five people inside the city (Preisstufe 1b, since the Rheinlandtarif of 1 June 2026), and a single ticket costs 4.00 euro. The Deutschlandticket costs 63 euro a month in 2026 and 66.80 euro from 1 January 2027, so it beats day tickets from the seventh day of riding in a month, or from about the 16th single ride. Below that, day tickets or the pay-as-you-go app eezy.nrw (whose monthly cap equals the Deutschlandticket price) are cheaper. If you hold a Köln-Pass, MobilPass or Bonn-Ausweis, the Deutschlandticket sozial costs 53 euro, and with an employer subsidy of at least 25 percent the JobTicket costs at most 44.10 euro in 2026.
The Short Version for Cologne
Cologne has had a new fare system since 1 June 2026. The Rheinlandtarif replaced the former VRS and AVV tariffs, and Cologne, Bonn and Aachen sit in their own price level, Preisstufe 1b. If you read about a Bayern-Ticket or a Hessenticket in other guides, those are other states’ tickets and do not apply here. In Cologne your choices are single or multi-ride tickets, the 24hTicket, a monthly KVB ticket, the Deutschlandticket (nationwide), and the app-based eezy.nrw.
Our page on KVB ticket selection introduces the new tariff. This page answers one question: when does the subscription beat day tickets?
What the Tickets Cost in Cologne (October 2026)
All prices below are from KVB’s official price table, valid from 1 June 2026, read in October 2026.
| Ticket | Price | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Kurzstrecke (entry stop plus up to four stops) | 2.90 | A very short hop |
| Single ticket (90 minutes) | 4.00 | One trip with changes |
| 4-trip ticket | 16.00 | Four trips at 4.00 euro each |
| 24hTicket, 1 person | 9.60 | A full day of rides |
| 24hTicket, up to 5 people | 19.20 | Families or a small group |
| Monatsticket Köln (Preisstufe 1b) | 100.00 | Cologne only, rarely worth it next to the Deutschlandticket |
| Deutschlandticket (subscription) | 63.00 (66.80 from 1 Jan 2027) | All local and regional transport in Germany |
The 24hTicket is valid for 24 hours from the moment you validate it, not until midnight, and it is not transferable. Outside the city it comes in higher levels: 13.20 euro for trips to neighbouring towns, 27.80 euro for the whole Rheinlandnetz and 39.80 euro (59.80 euro for five people) for all of NRW. KVB notes that children under six generally ride free on buses and trains, and its price table lists a child fare for ages 6 to 14 on single tickets.
The Break-Even Maths
| 2026 (63.00 euro) | From 1 January 2027 (66.80 euro) | |
|---|---|---|
| Versus 24hTicket at 9.60 euro | From the 7th day (67.20 euro) | From the 7th day (67.20 euro) |
| Versus single tickets at 4.00 euro | From 16 rides (64.00 euro) | From 17 rides (68.00 euro) |
| Versus the 5-person 24hTicket at 19.20 euro | Only if you travel alone and often, the group ticket is cheaper per head | Same |
Rules of thumb that follow:
- Commuting five days a week: the subscription wins by a wide margin, whichever way you count.
- Three or four days a week in the city: the 24hTicket is 29 to 38 euro a week, so the subscription is cheaper.
- Two days a week with a return trip each day: about 69 euro a month in single tickets (4.33 weeks times 4 rides times 4.00 euro), so the subscription is already slightly cheaper.
- One day a week: single tickets (about 35 euro a month for return trips) or day tickets cost less, unless you also travel at weekends or beyond Cologne.
- A family going out together: the 24hTicket for five people at 19.20 euro can be cheaper than two adult subscriptions for a whole month if you only go out a few times. Children under six ride free anyway.
- Travel beyond Cologne: the subscription covers local and regional transport nationwide, so a single trip to the Rheinlandnetz or NRW can pay for a large part of the month. A 24hTicket for the whole Rheinlandnetz is 27.80 euro, for NRW 39.80 euro.
Also remember what the Deutschlandticket does not cover. KVB says long-distance trains (ICE, IC, EC) and private operators such as FlixTrain are excluded, and the subscription is personal, so it cannot be passed on.
The Middle Way: eezy.nrw
If you cannot predict how often you will ride, eezy.nrw is the hedge KVB offers. You check in and out in the KVB app or the VRS eezy.nrw app, and the fare is calculated automatically from the straight-line distance. KVB states that you never pay more for a single ride than the single ticket for that distance and never more per month than the Deutschlandticket (currently 63 euro). It works across NRW in second-class local transport. Two limits: you need a smartphone and have to remember to check in, and the monthly cap applies per app, so KVB recommends switching apps at the beginning of a month. KVB adds that you can also take other adults, children and bicycles along in the app.
Cheaper Versions of the Deutschlandticket
- Deutschlandticket sozial, 53 euro (56.80 euro from 1 January 2027 according to KVB’s FAQ). KVB offers it to holders of a Köln-Pass, MobilPass or Bonn-Ausweis living in the Rhein-Sieg transport area. The state of NRW requires you to show the proof when you order, and the contract runs only for the validity of the proof, at most twelve months, so you must send a new proof by the 10th of the month in which the old one expires. It is a chip card subscription, personal, and does not allow taking a person or a bicycle along. For Cologne only, there is also the Monatsticket MobilPass at 52.50 euro, which can be passed on to other holders of a pass, and which entitles you, on weekday evenings from 19:00 and all day at weekends and on public holidays, to take along one person over 14 who also holds a valid pass and up to three children aged 6 to 14, according to KVB.
- JobTicket, at most 44.10 euro in 2026. According to KVB, your employer needs a framework contract and has to pay at least 25 percent of the price, and KVB takes off 5 percent. Ask HR before you sign up for a normal subscription, because you cancel the JobTicket through your employer, not yourself.
- School and student tickets follow their own rules, see our page on school transport.
How to Buy and Cancel
- For a day ticket you can use the KVB app, the online shop without registration (single ticket and 24hTicket for Cologne), the machines in vehicles and at stops, the Kundencenter and private sales points, as listed on KVB’s purchase page.
- For the Deutschlandticket order online as a chip card or digital subscription by the 20th of the month for the following month, or buy it in the KVB app or a customer centre at any time, even for the current month.
- To end it, the cancellation must arrive by the 10th of the month to end at that month’s end; KVB cannot make exceptions because the nationwide tariff rules set the deadline. Digital subscriptions can be cancelled online, chip card subscriptions online, by e-mail, in person or by post.
- Watch the 2027 change. KVB states the price rises to 66.80 euro on 1 January 2027, the Brandenburg ministry confirms the decision of 30 September 2026. If you want to leave because of it, the usual deadline of the 10th applies, so for an end on 31 December you would have to cancel by 10 December.
- Keep proof of purchase while riding. Our page on the real and fake ticket inspector explains what a control looks like.
Compliance Note
This page compares public prices published by KVB, the VRS and the state ministries in October 2026. Fares change, the Deutschlandticket price changes on 1 January 2027, and the break-even figures here are simple arithmetic, not individual advice. Confirm current prices and conditions on kvb.koeln before you buy or cancel.
FAQ & Common Pitfalls
Do the state day tickets of other German states apply in Cologne?
No, state day tickets sold in other states do not apply in Cologne. Here the tickets are set by the Rheinlandtarif (valid since 1 June 2026) and the NRW tariff. For one person the KVB 24hTicket costs 9.60 euro inside Cologne, 13.20 euro to neighbouring towns, 27.80 euro for the whole Rheinlandnetz and 39.80 euro for all of NRW. The 5-person versions cost 19.20, 26.40, 55.60 and 59.80 euro.
How many days a month do I need to ride for the Deutschlandticket to pay off?
Against the 9.60 euro 24hTicket, the 63 euro subscription is cheaper from the seventh day (7 times 9.60 is 67.20 euro). From 1 January 2027 the subscription costs 66.80 euro, and the seventh day is still enough (67.20 euro). Against 4.00 euro single tickets you need 16 rides a month in 2026 (64 euro) and 17 in 2027 (68 euro). This is arithmetic from KVB's price table, so check the current table before you decide.
I only need the bus now and then. What is cheapest?
A single ticket inside Cologne costs 4.00 euro, a 4-trip ticket 16.00 euro, and a Kurzstrecke (entry stop plus up to four stops) 2.90 euro. The KVB also offers eezy.nrw, an app tariff where you check in and out and the price is calculated from the straight-line distance. According to KVB, a single ride never costs more than the single ticket for that distance, and you never pay more per month than the Deutschlandticket price, currently 63 euro. You need a smartphone, and the caps apply per app.
Can I take other people along on a Deutschlandticket?
KVB describes the subscription as a personal ticket that cannot be passed on. For the sozial and Job variants KVB states that you can only take children under six along for free, because they ride free anyway, and that anyone else or a bicycle needs an extra ticket. For groups, the 24hTicket for up to five people is often the cheaper choice. A bicycle needs a separate 24hTicket Fahrrad at 4.50 euro in the whole Rheinlandnetz.
Do children ride free?
KVB notes that children under six generally ride free on buses and trains. Children from 6 to 14 pay the child fare for single tickets, for example 1.80 euro for a single ticket and 7.20 euro for a 4-trip ticket in Cologne, according to KVB's price table. A school child may qualify for different tickets, see our page on school transport.
Who can get the Deutschlandticket sozial for 53 euro?
KVB says you need a valid Köln-Pass, MobilPass or Bonn-Ausweis and a residence in the area of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg. These proofs are issued by Jobcenters and social welfare offices for recipients of Bürgergeld, Sozialhilfe, Wohngeld, benefits under the Asylbewerberleistungsgesetz and war victims' welfare. You have to show the proof when you order, and the contract runs only as long as the proof is valid, at most twelve months. KVB still uses the name Bürgergeld.
How does the JobTicket work?
Your employer needs a framework contract with KVB, which KVB says is possible from two employees. KVB gives a 5 percent discount on the 63 euro price (3.15 euro) and the employer pays at least 25 percent (15.75 euro), so you pay at most 44.10 euro in 2026. From 1 January 2027 KVB states a maximum of 46.76 euro. You cancel through your employer.
When do I have to cancel the Deutschlandticket?
KVB says the cancellation has to reach it by the 10th of the month to end the subscription at the end of that month. If you cancel between the 11th and the end of the month, it ends a month later. Online orders for the following month are possible until the 20th, and in the KVB app or a customer centre you can buy the ticket at any time, even for the current month. Check the KVB page if the 2027 price increase makes you want to leave.