Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aachen and Frankfurt

For one person, living is cheaper in Aachen: $1,938 a month against $2,510 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Aachen
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Aachen Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Frankfurt
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Frankfurt Living Index

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Aachen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,938

/mo nomad

Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,510

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aachen and in Frankfurt

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aachen and in Frankfurt actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,938 per month in Aachen vs $2,510 in Frankfurt, rent included.

Aachen $1,938
Frankfurt $2,510

A couple spends around $2,902 per month in Aachen vs $3,732 in Frankfurt, rent included.

Aachen $2,902
Frankfurt $3,732

A family of three spends $3,867 per month in Aachen vs $4,954 in Frankfurt, rent included.

Aachen $3,867
Frankfurt $4,954

Aachen is about 23% cheaper than Frankfurt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Aachen and Frankfurt sit above the global median – Aachen by 42%, Frankfurt by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.79 €14.19

$16.83 €15.12

-6.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$88.1 €79.1

-29.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.16 €10.02

$13.28 €11.93

-15.96%

Cappuccino

$3.73 €3.35

$4.54 €4.08

-17.84%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.43

$3.68 €3.30

-26.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.69

$3.61 €3.25

-17.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 €4.54

$5.71 €5.13

-11.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.47 €4.91

$5.74 €5.15

-4.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.10

$1.31 €1.17

-6.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 €1.73

$2.20 €1.98

-12.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.62 €3.25

$3.09 €2.78

17.15%

Eggs

$3.57 €3.20

$3.65 €3.28

-2.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.48 €13.01

$13.55 €12.17

6.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 €10.18

$11.86 €10.65

-4.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.98 €18.85

$21.79 €19.57

-3.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 €3.07

$3.10 €2.79

10.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 €2.04

$2.09 €1.88

8.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 €1.84

$1.94 €1.74

5.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 €3.12

$3.83 €3.44

-9.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.78 €1.60

-17.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.33

$1.86 €1.67

-20.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.33

$1.57 €1.41

-5.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.11

$1.05 €0.94

18.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.00 €8.98

$9.49 €8.52

5.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.07

$5.61 €5.04

20.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.12 €1.01

2.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.40

$1.45 €1.31

7.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.03 €3.62

$4.29 €3.86

-6.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.5 €64.2

$69.3 €62.3

3.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 €4.96

$4.42 €3.97

25.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 €2.32

$2.27 €2.04

14.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.36 €33.56

$23.89 €21.46

56.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.08

$2.22 €1.99

4.50%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.0K €29.7K

$33.7K €30.2K

-1.86%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.9K €35.0K

$39.2K €35.2K

-0.54%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$378 €339

$385 €346

-1.90%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$16.71 €15.01

$19.76 €17.75

-15.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.56 €42.73

$46.58 €41.85

2.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.89 €32.24

$63.4 €56.9

-43.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.56 €24.76

$29.55 €26.54

-6.73%

Cinema Ticket

$15.41 €13.84

$16.84 €15.12

-8.49%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$743 €667

$1,097 €985

-32.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K €17.3K

$22.6K €20.3K

-14.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €82.1

$86.3 €77.5

5.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.26 €37.96

$33.24 €29.86

27.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 €76.4

$82.5 €74.1

3.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €120

$108 €96.8

24.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$818 €735

$1,418 €1,274

-42.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$571 €513

$1,092 €981

-47.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,504 €1,351

$2,713 €2,437

-44.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 €951

$1,920 €1,725

-44.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,493 €4,036

$7,738 €6,951

-41.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,378 €3,035

$4,482 €4,026

-24.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,534 €3,175

$4,024 €3,615

-12.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

3.64

8.79%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Aachen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Frankfurt: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Aachen

$571 29.5%

Frankfurt

$1.1K 43.5% 91.3% $521

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aachen

$442 22.8%

Frankfurt

$451 18% 2.1% $9.4

Groceries & Markets

Aachen

$330 17%

Frankfurt

$330 13.2% 0.1% $0.2

Eating Out

Aachen

$264 13.6%

Frankfurt

$298 11.9% 13.1% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Aachen

$159 8.2%

Frankfurt

$139 5.6% 12.2% $19

Getting Around

Aachen

$106 5.5%

Frankfurt

$102 4.1% 3.5% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

Aachen

$67 3.4%

Frankfurt

$97 3.9% 45.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $818 in Aachen versus $1,418 in Frankfurt. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 14% higher in Frankfurt, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Aachen versus $88 in Frankfurt. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $330 – making Aachen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Aachen

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🕒 Local time

22:20 10:20 PM

Same time as Aachen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

241,683

701,350

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Aachen vs Frankfurt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,938 in Aachen, $2,510 in Frankfurt – Aachen comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in Aachen and $3,765 in Frankfurt. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aachen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $818 there versus $1,418 in Frankfurt.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Aachen and $88 in Frankfurt. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Frankfurt. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,938 in Aachen and $2,510 in Frankfurt, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Aachen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Aachen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Frankfurt makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.