Cost of Living Comparison Between Duisburg and Frankfurt Cost of Living Comparison Between Duisburg and Frankfurt

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,076 in Duisburg versus $2,663 in Frankfurt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,078 in Duisburg versus $3,912 in Frankfurt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,080 in Duisburg versus $5,161 in Frankfurt.

Living in Duisburg costs roughly 22% less than in Frankfurt, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Duisburg 51% above, Frankfurt 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.98 €12.03

$17.46 €15.03

-19.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 €63.8

$92.3 €79.4

-19.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.59 €11.69

$13.99 €12.04

-2.86%

Cappuccino

$4.72 €4.06

$4.69 €4.04

0.64%

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

$4.02 €3.46

$3.76 €3.23

6.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.79

$3.61 €3.11

-10.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 €5.13

$5.75 €4.94

3.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 €5.04

$5.73 €4.93

2.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.39 €1.20

0.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.83

$2.26 €1.95

-5.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.03 €3.47

$3.26 €2.80

23.62%

Eggs

$3.54 €3.04

$4.17 €3.59

-15.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.07 €12.97

$14.50 €12.47

3.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.04 €9.50

$12.51 €10.77

-11.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.23 €22.57

$22.93 €19.73

14.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 €3.06

$3.29 €2.83

8.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.12 €1.82

12.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 €2.10

$2.10 €1.80

16.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.51 €3.88

$4.00 €3.44

12.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.78 €1.54

-11.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.88 €1.62

-36.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.71 €1.47

5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.94

$1.10 €0.95

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 €9.45

$9.92 €8.53

10.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.02 €6.04

$6.43 €5.54

9.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.13 €0.97

-0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.64 €1.41

-15.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.87 €4.19

$4.33 €3.73

12.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.5 €60.7

$73.1 €62.9

-3.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.31 €4.57

$4.63 €3.98

14.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.26 €1.95

1.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.43 €30.48

$24.68 €21.24

43.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.89

$2.24 €1.93

-1.79%

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

$34.0K €29.2K

$33.8K €29.1K

0.43%

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

$40.0K €34.5K

$39.3K €33.8K

1.81%

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

$484 €416

$398 €343

21.43%

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

$26.56 €22.86

$20.29 €17.46

30.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.03 €37.03

$49.48 €42.58

-13.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.42 €28.76

$71.1 €61.2

-52.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.91 €25.74

$30.01 €25.82

-0.33%

Cinema Ticket

$14.03 €12.07

$17.22 €14.82

-18.52%

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

$175 €151

$1,112 €957

-84.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K €23.4K

$24.0K €20.6K

13.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 €85.7

$89.1 €76.7

11.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.70 €42.76

$34.12 €29.36

45.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €98.2

$88.4 €76.1

29.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 €174

$125 €108

61.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$724 €623

$1,335 €1,149

-45.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 €482

$1,163 €1,001

-51.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 €1,211

$2,798 €2,408

-49.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$953 €820

$1,973 €1,698

-51.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,032 €6,051

$8,174 €7,033

-13.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,521 €3,029

$4,356 €3,748

-19.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,859 €2,461

$4,268 €3,673

-33.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

3.61

9.70%

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

Last update for Duisburg: August 31, 2026

Last update for Frankfurt: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $724 in Duisburg and $1,335 in Frankfurt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 49% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74.0 in Duisburg vs $92.0 in Frankfurt. Groceries flip the comparison at $359 vs $350, with Frankfurt cheaper for home cooking.

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

Duisburg vs Frankfurt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Duisburg wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Frankfurt. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Duisburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Frankfurt. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $724 in Duisburg versus $1,335 in Frankfurt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Duisburg versus $1,112 in Frankfurt. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Frankfurt pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,076 in Duisburg versus $2,663 in Frankfurt, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Duisburg but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Duisburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Duisburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,076 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Duisburg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Duisburg and Frankfurt are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Duisburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.