Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Aachen Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Aachen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,727 per month in Frankfurt vs $2,007 in Aachen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,977 per month in Frankfurt vs $3,044 in Aachen, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,226 per month in Frankfurt vs $4,082 in Aachen, rent included.

Frankfurt costs about 36% more than Aachen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Frankfurt and Aachen sit above the global median – Frankfurt by 104%, Aachen by 50%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 €17.09

$16.07 €13.75

24.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.1 €79.7

$79.6 €68.1

16.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.05

$11.42 €9.78

23.29%

Cappuccino

$4.61 €3.95

$4.06 €3.47

13.55%

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

$3.74 €3.20

$3.28 €2.81

14.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 €2.87

$3.04 €2.60

10.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.02

$5.28 €4.52

10.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 €4.48

$4.58 €3.92

14.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.21 €1.04

25.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 €1.91

$2.26 €1.94

-1.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 €2.82

Eggs

$3.97 €3.40

$3.52 €3.01

12.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.15 €12.96

$14.64 €12.53

3.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.76 €11.78

$13.97 €11.96

-1.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.92 €18.76

$19.52 €16.71

12.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 €3.03

$3.20 €2.74

10.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.77 €1.51

17.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 €1.90

$2.31 €1.97

-3.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 €4.39

$4.55 €3.89

12.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.44

$1.62 €1.39

3.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.79 €1.53

-2.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.71

$1.90 €1.63

5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €0.98

$0.94 €0.81

22.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.12 €8.66

$9.71 €8.31

4.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.89 €5.90

$7.17 €6.14

-3.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.90

$1.08 €0.93

-2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.60 €1.37

-5.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.10 €3.51

$3.56 €3.05

15.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 €56.6

$57.8 €49.47

14.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.92 €5.07

$5.53 €4.73

7.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.24 €1.92

21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.68 €32.26

$17.57 €15.04

114.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.07 €1.78

-0.97%

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

$31.5K €27.0K

$30.8K €26.4K

2.27%

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

$34.8K €29.8K

$37.8K €32.4K

-8.09%

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

$366 €314

0.00%

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

$24.17 €20.69

$19.85 €17.00

21.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.97 €37.64

$52.7 €45.13

-16.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.4 €55.1

$35.60 €30.47

80.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.61 €25.35

$22.23 €19.03

33.20%

Cinema Ticket

$16.22 €13.88

$16.25 €13.91

-0.18%

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

$610 €522

$405 €346

50.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$23.2K €19.9K

-29.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.1 €78.8

$111 €94.6

-16.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.48 €32.94

$44.27 €37.90

-13.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 €83.9

$83.0 €71.0

18.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 €124

$133 €114

8.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 €1,298

$824 €706

83.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 €1,011

$587 €502

101.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,806 €2,402

$1,466 €1,255

91.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,060 €1,763

$1,203 €1,029

71.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,210 €7,027

$4,661 €3,990

76.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,707 €4,029

$3,601 €3,082

30.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,745 €4,061

$3,589 €3,073

32.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.99

3.97

0.50%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: April 27, 2026

Last update for Aachen: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,516 in Frankfurt versus $824 in Aachen. 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 32% 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 $93.0 in Frankfurt versus $80.0 in Aachen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $343 – making Aachen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Frankfurt vs Aachen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,727 in Frankfurt, $2,007 in Aachen – roughly 36% apart. Frankfurt costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,091 per month in Frankfurt and $3,010 in Aachen. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $93.0 in Frankfurt and $80.0 in Aachen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,727 in Frankfurt and $2,007 in Aachen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Aachen, where all-in costs run around $2,007, than in Frankfurt at $2,727. In Aachen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Frankfurt it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Frankfurt has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,007 in Aachen to $2,727 in Frankfurt. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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