Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Aalen Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Aalen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,667 in Frankfurt versus $1,965 in Aalen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,020 in Frankfurt versus $3,068 in Aalen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,373 in Frankfurt versus $4,171 in Aalen.

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 36% more expensive than Aalen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 99% above, Aalen 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.30 €16.74

$17.44 €15.13

10.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.3 €80.1

$65.3 €56.6

41.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.94 €12.09

$11.62 €10.08

19.97%

Cappuccino

$4.44 €3.85

$3.79 €3.29

17.15%

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

$3.62 €3.14

$2.79 €2.42

29.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 €2.80

$2.52 €2.19

28.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 €5.16

$4.49 €3.90

32.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 €4.39

$4.90 €4.25

3.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.38

$1.13 €0.98

40.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.03 €1.76

13.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.42 €2.97

$2.80 €2.43

22.14%

Eggs

$3.97 €3.44

$3.09 €2.68

28.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.05

$14.58 €12.65

3.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.77 €11.95

$13.19 €11.44

4.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.26 €19.31

$16.28 €14.12

36.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 €3.05

$3.17 €2.75

10.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.85 €1.60

15.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 €1.96

$2.49 €2.16

-9.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 €4.29

$4.98 €4.32

-0.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.70 €1.48

2.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 €1.45

$1.69 €1.47

-1.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 €1.69

$1.78 €1.54

9.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.01

$0.57 €0.49

103.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.72 €8.43

$9.16 €7.95

6.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.36 €5.52

$5.85 €5.07

8.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.91

$0.90 €0.78

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.63 €1.42

-7.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.77

$2.73 €2.37

58.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 €58.4

$66.2 €57.4

1.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 €4.99

$4.08 €3.54

41.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 €2.32

$1.96 €1.70

36.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.47 €33.37

$28.66 €24.87

34.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.94 €1.68

1.03%

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

$31.2K €27.1K

$33.1K €28.7K

-5.58%

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

$35.1K €30.5K

$36.8K €32.0K

-4.62%

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

$371 €322

$270 €234

37.49%

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

$24.10 €20.91

$16.47 €14.29

46.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.74 €37.08

$51.6 €44.76

-17.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.6 €56.9

$37.20 €32.27

76.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.20 €25.33

$29.07 €25.22

0.45%

Cinema Ticket

$15.92 €13.81

$17.31 €15.02

-8.03%

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

$604 €524

$487 €422

24.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$11.7K €10.1K

39.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.0 €79.8

$70.6 €61.2

30.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.75 €33.62

$49.48 €42.93

-21.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 €84.2

$73.2 €63.5

32.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €128

$92.3 €80.1

59.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 €1,313

$909 €789

66.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 €1,040

$713 €618

68.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,750 €2,386

$1,691 €1,467

62.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,788

$1,584 €1,374

30.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,507 €7,381

$5,735 €4,976

48.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,442 €3,854

$4,691 €4,070

-5.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 €3,693

$3,606 €3,129

18.05%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Aalen: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,514 in Frankfurt and $909 in Aalen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 18% 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: $92.0 in Frankfurt vs $65.0 in Aalen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $317 per month, with Aalen cheaper across the board.

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 Aalen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aalen wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Frankfurt. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Aalen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Frankfurt pays 18% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,514 in Frankfurt versus $909 in Aalen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Aalen – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $92.0 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,667 per month in Frankfurt versus $1,965 in Aalen – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,965 in Aalen versus $2,667 in Frankfurt, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aalen but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Aalen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Aalen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,965 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Aalen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Frankfurt and Aalen 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 Aalen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.