Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Bensheim Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Bensheim

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,592 in Frankfurt versus $2,129 in Bensheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,828 in Frankfurt versus $3,134 in Bensheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,065 in Frankfurt versus $4,138 in Bensheim.

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 22% more expensive than in Bensheim, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 89% above, Bensheim 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.09 €14.90

$17.66 €15.40

-3.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.7 €79.1

$82.6 €72.0

9.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.04 €12.24

$13.79 €12.02

1.81%

Cappuccino

$4.75 €4.14

$4.03 €3.52

17.87%

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

$4.06 €3.54

$3.47 €3.03

17.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 €3.23

$3.34 €2.91

11.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.00

$5.46 €4.76

5.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €4.92

$3.95 €3.45

42.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.24

$1.50 €1.31

-4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 €1.94

$2.24 €1.95

-0.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 €2.79

$4.15 €3.62

-22.89%

Eggs

$3.94 €3.44

$3.96 €3.45

-0.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.26 €12.43

$14.39 €12.54

-0.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.78 €11.14

$10.84 €9.45

17.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.27 €20.29

$28.13 €24.52

-17.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 €2.79

$3.42 €2.98

-6.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.93

$2.24 €1.95

-0.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.01 €1.75

4.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.79 €3.30

5.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.25 €1.09

41.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.62

$1.33 €1.16

39.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.59 €1.39

6.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.14 €1.00

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 €8.61

$10.02 €8.73

-1.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.31 €5.50

$5.89 €5.13

7.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.01

$1.12 €0.98

3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 €1.38

$1.56 €1.36

1.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.51 €3.93

$3.53 €3.08

27.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.2 €62.9

$69.4 €60.5

3.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €4.01

$4.29 €3.74

7.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.27 €1.97

3.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.56 €21.41

$38.42 €33.49

-36.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.88

$2.15 €1.87

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

$34.0K €29.7K

$34.1K €29.8K

-0.34%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$40.2K €35.0K

-2.40%

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

$377 €328

$362 €315

4.18%

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

$20.49 €17.86

$27.48 €23.95

-25.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.36 €43.03

$51.7 €45.04

-4.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 €63.0

$45.66 €39.80

58.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.30 €26.42

$25.09 €21.87

20.77%

Cinema Ticket

$17.62 €15.36

$14.12 €12.31

24.79%

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

$1,140 €994

$547 €477

108.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K €20.6K

$18.6K €16.2K

27.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 €78.3

$86.3 €75.3

4.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.14 €30.63

$36.10 €31.46

-2.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 €78.4

$99.9 €87.1

-9.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$138 €121

-9.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 €1,166

$925 €806

44.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 €1,009

$603 €526

91.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,756 €2,402

$1,413 €1,232

95.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,755

$1,304 €1,137

54.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,074 €7,039

$5,524 €4,815

46.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,348 €3,791

$3,699 €3,224

17.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,245 €3,700

$4,665 €4,066

-9.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

3.62

-0.28%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: September 13, 2026

Last update for Bensheim: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,338 in Frankfurt and $925 in Bensheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bensheim pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $91.0 in Frankfurt vs $83.0 in Bensheim. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $356, 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

Frankfurt vs Bensheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Frankfurt and Bensheim differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,592 vs $2,129 including rent). Bensheim is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Bensheim. 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: $1,338 in Frankfurt versus $925 in Bensheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,140 in Frankfurt versus $547 in Bensheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Frankfurt pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,129 in Bensheim versus $2,592 in Frankfurt, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bensheim but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Bensheim the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Frankfurt and Bensheim 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 Bensheim gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.