Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Bensheim

For one person, living is cheaper in Bensheim: $2,036 a month against $2,543 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Frankfurt, Germany
Bensheim, Germany
Frankfurt
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,543
/mo nomad
Bensheim
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,036
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Frankfurt and in Bensheim

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,543 in Frankfurt versus $2,036 in Bensheim.

  • Frankfurt $2,543
  • Bensheim $2,036

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,752 in Frankfurt versus $3,068 in Bensheim.

  • Frankfurt $3,752
  • Bensheim $3,068

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,960 in Frankfurt versus $4,101 in Bensheim.

  • Frankfurt $4,960
  • Bensheim $4,101

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 25% more expensive than in Bensheim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 88% above, Bensheim 51% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Frankfurt
Bensheim
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.49 €14.71
$16.62 €14.83
-0.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$87.8 €78.3
$80.0 €71.3
9.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.34 €11.90
$13.63 €12.16
-2.13%
Cappuccino
$4.49 €4.01
$3.98 €3.55
12.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.53 €3.15
$3.55 €3.17
-0.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.54 €3.16
$3.38 €3.01
4.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.67 €5.06
$5.16 €4.61
9.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 €4.96
$4.24 €3.78
31.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Frankfurt
Bensheim
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.35 €1.21
$1.45 €1.29
-6.90%
White Bread (500g)
$2.15 €1.92
$2.18 €1.94
-1.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.97 €2.65
$3.91 €3.49
-24.04%
Eggs
$3.69 €3.30
$3.83 €3.41
-3.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.51 €12.06
$13.59 €12.12
-0.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.71 €10.45
$10.42 €9.29
12.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.10 €19.71
$26.61 €23.74
-16.95%
Apples (1kg)
$3.22 €2.87
$3.36 €3.00
-4.17%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 €1.82
$2.23 €1.99
-8.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 €1.76
$1.92 €1.71
3.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.82 €3.41
$3.67 €3.27
4.09%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 €1.59
$1.21 €1.08
47.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.95 €1.74
$1.27 €1.13
53.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 €1.41
$1.53 €1.36
3.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 €0.89
$1.14 €1.02
-12.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.56 €8.53
$9.87 €8.81
-3.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.52 €4.92
$5.45 €4.86
1.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 €1.02
$1.11 €0.99
3.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.25
$1.53 €1.36
-7.84%
🚌 Getting Around
Frankfurt
Bensheim
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.17 €3.72
$3.41 €3.04
22.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$69.2 €61.7
$69.3 €61.8
-0.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.57 €4.08
$4.13 €3.68
10.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.64 €2.35
$2.21 €1.97
19.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.55 €37.96
$36.56 €32.61
16.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.29 €2.05
$2.12 €1.89
8.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.6K €29.1K
$33.6K €30.0K
-3.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K €34.4K
$38.9K €34.7K
-0.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Frankfurt
Bensheim
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$381 €339
$358 €319
6.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.51 €19.18
$26.78 €23.89
-19.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$46.50 €41.48
$49.57 €44.22
-6.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Frankfurt
Bensheim
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.2 €57.3
$39.58 €35.31
62.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.64 €26.44
$26.74 €23.85
10.85%
Cinema Ticket
$16.75 €14.94
$14.14 €12.62
18.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Frankfurt
Bensheim
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,079 €962
$534 €476
101.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.7K €20.2K
$18.3K €16.3K
24.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Frankfurt
Bensheim
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$83.2 €74.2
$83.3 €74.3
-0.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.29 €29.70
$34.71 €30.96
-4.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.1 €75.9
$98.8 €88.1
-13.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 €96.5
$134 €120
-19.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Frankfurt
Bensheim
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,393 €1,242
$786 €701
77.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,131 €1,009
$653 €582
73.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,672 €2,383
$1,495 €1,334
78.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,933 €1,724
$1,146 €1,022
68.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,757 €6,919
$4,741 €4,229
63.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,393 €3,919
$3,372 €3,008
30.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Frankfurt
Bensheim
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,060 €3,622
$4,507 €4,020
-9.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.64
3.62
0.55%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bensheim: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Frankfurt
$1.1K
Bensheim
$653 42.3% $478
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Frankfurt
$449
Bensheim
$434 3.3% $15
Groceries & Markets
Frankfurt
$330
Bensheim
$342 3.7% $12
Eating Out
Frankfurt
$294
Bensheim
$284 3.4% $9.9
Clothing & Footwear
Frankfurt
$139
Bensheim
$158 13.4% $19
Getting Around
Frankfurt
$104
Bensheim
$98 5.3% $5.5
Sport & Entertainment
Frankfurt
$98
Bensheim
$68 30.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,393 in Frankfurt and $786 in Bensheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bensheim pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88 in Frankfurt vs $80 in Bensheim. Groceries flip the comparison at $330 vs $342, with Frankfurt cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Frankfurt
🇩🇪 Bensheim
🕒 Local time
03:55 3:55 AM
03:55 3:55 AM
Same time as Frankfurt
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
701,350
41,124
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Frankfurt Bensheim 46 km
From you
  • Frankfurt
  • Bensheim

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Frankfurt and in Bensheim?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,543 in Frankfurt and $2,036 in Bensheim, so Bensheim is about 20% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 10% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Frankfurt and in Bensheim?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,393 in Frankfurt versus $786 in Bensheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Frankfurt pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Frankfurt or Bensheim?
All in, you’ll spend $2,543 per month in Frankfurt versus $2,036 in Bensheim – Bensheim is about 20% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $3,000 go in Frankfurt compared to Bensheim?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Bensheim gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Frankfurt and Bensheim?
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.
Is Frankfurt or Bensheim safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Frankfurt and Bensheim are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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