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: $2,659 in Frankfurt versus $2,017 in Bensheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,960 in Frankfurt versus $3,082 in Bensheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,260 in Frankfurt versus $4,147 in Bensheim.

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 32% more expensive than in Bensheim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 100% above, Bensheim 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.56 €16.94

$14.07 €12.19

39.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 €79.8

$84.8 €73.4

8.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.72 €11.88

$12.03 €10.42

14.05%

Cappuccino

$4.40 €3.81

$3.91 €3.39

12.53%

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

$3.79 €3.28

$3.08 €2.66

23.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 €2.80

$2.82 €2.44

14.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 €4.95

$5.29 €4.58

8.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 €4.44

$4.54 €3.93

12.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.32

$1.23 €1.06

23.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.35 €2.04

-1.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 €2.95

$3.28 €2.84

3.96%

Eggs

$3.94 €3.41

$3.83 €3.32

2.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.00 €12.99

$14.90 €12.91

0.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.75 €11.90

$13.66 €11.83

0.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.15 €19.18

$19.82 €17.16

11.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 €2.94

$3.20 €2.77

6.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.88

$1.81 €1.57

19.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.24 €1.94

4.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 €4.37

$5.19 €4.49

-2.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.47 €1.27

17.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.51 €1.31

8.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.68

$1.89 €1.64

2.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.12 €0.97

3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 €8.64

$9.26 €8.02

7.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.39 €5.54

$5.82 €5.04

9.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.91

$1.00 €0.86

5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.63 €1.41

-7.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.11 €3.56

$3.48 €3.01

18.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 €58.0

$60.9 €52.7

10.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 €4.98

$5.83 €5.05

-1.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.69 €2.33

$2.26 €1.95

19.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.63 €33.45

$34.12 €29.54

13.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.98 €1.71

4.55%

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

$31.3K €27.1K

$31.6K €27.4K

-1.12%

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

$35.2K €30.5K

$37.9K €32.8K

-7.04%

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

$378 €328

$343 €297

10.24%

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

$25.02 €21.67

$25.34 €21.94

-1.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.02 €37.25

$51.1 €44.25

-15.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.5 €57.6

$39.30 €34.04

69.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.34 €25.41

$23.18 €20.07

26.57%

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 €13.89

$14.69 €12.72

9.19%

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

$619 €536

$530 €459

16.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,428 €5,567

148.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 €79.5

$75.0 €65.0

22.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.05 €33.82

$36.48 €31.59

7.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 €85.9

$104 €89.9

-4.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €124

$124 €108

15.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,343

$839 €726

84.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,202 €1,041

$669 €579

79.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 €2,442

$1,547 €1,339

82.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,014 €1,744

$1,248 €1,081

61.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,255 €7,149

$4,853 €4,203

70.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,311 €3,733

$3,718 €3,219

15.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,094 €3,546

$4,491 €3,889

-8.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.99

3.47

14.99%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: July 26, 2026

Last update for Bensheim: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Frankfurt and $839 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: $92.0 in Frankfurt vs $85.0 in Bensheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $347 per month, with Bensheim 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 Bensheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Frankfurt and Bensheim differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($2,659 vs $2,017 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: $1,551 in Frankfurt versus $839 in Bensheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $619 in Frankfurt versus $530 in Bensheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Frankfurt. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,017 in Bensheim versus $2,659 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 32% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.