Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Bielefeld Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Bielefeld

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,667 per month in Frankfurt vs $1,949 in Bielefeld, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,020 per month in Frankfurt vs $3,002 in Bielefeld, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,373 per month in Frankfurt vs $4,056 in Bielefeld, rent included.

Frankfurt costs about 37% more than Bielefeld, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Frankfurt and Bielefeld sit above the global median – Frankfurt by 99%, Bielefeld by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.30 €16.62

$14.00 €12.06

37.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.3 €79.5

$77.4 €66.7

19.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.94 €12.00

$12.68 €10.92

9.94%

Cappuccino

$4.44 €3.82

$3.87 €3.33

14.73%

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

$3.62 €3.12

$2.91 €2.50

24.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 €2.78

$2.25 €1.94

43.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 €5.12

$5.15 €4.43

15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 €4.36

$5.24 €4.51

-3.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.30 €1.12

22.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.25 €1.93

2.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.42 €2.95

$3.35 €2.88

2.09%

Eggs

$3.97 €3.42

$3.78 €3.25

5.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €12.96

$14.75 €12.70

2.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.77 €11.86

$15.01 €12.92

-8.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.26 €19.17

$19.60 €16.87

13.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 €3.03

$3.09 €2.66

13.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.84

$1.80 €1.55

18.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 €1.94

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 €4.25

$5.41 €4.66

-8.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.55 €1.33

12.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.54 €1.33

8.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.99 €1.71

-2.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.04 €0.90

11.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.72 €8.37

$10.03 €8.64

-3.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.36 €5.48

$5.84 €5.03

8.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.90

$1.07 €0.92

-1.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.71 €1.47

-11.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.74

$3.67 €3.16

18.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 €58.0

$57.2 €49.29

17.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 €4.96

$7.26 €6.25

-20.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 €2.30

$2.12 €1.82

26.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.47 €33.12

$50.3 €43.29

-23.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.68

$1.99 €1.71

-1.51%

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

$31.2K €26.9K

$30.8K €26.6K

1.26%

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

$35.1K €30.3K

$36.3K €31.3K

-3.19%

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

$371 €320

$320 €276

15.84%

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

$24.10 €20.75

$36.79 €31.68

-34.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.74 €36.80

$55.3 €47.62

-22.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.6 €56.5

$40.61 €34.97

61.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.20 €25.14

$22.78 €19.62

28.18%

Cinema Ticket

$15.92 €13.71

$15.14 €13.04

5.15%

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

$604 €520

$687 €591

-12.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$10.3K €8,858

58.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.0 €79.2

$82.8 €71.3

11.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.75 €33.37

$34.63 €29.82

11.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 €83.6

$113 €97.5

-14.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €127

$149 €129

-1.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 €1,304

$587 €506

157.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 €1,032

$614 €529

95.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,750 €2,368

$1,051 €905

161.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$1,179 €1,015

74.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,507 €7,326

$4,822 €4,152

76.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,442 €3,825

$2,359 €2,032

88.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 €3,666

$2,980 €2,566

42.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.99

3.96

0.76%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bielefeld: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,514 in Frankfurt versus $587 in Bielefeld. 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 43% 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 $92.0 in Frankfurt versus $77.0 in Bielefeld. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $353 – making Bielefeld 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 Bielefeld: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Frankfurt is pricier by about 37%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,000 per month in Frankfurt and $2,923 in Bielefeld. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bielefeld, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Frankfurt, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92.0 in Frankfurt and $77.0 in Bielefeld. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Bielefeld, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Frankfurt at $2,667. In Bielefeld it covers expenses comfortably, while in Frankfurt it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bielefeld – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Bielefeld. 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.