Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Bielefeld

For one person, living is cheaper in Bielefeld: $1,928 a month against $2,536 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Frankfurt
Learn more

Frankfurt Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Bielefeld
Learn more

Bielefeld Living Index

Jump to prices

Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,536

/mo nomad

Bielefeld

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,928

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Frankfurt and in Bielefeld

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 Bielefeld actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,536 per month in Frankfurt vs $1,928 in Bielefeld, rent included.

Frankfurt $2,536
Bielefeld $1,928

A couple spends around $3,763 per month in Frankfurt vs $2,941 in Bielefeld, rent included.

Frankfurt $3,763
Bielefeld $2,941

A family of three spends $4,990 per month in Frankfurt vs $3,954 in Bielefeld, rent included.

Frankfurt $4,990
Bielefeld $3,954

Frankfurt costs about 32% more than Bielefeld, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Frankfurt and Bielefeld sit above the global median – Frankfurt by 87%, Bielefeld by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.72 €14.87

$13.68 €12.17

22.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.2 €78.5

$67.8 €60.3

30.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.43 €11.95

$15.40 €13.70

-12.79%

Cappuccino

$4.45 €3.96

$3.91 €3.47

13.81%

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

$3.86 €3.43

$2.93 €2.60

31.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 €3.29

$3.02 €2.68

22.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.02

$5.25 €4.67

7.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €5.11

$4.67 €4.15

23.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.24 €1.10

14.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 €1.99

$2.07 €1.84

8.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$3.70 €3.29

-19.19%

Eggs

$3.63 €3.23

$3.59 €3.20

1.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.58 €12.08

$13.64 €12.13

-0.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 €10.35

$10.65 €9.47

9.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.44 €19.96

$19.64 €17.47

14.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.81

$3.19 €2.84

-0.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$2.12 €1.88

0.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.77

$2.13 €1.89

-6.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 €3.42

$5.16 €4.59

-25.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 €1.54

$1.18 €1.05

47.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.33 €1.18

40.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.66 €1.47

-5.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.89

$1.02 €0.91

-1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.00 €8.90

$9.68 €8.61

3.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.56 €4.95

$5.76 €5.12

-3.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.05 €0.93

10.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.24

$1.59 €1.41

-11.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 €3.73

$3.54 €3.15

18.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.2 €63.3

$63.9 €56.9

11.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 €3.95

$4.56 €4.05

-2.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 €2.02

$3.05 €2.71

-25.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.30 €20.73

$33.42 €29.73

-30.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €2.04

$2.19 €1.95

5.02%

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

$33.6K €29.9K

0.04%

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

$38.2K €34.0K

$39.2K €34.8K

-2.33%

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

$390 €347

$300 €267

30.07%

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

$19.63 €17.46

$29.93 €26.63

-34.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.45 €42.21

$43.89 €39.04

8.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.0 €59.6

$33.95 €30.19

97.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 €25.89

$38.33 €34.10

-24.05%

Cinema Ticket

$16.96 €15.08

$13.75 €12.23

23.35%

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

$1,096 €975

$665 €591

64.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K €20.5K

$30.9K €27.5K

-25.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €76.1

$99.0 €88.1

-13.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.20 €29.53

$39.95 €35.54

-16.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 €75.1

$127 €113

-33.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €94.9

$139 €124

-23.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 €1,171

$689 €613

90.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 €983

$627 €557

76.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,677 €2,381

$1,201 €1,068

122.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 €1,721

$1,162 €1,034

66.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,920 €7,045

$4,696 €4,177

68.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,801

$2,244 €1,996

90.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,027 €3,582

$2,815 €2,504

43.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

3.95

-8.61%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bielefeld: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Frankfurt

$1.1K 43.6%

Bielefeld

$627 32.5% 43.3% $479

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Frankfurt

$457 18%

Bielefeld

$374 19.4% 18.3% $83

Groceries & Markets

Frankfurt

$332 13.1%

Bielefeld

$323 16.8% 2.6% $8.5

Eating Out

Frankfurt

$297 11.7%

Bielefeld

$262 13.6% 11.9% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Frankfurt

$139 5.5%

Bielefeld

$183 9.5% 30.9% $43

Getting Around

Frankfurt

$104 4.1%

Bielefeld

$98 5.1% 5.6% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Frankfurt

$101 4%

Bielefeld

$61 3.2% 39.1% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,316 in Frankfurt versus $689 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 $88.0 in Frankfurt versus $68.0 in Bielefeld. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $323 – making Bielefeld the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Bielefeld

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

Same time as Frankfurt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,350

328,012

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Frankfurt Bielefeld 210 km

From you

Frankfurt
Bielefeld

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 Bielefeld: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Frankfurt is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,804 per month in Frankfurt and $2,891 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 $88.0 in Frankfurt and $68.0 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 $1,928, than in Frankfurt at $2,536. 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.