Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Bochum

For one person, living is cheaper in Bochum: $1,806 a month against $2,539 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Frankfurt
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Frankfurt Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Bochum
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Bochum Living Index

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Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,539

/mo nomad

Bochum

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Frankfurt and in Bochum

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

A single person spends $2,539 per month in Frankfurt vs $1,806 in Bochum, rent included.

Frankfurt $2,539
Bochum $1,806

A couple spends around $3,762 per month in Frankfurt vs $2,869 in Bochum, rent included.

Frankfurt $3,762
Bochum $2,869

A family of three spends $4,984 per month in Frankfurt vs $3,933 in Bochum, rent included.

Frankfurt $4,984
Bochum $3,933

Frankfurt costs about 41% more than Bochum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Frankfurt and Bochum sit above the global median – Frankfurt by 88%, Bochum by 34%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.72 €14.87

$16.55 €14.72

1.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.4 €78.7

$79.2 €70.4

11.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.36 €11.88

$12.43 €11.05

7.48%

Cappuccino

$4.54 €4.04

$4.16 €3.70

9.13%

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

$3.69 €3.28

$3.17 €2.82

16.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 €3.21

$3.00 €2.67

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 €4.94

$5.73 €5.09

-3.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €5.09

$5.15 €4.58

11.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.21 €1.08

10.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.96

$2.36 €2.10

-6.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$3.65 €3.25

-18.36%

Eggs

$3.85 €3.42

$3.67 €3.26

4.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 €12.14

$14.61 €12.99

-6.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.78 €10.48

$12.42 €11.05

-5.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.85 €19.43

$23.25 €20.68

-6.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 €2.74

$3.31 €2.95

-6.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.02 €1.79

3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$2.13 €1.90

-10.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 €3.47

$4.02 €3.58

-2.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.33 €1.18

35.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 €1.71

$1.22 €1.09

58.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.39

$1.55 €1.38

1.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.88

$1.08 €0.96

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.54 €8.48

$9.67 €8.60

-1.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.47 €4.87

$6.54 €5.82

-16.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.03

$0.91 €0.81

27.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.25

$1.63 €1.45

-14.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.15 €3.69

$3.80 €3.38

9.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.2 €61.6

$65.0 €57.8

6.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 €3.99

$5.55 €4.93

-19.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.72 €2.42

-19.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.71 €21.09

$34.12 €30.35

-30.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.06 €1.83

11.65%

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

$32.7K €29.1K

$32.2K €28.7K

1.51%

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

$38.2K €33.9K

$38.5K €34.3K

-0.96%

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

$394 €351

$324 €289

21.53%

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

$19.53 €17.38

$30.22 €26.88

-35.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.62 €42.36

$36.16 €32.17

31.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.9 €60.4

$30.24 €26.89

124.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.82 €25.64

$26.57 €23.63

8.47%

Cinema Ticket

$16.62 €14.78

$16.45 €14.64

1.03%

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

$1,068 €950

$400 €356

166.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K €20.4K

$21.9K €19.4K

4.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.8 €75.4

$89.1 €79.2

-4.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.61 €29.90

$41.59 €37.00

-19.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 €74.5

$95.7 €85.2

-12.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €93.0

$134 €120

-22.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 €1,196

$805 €716

67.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 €988

$463 €411

140.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,720 €2,420

$1,290 €1,148

110.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,936 €1,722

$1,014 €902

90.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,856 €6,988

$3,951 €3,515

98.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,296 €3,822

$4,240 €3,772

1.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,979 €3,539

$2,674 €2,379

48.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

3.83

-5.74%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bochum: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Frankfurt

$1.1K 43.7%

Bochum

$463 25.6% 58.4% $648

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Frankfurt

$461 18.2%

Bochum

$391 21.6% 15.3% $71

Groceries & Markets

Frankfurt

$330 13%

Bochum

$345 19.1% 4.3% $14

Eating Out

Frankfurt

$297 11.7%

Bochum

$283 15.7% 4.5% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Frankfurt

$138 5.4%

Bochum

$162 9% 17.6% $24

Getting Around

Frankfurt

$101 4%

Bochum

$99 5.5% 1.9% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Frankfurt

$101 4%

Bochum

$63 3.5% 37.6% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,345 in Frankfurt versus $805 in Bochum. 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 49% 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 $79.0 in Bochum. Groceries tell a different story – $330 in Frankfurt vs $345 in Bochum – so Frankfurt wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Bochum

🕒 Local time

18:17 6:17 PM

Same time as Frankfurt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,350

371,075

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Bochum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,539 in Frankfurt, $1,806 in Bochum – roughly 41% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,809 per month in Frankfurt and $2,709 in Bochum. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in Frankfurt and $79.0 in Bochum. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,539 in Frankfurt and $1,806 in Bochum. That's a gap of about 41%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Bochum, where all-in costs run around $1,806, than in Frankfurt at $2,539. In Bochum it covers expenses comfortably, while in Frankfurt it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Frankfurt has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,806 in Bochum to $2,539 in Frankfurt. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Bochum. 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.