Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Bottrop Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Bottrop

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,727 per month in Frankfurt vs $1,820 in Bottrop, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,977 per month in Frankfurt vs $2,788 in Bottrop, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,226 per month in Frankfurt vs $3,757 in Bottrop, rent included.

Frankfurt costs about 50% more than Bottrop, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Frankfurt and Bottrop sit above the global median – Frankfurt by 104%, Bottrop by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 €17.09

$18.27 €15.64

9.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.1 €79.7

$78.1 €66.8

19.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.05

$12.46 €10.67

13.00%

Cappuccino

$4.61 €3.95

$4.03 €3.45

14.39%

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

$3.74 €3.20

$2.95 €2.53

26.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 €2.87

$2.42 €2.08

38.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.02

$4.56 €3.90

28.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 €4.48

$4.56 €3.90

14.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.31 €1.12

16.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 €1.91

$2.21 €1.89

0.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 €2.82

$3.12 €2.67

5.45%

Eggs

$3.97 €3.40

$3.62 €3.10

9.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.15 €12.96

$14.60 €12.50

3.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.76 €11.78

$14.53 €12.44

-5.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.92 €18.76

$19.40 €16.61

12.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 €3.03

$3.23 €2.76

9.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.81 €1.55

14.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 €1.90

$2.23 €1.91

-0.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 €4.39

$4.92 €4.21

4.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.44

$1.50 €1.29

12.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.50 €1.29

16.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.71

$1.92 €1.65

4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €0.98

$1.16 €0.99

-0.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.12 €8.66

$9.68 €8.29

4.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.89 €5.90

$5.79 €4.96

19.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.90

$1.08 €0.93

-2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.66 €1.42

-9.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.10 €3.51

$3.51 €3.01

16.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 €56.6

$61.4 €52.5

7.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.92 €5.07

$5.02 €4.30

17.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.52 €2.16

7.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.68 €32.26

$41.16 €35.23

-8.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.97 €1.69

4.06%

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

$31.5K €27.0K

$31.3K €26.8K

0.63%

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

$34.8K €29.8K

$37.5K €32.1K

-7.17%

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

$366 €314

$311 €266

17.80%

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

$24.17 €20.69

$33.88 €29.00

-28.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.97 €37.64

$53.2 €45.57

-17.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.4 €55.1

$40.02 €34.26

60.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.61 €25.35

$22.75 €19.47

30.15%

Cinema Ticket

$16.22 €13.88

$14.86 €12.72

9.15%

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

$610 €522

$467 €400

30.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$9,921 €8,492

64.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.1 €78.8

$82.8 €70.9

11.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.48 €32.94

$35.30 €30.22

9.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 €83.9

$104 €89.2

-5.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 €124

$137 €117

5.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 €1,298

$566 €485

167.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 €1,011

$483 €413

144.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,806 €2,402

$1,014 €868

176.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,060 €1,763

$804 €688

156.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,210 €7,027

$2,679 €2,293

206.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,707 €4,029

$1,420 €1,216

231.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,745 €4,061

$2,821 €2,415

68.17%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bottrop: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,516 in Frankfurt versus $566 in Bottrop. 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 68% 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 $93.0 in Frankfurt versus $78.0 in Bottrop. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $347 – making Bottrop 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 Bottrop: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Frankfurt is pricier by about 50%, 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 $4,091 per month in Frankfurt and $2,730 in Bottrop. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 8% less in Bottrop. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $610 per month in Frankfurt and $467 in Bottrop. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Bottrop, where all-in costs run around $1,820, than in Frankfurt at $2,727. In Bottrop it covers expenses comfortably, while in Frankfurt it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bottrop – 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 Bottrop. 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.