Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Cologne Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Cologne

😐 Solo nomad: Frankfurt is 5.1% more expensive than Cologne without rent, and 13% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Frankfurt is 7.2% more expensive than Cologne without rent, and 16.3% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Frankfurt
Cologne
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.95 €16.91
$15.88 €13.46
25.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$93.2 €79.0
$79.7 €67.6
16.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.73 €11.64
$11.35 €9.63
20.97%
Cappuccino
$4.55 €3.86
$4.28 €3.63
6.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.59 €3.05
$3.17 €2.69
13.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 €2.80
$3.09 €2.62
6.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.69 €4.82
$5.11 €4.33
11.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.35 €4.54
$4.55 €3.86
17.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Frankfurt
Cologne
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 €1.29
$1.31 €1.11
16.03%
White Bread (500g)
$2.26 €1.92
$2.30 €1.95
-1.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.38 €2.87
$3.67 €3.11
-7.90%
Eggs
$4.03 €3.42
$4.33 €3.67
-6.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.08 €12.79
$15.06 €12.77
0.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.57 €11.51
$16.33 €13.85
-16.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.55 €18.27
$21.08 €17.88
2.23%
Apples (1kg)
$3.36 €2.85
$3.21 €2.72
4.67%
Banana (1kg)
$2.14 €1.81
$1.90 €1.62
12.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.34 €1.98
$2.23 €1.89
4.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.87 €4.13
$4.71 €3.99
3.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.68 €1.42
$1.53 €1.29
9.80%
Onion (1kg)
$1.73 €1.47
$1.67 €1.41
3.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.93 €1.64
$1.87 €1.59
3.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 €0.94
$1.13 €0.96
-1.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.66 €8.19
$9.64 €8.17
0.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.25 €6.15
$5.79 €4.91
25.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.09 €0.92
$1.06 €0.90
2.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 €1.33
$1.68 €1.42
-6.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Frankfurt
Cologne
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.13 €3.50
$3.74 €3.17
10.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.8 €55.8
$61.4 €52.1
7.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.94 €5.04
$5.72 €4.85
3.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.61 €2.22
$2.07 €1.76
26.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$38.26 €32.44
$35.29 €29.92
8.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.99 €1.69
$1.94 €1.65
2.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.8K €27.0K
$31.3K €26.6K
1.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.6K €29.3K
$34.5K €29.3K
0.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Frankfurt
Cologne
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$376 €319
$400 €339
-5.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.54 €20.81
$25.24 €21.40
-2.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.65 €37.02
$51.5 €43.67
-15.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Frankfurt
Cologne
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$66.7 €56.6
$40.93 €34.71
62.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$30.09 €25.52
$32.46 €27.52
-7.30%
Cinema Ticket
$16.39 €13.90
$13.66 €11.59
19.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Frankfurt
Cologne
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$607 €514
$950 €806
-36.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.2K €13.7K
$19.2K €16.3K
-15.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Frankfurt
Cologne
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.8 €77.9
$101 €85.8
-9.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.63 €32.76
$46.23 €39.21
-16.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.4 €83.5
$118 €99.8
-16.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$149 €126
$146 €123
2.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Frankfurt
Cologne
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,555 €1,318
$1,233 €1,046
26.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,205 €1,022
$947 €803
27.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,760 €2,341
$2,106 €1,786
31.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,056 €1,744
$1,524 €1,292
34.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,482 €7,193
$7,520 €6,377
12.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,750 €4,028
$5,024 €4,261
-5.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Frankfurt
Cologne
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,607 €3,907
$3,436 €2,914
34.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.99
3.93
1.53%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: April 12, 2026

Last update for Cologne: April 13, 2026

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

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