Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Cottbus

For one person, living is cheaper in Cottbus: $1,511 a month against $2,536 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 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
73

Cost of Living Index in Cottbus
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Cottbus Living Index

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Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,536

/mo nomad

Cottbus

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Frankfurt and in Cottbus

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

A single person spends $2,536 per month in Frankfurt vs $1,511 in Cottbus, rent included.

Frankfurt $2,536
Cottbus $1,511

A couple spends around $3,763 per month in Frankfurt vs $2,371 in Cottbus, rent included.

Frankfurt $3,763
Cottbus $2,371

A family of three spends $4,990 per month in Frankfurt vs $3,230 in Cottbus, rent included.

Frankfurt $4,990
Cottbus $3,230

Frankfurt costs about 68% more than Cottbus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Frankfurt and Cottbus sit above the global median – Frankfurt by 87%, Cottbus by 12%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.72 €14.87

$17.06 €15.18

-1.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.2 €78.5

$79.5 €70.7

11.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.43 €11.95

$11.13 €9.90

20.66%

Cappuccino

$4.45 €3.96

$2.54 €2.26

75.20%

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

$3.86 €3.43

$2.57 €2.29

50.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 €3.29

$3.07 €2.73

20.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.02

$2.87 €2.55

96.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €5.11

$3.45 €3.07

66.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.30 €1.16

9.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 €1.99

$2.05 €1.82

9.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$1.32 €1.18

126.52%

Eggs

$3.63 €3.23

$3.34 €2.97

8.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.58 €12.08

$13.04 €11.60

4.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 €10.35

$11.02 €9.81

5.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.44 €19.96

$19.21 €17.09

16.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.81

$3.09 €2.75

2.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.96 €1.74

8.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.77

$2.07 €1.84

-3.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 €3.42

$3.62 €3.22

6.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 €1.54

$1.30 €1.16

33.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.25 €1.11

49.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.51 €1.34

3.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.00 €8.90

$9.42 €8.38

6.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.56 €4.95

$5.54 €4.93

0.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.12 €0.99

3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.24

$1.48 €1.31

-5.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 €3.73

$3.05 €2.71

37.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.2 €63.3

$50.5 €44.94

40.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 €3.95

$4.03 €3.58

10.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 €2.02

$1.87 €1.66

21.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.30 €20.73

$26.42 €23.50

-11.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €2.04

$1.94 €1.72

18.56%

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

$33.6K €29.9K

$33.7K €30.0K

-0.27%

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

$38.2K €34.0K

$37.3K €33.2K

2.50%

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

$390 €347

$174 €155

123.62%

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

$19.63 €17.46

$15.62 €13.89

25.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.45 €42.21

$44.67 €39.74

6.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.0 €59.6

$39.79 €35.40

68.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 €25.89

$17.01 €15.13

71.13%

Cinema Ticket

$16.96 €15.08

$13.35 €11.88

27.04%

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

$1,096 €975

$277 €246

295.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K €20.5K

$12.6K €11.2K

82.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €76.1

$56.5 €50.3

51.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.20 €29.53

$28.05 €24.95

18.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 €75.1

$72.9 €64.8

15.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €94.9

$72.4 €64.4

47.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 €1,171

$599 €533

119.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 €983

$484 €431

128.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,677 €2,381

$1,143 €1,016

134.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 €1,721

$831 €739

132.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,920 €7,045

$2,616 €2,327

202.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,801

$2,022 €1,798

111.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,027 €3,582

$1,652 €1,470

143.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

3.2

12.81%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cottbus: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Frankfurt

$1.1K 43.6%

Cottbus

$484 32.1% 56.2% $621

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Frankfurt

$457 18%

Cottbus

$235 15.5% 48.7% $222

Groceries & Markets

Frankfurt

$332 13.1%

Cottbus

$302 20% 9.1% $30

Eating Out

Frankfurt

$297 11.7%

Cottbus

$244 16.2% 17.9% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Frankfurt

$139 5.5%

Cottbus

$103 6.8% 25.8% $36

Getting Around

Frankfurt

$104 4.1%

Cottbus

$76 5% 26.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Frankfurt

$101 4%

Cottbus

$67 4.4% 34.1% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,316 in Frankfurt versus $599 in Cottbus. 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 144% 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 Cottbus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $302 – making Cottbus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Cottbus

🕒 Local time

13:38 1:38 PM

Same time as Frankfurt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,350

101,036

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Cottbus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Frankfurt is pricier by about 68%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,804 per month in Frankfurt and $2,266 in Cottbus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 10% 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 $79.0 in Cottbus. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cottbus, where all-in costs run around $1,511, than in Frankfurt at $2,536. In Cottbus it covers expenses comfortably, while in Frankfurt it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cottbus – 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 Cottbus. 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.