Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Dortmund Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Dortmund

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,724 in Frankfurt versus $2,123 in Dortmund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,953 in Frankfurt versus $3,319 in Dortmund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,182 in Frankfurt versus $4,514 in Dortmund.

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 28% more expensive than in Dortmund, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 104% above, Dortmund 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.56 €17.11

$17.30 €15.14

13.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.7 €81.1

$63.2 €55.3

46.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.30

$12.62 €11.04

11.41%

Cappuccino

$4.52 €3.96

$3.64 €3.19

24.18%

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

$3.65 €3.19

$2.82 €2.47

29.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €2.97

$2.73 €2.39

24.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 €5.17

$5.88 €5.14

0.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 €4.59

$4.12 €3.61

27.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.17 €1.02

29.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.33 €2.03

-5.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 €2.90

$3.38 €2.95

-1.78%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.60

$3.75 €3.28

9.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.83 €12.97

$14.66 €12.82

1.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 €12.20

$14.20 €12.43

-1.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.95 €19.20

$18.78 €16.43

16.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 €3.08

$3.25 €2.85

8.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.89

$1.87 €1.64

15.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.04

$2.38 €2.08

-2.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 €4.41

$5.16 €4.51

-2.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.82 €1.59

-7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.88 €1.65

-9.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.96 €1.72

3.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.02

$1.11 €0.97

4.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 €8.66

$9.63 €8.42

2.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.41 €5.60

$6.93 €6.06

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.91

$1.09 €0.95

-4.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.69 €1.48

-11.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.33 €3.79

$3.91 €3.42

10.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.9 €59.4

$61.8 €54.1

9.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 €5.14

$5.78 €5.05

1.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 €2.37

$1.93 €1.69

39.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.66 €32.95

$68.9 €60.3

-45.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.80

$2.04 €1.78

0.49%

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

$31.5K €27.5K

-0.02%

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

$35.6K €31.1K

$37.9K €33.2K

-6.11%

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

$367 €321

$428 €374

-14.29%

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

$24.53 €21.46

$36.79 €32.19

-33.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 €37.35

$55.7 €48.68

-23.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 €56.3

$44.86 €39.25

43.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.59 €25.89

$23.01 €20.13

28.60%

Cinema Ticket

$16.11 €14.10

$17.68 €15.47

-8.88%

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

$604 €528

$426 €373

41.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €14.0K

$28.9K €25.3K

-44.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.3 €80.7

$95.6 €83.6

-3.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.02 €34.14

$45.18 €39.53

-13.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 €87.1

$106 €93.0

-6.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 €126

$180 €157

-19.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 €1,349

$767 €671

101.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 €1,021

$624 €546

87.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,806 €2,455

$1,338 €1,171

109.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,010 €1,758

$1,361 €1,191

47.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,196 €7,171

$3,014 €2,637

171.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,324 €3,783

$2,261 €1,978

91.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,169 €3,648

$3,239 €2,834

28.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.99

3.98

0.25%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: July 11, 2026

Last update for Dortmund: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,542 in Frankfurt and $767 in Dortmund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 29% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $93.0 in Frankfurt vs $63.0 in Dortmund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $351 per month, with Dortmund cheaper across the board.

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 Dortmund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dortmund wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Frankfurt. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dortmund the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 29% higher in Frankfurt, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,542 in Frankfurt versus $767 in Dortmund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dortmund – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $93.0 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,724 per month in Frankfurt versus $2,123 in Dortmund – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,123 in Dortmund versus $2,724 in Frankfurt, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dortmund but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Dortmund the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dortmund delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,123 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dortmund hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Frankfurt and Dortmund are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dortmund gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.