Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Duisburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Duisburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,724 in Frankfurt versus $2,053 in Duisburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,953 in Frankfurt versus $2,933 in Duisburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,182 in Frankfurt versus $3,813 in Duisburg.

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 33% more expensive than in Duisburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 104% above, Duisburg 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.56 €17.13

$13.24 €11.59

47.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.7 €81.2

$69.7 €61.1

32.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.31

$13.07 €11.45

7.57%

Cappuccino

$4.52 €3.96

$3.99 €3.49

13.28%

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

$3.65 €3.19

$3.82 €3.34

-4.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €2.98

$3.23 €2.83

5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 €5.17

$5.15 €4.51

14.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 €4.60

$5.44 €4.76

-3.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.25 €1.10

20.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.20 €1.93

0.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 €2.91

$3.78 €3.31

-12.17%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.61

$3.56 €3.12

15.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.83 €12.99

$15.07 €13.20

-1.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 €12.21

$14.71 €12.88

-5.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.95 €19.22

$22.88 €20.04

-4.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 €3.08

$3.21 €2.81

9.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.89

$1.93 €1.69

11.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.04

$2.24 €1.97

4.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 €4.41

$4.29 €3.76

17.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.44 €1.26

17.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.47 €1.29

16.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 €1.77

$2.03 €1.78

-0.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.02

$1.10 €0.97

5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 €8.67

$9.91 €8.68

-0.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.41 €5.61

$6.81 €5.96

-5.87%

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

$1.64 €1.43

-9.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.33 €3.79

$5.67 €4.97

-23.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.9 €59.4

$57.7 €50.5

17.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 €5.14

$6.36 €5.57

-7.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 €2.37

$2.09 €1.83

29.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.66 €32.99

$36.50 €31.97

3.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.80

$1.99 €1.74

3.02%

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

$31.5K €27.6K

$31.9K €28.0K

-1.44%

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

$35.6K €31.2K

$38.9K €34.0K

-8.44%

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

$367 €321

$570 €499

-35.67%

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

$24.53 €21.48

$32.96 €28.86

-25.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 €37.39

$49.16 €43.06

-13.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 €56.3

$31.47 €27.56

104.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.59 €25.92

$22.82 €19.99

29.67%

Cinema Ticket

$16.11 €14.11

$15.92 €13.94

1.19%

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

$604 €529

$256 €225

135.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €14.0K

$9,967 €8,729

60.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.3 €80.8

$102 €89.5

-9.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.02 €34.17

$41.99 €36.78

-7.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 €87.2

$109 €95.2

-8.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 €126

$118 €103

22.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 €1,351

$501 €439

207.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 €1,022

$443 €388

163.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,806 €2,457

$894 €783

213.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,010 €1,760

$656 €574

206.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,196 €7,178

$6,947 €6,084

17.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,324 €3,787

$3,414 €2,990

26.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,169 €3,651

$2,947 €2,581

41.46%

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 Duisburg: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,542 in Frankfurt and $501 in Duisburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 41% 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 $70.0 in Duisburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $360 per month, with Duisburg 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 Duisburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Duisburg wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Frankfurt. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Duisburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 41% 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 $501 in Duisburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $604 in Frankfurt versus $256 in Duisburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Frankfurt. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,053 in Duisburg versus $2,724 in Frankfurt, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Duisburg but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Duisburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Duisburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,053 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Duisburg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Frankfurt and Duisburg 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 Duisburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.