Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Dusseldorf

For one person, living is cheaper in Dusseldorf: $2,285 a month against $2,539 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Frankfurt outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

122

Cost of Living Index in Frankfurt
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Frankfurt Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Dusseldorf
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Dusseldorf Living Index

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Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,539

/mo nomad

Dusseldorf

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Frankfurt and in Dusseldorf

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,539 in Frankfurt versus $2,285 in Dusseldorf.

Frankfurt $2,539
Dusseldorf $2,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,762 in Frankfurt versus $3,476 in Dusseldorf.

Frankfurt $3,762
Dusseldorf $3,476

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,984 in Frankfurt versus $4,668 in Dusseldorf.

Frankfurt $4,984
Dusseldorf $4,668

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 11% more expensive than in Dusseldorf, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 88% above, Dusseldorf 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.72 €14.87

$16.41 €14.60

1.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.4 €78.7

$70.4 €62.6

25.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.36 €11.88

$13.53 €12.03

-1.26%

Cappuccino

$4.54 €4.04

$4.23 €3.76

7.33%

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

$3.69 €3.28

$3.09 €2.75

19.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 €3.21

$2.91 €2.59

23.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 €4.94

$5.12 €4.55

8.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €5.09

$4.40 €3.91

30.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.32 €1.17

1.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.96

$2.39 €2.13

-7.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$2.99 €2.66

-0.33%

Eggs

$3.85 €3.42

$4.33 €3.85

-11.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 €12.14

$15.10 €13.43

-9.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.78 €10.48

$13.05 €11.61

-9.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.85 €19.43

$22.49 €20.00

-2.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 €2.74

$3.18 €2.83

-3.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.17 €1.93

-3.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$2.14 €1.90

-10.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 €3.47

$4.23 €3.76

-7.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.20 €1.07

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 €1.71

$1.21 €1.07

59.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.39

$1.64 €1.46

-4.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.88

$1.25 €1.11

-20.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.54 €8.48

$9.42 €8.38

1.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.47 €4.87

$6.65 €5.91

-17.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.11 €0.99

4.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.25

$1.70 €1.52

-17.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.15 €3.69

$4.01 €3.57

3.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.2 €61.6

$69.6 €61.9

-0.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 €3.99

$5.46 €4.86

-17.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 €1.94

$3.04 €2.71

-28.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.71 €21.09

$47.97 €42.67

-50.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.28 €2.02

0.88%

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

$32.7K €29.1K

$32.6K €29.0K

0.42%

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

$38.2K €33.9K

$38.3K €34.0K

-0.26%

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

$394 €351

$339 €302

16.19%

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

$19.53 €17.38

$19.47 €17.32

0.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.62 €42.36

$41.64 €37.04

14.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.9 €60.4

$43.15 €38.38

57.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.82 €25.64

$35.20 €31.31

-18.13%

Cinema Ticket

$16.62 €14.78

$15.91 €14.15

4.46%

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

$1,068 €950

$1,070 €952

-0.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K €20.4K

$19.7K €17.5K

16.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.8 €75.4

$102 €91.0

-17.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.61 €29.90

$41.11 €36.57

-18.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 €74.5

$112 €100

-25.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €93.0

$167 €149

-37.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 €1,196

$1,077 €958

24.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 €988

$878 €781

26.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,720 €2,420

$2,358 €2,097

15.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,936 €1,722

$1,669 €1,485

16.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,856 €6,988

$8,943 €7,955

-12.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,296 €3,822

$4,892 €4,351

-12.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,979 €3,539

$3,778 €3,360

5.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

3.91

-7.67%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dusseldorf: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Frankfurt

$1.1K 43.7%

Dusseldorf

$878 38.4% 20.9% $232

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Frankfurt

$461 18.2%

Dusseldorf

$400 17.5% 13.2% $61

Groceries & Markets

Frankfurt

$330 13%

Dusseldorf

$353 15.5% 6.9% $23

Eating Out

Frankfurt

$297 11.7%

Dusseldorf

$281 12.3% 5.3% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Frankfurt

$138 5.4%

Dusseldorf

$191 8.3% 38.1% $53

Getting Around

Frankfurt

$101 4%

Dusseldorf

$106 4.7% 5.1% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Frankfurt

$101 4%

Dusseldorf

$75 3.3% 25.9% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,345 in Frankfurt and $1,077 in Dusseldorf. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 5% 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: $88.0 in Frankfurt vs $70.0 in Dusseldorf. Groceries flip the comparison at $330 vs $353, with Frankfurt cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Dusseldorf

🕒 Local time

16:46 4:46 PM

Same time as Frankfurt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,350

618,128

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Dusseldorf: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dusseldorf is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and utilities. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 5% 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: $1,345 in Frankfurt versus $1,077 in Dusseldorf. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dusseldorf – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $88.0 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,539 per month in Frankfurt versus $2,285 in Dusseldorf – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,285 in Dusseldorf versus $2,539 in Frankfurt, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Dusseldorf but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Dusseldorf the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dusseldorf is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Frankfurt, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Frankfurt and Dusseldorf 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 Dusseldorf gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.