Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Giessen

For one person, living is cheaper in Giessen: $2,262 a month against $2,510 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Frankfurt
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Frankfurt Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Giessen
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Giessen Living Index

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Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,510

/mo nomad

Giessen

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,262

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Frankfurt and in Giessen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,510 in Frankfurt versus $2,262 in Giessen.

Frankfurt $2,510
Giessen $2,262

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,732 in Frankfurt versus $3,161 in Giessen.

Frankfurt $3,732
Giessen $3,161

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,954 in Frankfurt versus $4,059 in Giessen.

Frankfurt $4,954
Giessen $4,059

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 84% above, Giessen 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €15.12

$21.48 €19.30

-21.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.1 €79.1

$67.8 €60.9

29.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.93

Cappuccino

$4.54 €4.08

$4.01 €3.60

13.22%

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

$3.68 €3.30

$2.34 €2.10

57.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 €3.25

$1.97 €1.77

83.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.71 €5.13

$4.63 €4.16

23.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 €5.15

$5.53 €4.96

3.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.32 €1.18

-0.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 €1.98

$2.15 €1.93

2.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 €2.78

$3.76 €3.37

-17.82%

Eggs

$3.65 €3.28

$3.59 €3.23

1.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 €12.17

$14.39 €12.92

-5.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 €10.65

$10.96 €9.84

8.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.79 €19.57

$19.00 €17.07

14.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 €2.79

$3.02 €2.71

2.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$1.77 €1.59

18.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.74

$2.11 €1.89

-8.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 €3.44

$3.91 €3.51

-2.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.20 €1.08

48.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$1.12 €1.01

66.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.41

$1.54 €1.38

1.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.94

$1.29 €1.16

-18.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.49 €8.52

$9.91 €8.90

-4.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$5.68 €5.11

-1.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €1.01

$0.99 €0.89

13.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.31

$1.51 €1.36

-3.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.29 €3.86

$3.81 €3.43

12.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 €62.3

$68.9 €61.9

0.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 €3.97

$5.60 €5.03

-21.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 €2.04

$2.18 €1.96

4.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.89 €21.46

$38.52 €34.60

-37.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.99

$1.91 €1.72

16.23%

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

$33.7K €30.2K

$29.9K €26.9K

12.46%

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

$39.2K €35.2K

$38.6K €34.7K

1.39%

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

$385 €346

$348 €312

10.70%

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

$19.76 €17.75

$32.76 €29.43

-39.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.58 €41.85

$52.1 €46.83

-10.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.4 €56.9

$37.83 €33.99

67.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.55 €26.54

Cinema Ticket

$16.84 €15.12

$10.47 €9.41

60.84%

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

$1,097 €985

$1,088 €977

0.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K €20.3K

$44.9K €40.4K

-49.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 €77.5

$43.88 €39.42

96.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.24 €29.86

$22.21 €19.95

49.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 €74.1

$112 €101

-26.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €96.8

$152 €137

-29.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,418 €1,274

$713 €641

98.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 €981

$891 €800

22.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,713 €2,437

$1,438 €1,292

88.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,920 €1,725

$1,209 €1,086

58.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,738 €6,951

$5,559 €4,994

39.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,482 €4,026

$2,829 €2,541

58.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,024 €3,615

$2,667 €2,396

50.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

3.96

-8.08%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: October 26, 2026

Last update for Giessen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Frankfurt

$1.1K 43.5%

Giessen

$891 39.4% 18.4% $201

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Frankfurt

$451 18%

Giessen

$433 19.1% 4.1% $19

Groceries & Markets

Frankfurt

$330 13.2%

Giessen

$320 14.1% 3.1% $10

Eating Out

Frankfurt

$298 11.9%

Giessen

$311 13.8% 4.4% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Frankfurt

$139 5.6%

Giessen

$149 6.6% 6.7% $9.3

Getting Around

Frankfurt

$102 4.1%

Giessen

$101 4.5% 1.6% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Frankfurt

$97 3.9%

Giessen

$59 2.6% 39.4% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,418 in Frankfurt and $713 in Giessen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 51% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $88 in Frankfurt vs $68 in Giessen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $320 per month, with Giessen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Giessen

🕒 Local time

21:35 9:35 PM

Same time as Frankfurt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,350

89,179

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Giessen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Giessen is about 10% cheaper overall, especially in leisure and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 51% 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: $1,418 in Frankfurt versus $713 in Giessen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,097 in Frankfurt versus $1,088 in Giessen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Giessen – a meal for two runs $68 versus $88 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Giessen gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Frankfurt and Giessen are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Giessen wins on affordability, Frankfurt on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.