Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Hildesheim

For one person, living is cheaper in Hildesheim: $2,350 a month against $2,536 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Frankfurt
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,536
/mo nomad
Hildesheim
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,350
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Frankfurt and in Hildesheim

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,536 in Frankfurt versus $2,350 in Hildesheim.

  • Frankfurt $2,536
  • Hildesheim $2,350

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,763 in Frankfurt versus $3,558 in Hildesheim.

  • Frankfurt $3,763
  • Hildesheim $3,558

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,990 in Frankfurt versus $4,765 in Hildesheim.

  • Frankfurt $4,990
  • Hildesheim $4,765

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 8% more expensive than in Hildesheim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 87% above, Hildesheim 73% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Frankfurt
Hildesheim
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.72 €14.87
$16.60 €14.76
0.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.2 €78.5
$72.9 €64.9
20.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.43 €11.95
$11.08 €9.86
21.21%
Cappuccino
$4.45 €3.96
$3.92 €3.49
13.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.86 €3.43
$1.85 €1.64
108.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.70 €3.29
$2.62 €2.33
41.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.64 €5.02
$5.11 €4.55
10.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 €5.11
$4.44 €3.95
29.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Frankfurt
Hildesheim
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.42 €1.27
$1.42 €1.26
-
White Bread (500g)
$2.24 €1.99
$2.10 €1.87
6.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.99 €2.66
$3.28 €2.92
-8.84%
Eggs
$3.63 €3.23
$3.97 €3.53
-8.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.58 €12.08
$14.40 €12.81
-5.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.64 €10.35
$13.11 €11.66
-11.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.44 €19.96
$18.86 €16.77
18.98%
Apples (1kg)
$3.16 €2.81
$3.38 €3.01
-6.51%
Banana (1kg)
$2.13 €1.89
$1.75 €1.56
21.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 €1.77
$2.29 €2.04
-13.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.84 €3.42
$4.05 €3.60
-5.19%
Potato (1kg)
$1.74 €1.54
$1.45 €1.29
20.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.87 €1.66
$1.42 €1.26
31.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.57 €1.40
$1.88 €1.67
-16.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 €0.89
$1.25 €1.11
-20.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.00 €8.90
$9.25 €8.23
8.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.56 €4.95
$5.74 €5.11
-3.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 €1.03
$0.93 €0.83
24.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 €1.24
$1.62 €1.44
-13.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Frankfurt
Hildesheim
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.20 €3.73
$3.41 €3.04
23.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.2 €63.3
$68.2 €60.7
4.33%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.44 €3.95
$6.90 €6.14
-35.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.27 €2.02
$3.72 €3.31
-38.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.30 €20.73
$52.0 €46.26
-55.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.30 €2.04
$2.02 €1.80
13.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.6K €29.9K
$30.0K €26.7K
12.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.2K €34.0K
$37.8K €33.6K
1.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Frankfurt
Hildesheim
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$390 €347
$584 €519
-33.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.63 €17.46
$19.00 €16.90
3.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.45 €42.21
$54.3 €48.31
-12.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Frankfurt
Hildesheim
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.0 €59.6
$64.1 €57.1
4.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.11 €25.89
$33.88 €30.13
-14.08%
Cinema Ticket
$16.96 €15.08
$13.67 €12.16
24.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Frankfurt
Hildesheim
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,096 €975
$677 €602
61.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.0K €20.5K
$7,959 €7,080
189.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Frankfurt
Hildesheim
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.5 €76.1
$83.0 €73.9
3.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.20 €29.53
$51.6 €45.88
-35.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.5 €75.1
$104 €92.4
-18.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 €94.9
$86.8 €77.2
22.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Frankfurt
Hildesheim
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,316 €1,171
$871 €775
51.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,105 €983
$747 €665
47.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,677 €2,381
$1,833 €1,630
46.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,935 €1,721
$1,632 €1,452
18.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,920 €7,045
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,273 €3,801
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Frankfurt
Hildesheim
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,027 €3,582
$2,121 €1,887
89.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.61
3.95
-8.61%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hildesheim: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Frankfurt
$1.1K
Hildesheim
$747 32.4% $358
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Frankfurt
$457
Hildesheim
$657 43.7% $200
Groceries & Markets
Frankfurt
$332
Hildesheim
$335 1.1% $3.5
Eating Out
Frankfurt
$297
Hildesheim
$265 10.8% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Frankfurt
$139
Hildesheim
$146 5% $6.9
Getting Around
Frankfurt
$104
Hildesheim
$107 3.5% $3.6
Sport & Entertainment
Frankfurt
$101
Hildesheim
$91 9.3% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,316 in Frankfurt and $871 in Hildesheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 90% 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 $73.0 in Hildesheim. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $335, with Frankfurt cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Frankfurt
🇩🇪 Hildesheim
🕒 Local time
13:38 1:38 PM
13:38 1:38 PM
Same time as Frankfurt
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
701,350
101,744
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Frankfurt Hildesheim 240 km
From you
  • Frankfurt
  • Hildesheim

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 Hildesheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hildesheim cheaper than Frankfurt?
Hildesheim is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and leisure. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Frankfurt or Hildesheim?
Average pay runs 90% higher in Frankfurt, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Frankfurt and Hildesheim?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,316 in Frankfurt versus $871 in Hildesheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Frankfurt or in Hildesheim?
Dining out is cheaper in Hildesheim – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $88.0 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Frankfurt and in Hildesheim?
All in, you'll spend $2,536 per month in Frankfurt versus $2,350 in Hildesheim – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Frankfurt or in Hildesheim?
At $2,350 in Hildesheim versus $2,536 in Frankfurt, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hildesheim but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Hildesheim the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Frankfurt or Hildesheim more family-friendly?
For families, Hildesheim 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.
Which city is safer, Frankfurt or Hildesheim?
Safety-wise, Frankfurt and Hildesheim are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Hildesheim gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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