Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Kassel

For one person, living is cheaper in Kassel: $1,912 a month against $2,510 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Frankfurt, Germany
Kassel, Germany
Frankfurt
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,510
/mo nomad
Kassel
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,912
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Frankfurt and in Kassel

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,510 in Frankfurt versus $1,912 in Kassel.

  • Frankfurt $2,510
  • Kassel $1,912

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,732 in Frankfurt versus $2,822 in Kassel.

  • Frankfurt $3,732
  • Kassel $2,822

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,954 in Frankfurt versus $3,732 in Kassel.

  • Frankfurt $4,954
  • Kassel $3,732

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 31% more expensive than in Kassel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 84% above, Kassel 40% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Frankfurt
Kassel
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.83 €15.03
$14.62 €13.06
15.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.1 €78.7
$55.4 €49.51
58.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.28 €11.86
$12.14 €10.85
9.39%
Cappuccino
$4.54 €4.05
$3.82 €3.41
18.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 €3.28
$3.93 €3.51
-6.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61 €3.23
$2.48 €2.22
45.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.71 €5.10
$5.56 €4.97
2.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.74 €5.12
$4.54 €4.06
26.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Frankfurt
Kassel
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.28 €1.14
2.34%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 €1.97
$2.07 €1.84
6.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.09 €2.76
$3.30 €2.95
-6.36%
Eggs
$3.65 €3.26
$3.55 €3.17
2.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.55 €12.11
$13.44 €12.00
0.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.86 €10.59
$10.85 €9.69
9.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.79 €19.46
$24.96 €22.29
-12.70%
Apples (1kg)
$3.10 €2.77
$3.29 €2.94
-5.78%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$2.15 €1.92
-2.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.94 €1.73
$2.32 €2.07
-16.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.83 €3.42
$4.97 €4.44
-22.94%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 €1.59
$1.52 €1.36
17.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.30 €1.16
43.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.57 €1.40
$1.76 €1.57
-10.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 €0.94
$0.92 €0.83
14.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.49 €8.48
$9.36 €8.36
1.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.01
$6.07 €5.43
-7.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 €1.00
$0.95 €0.84
17.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.45 €1.30
$1.53 €1.36
-5.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Frankfurt
Kassel
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.29 €3.84
$3.71 €3.31
15.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$69.3 €61.9
$69.0 €61.7
0.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.42 €3.95
$4.21 €3.76
4.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.27 €2.03
$2.51 €2.24
-9.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.89 €21.34
$39.65 €35.42
-39.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.22 €1.98
$2.11 €1.89
5.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.1K
$32.5K €29.0K
3.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.2K €35.0K
$37.9K €33.9K
3.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Frankfurt
Kassel
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$385 €344
$402 €359
-4.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.76 €17.65
$41.28 €36.87
-52.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$46.58 €41.61
$51.5 €46.01
-9.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Frankfurt
Kassel
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.4 €56.6
$35.64 €31.83
77.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.55 €26.39
$11.15 €9.96
165.02%
Cinema Ticket
$16.84 €15.04
$13.36 €11.93
26.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Frankfurt
Kassel
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,097 €980
$364 €325
201.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.6K €20.2K
$16.1K €14.3K
40.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Frankfurt
Kassel
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 €77.1
$92.4 €82.6
-6.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.24 €29.69
$44.16 €39.44
-24.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.5 €73.6
$86.2 €77.0
-4.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 €96.2
$111 €99.4
-3.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Frankfurt
Kassel
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,418 €1,267
$649 €579
118.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,092 €975
$503 €450
116.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,713 €2,423
$1,083 €968
150.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,920 €1,715
$915 €817
109.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,738 €6,912
$4,725 €4,220
63.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,482 €4,004
$2,801 €2,502
60.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Frankfurt
Kassel
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,024 €3,594
$2,574 €2,299
56.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.64
3.95
-7.85%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kassel: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Frankfurt
$1.1K
Kassel
$503 53.9% $589
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Frankfurt
$451
Kassel
$495 9.6% $44
Groceries & Markets
Frankfurt
$330
Kassel
$339 2.7% $9.1
Eating Out
Frankfurt
$298
Kassel
$262 12.2% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Frankfurt
$139
Kassel
$150 7.9% $11
Getting Around
Frankfurt
$102
Kassel
$101 1.6% $1.7
Sport & Entertainment
Frankfurt
$97
Kassel
$62 35.7% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,418 in Frankfurt and $649 in Kassel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 56% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $88 in Frankfurt vs $55 in Kassel. Groceries flip the comparison at $330 vs $339, with Frankfurt cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Frankfurt
🇩🇪 Kassel
🕒 Local time
05:08 5:08 AM
05:08 5:08 AM
Same time as Frankfurt
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
701,350
204,021
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Frankfurt Kassel 150 km
From you
  • Frankfurt
  • Kassel

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 Kassel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kassel cheaper than Frankfurt?
Kassel is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Frankfurt or Kassel?
Average pay runs 56% 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 Kassel?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,418 in Frankfurt versus $649 in Kassel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,097 in Frankfurt versus $364 in Kassel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Frankfurt or in Kassel?
Dining out is cheaper in Kassel – a meal for two runs $55 versus $88 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is it better to live in Frankfurt or in Kassel?
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.
Which city is safer, Frankfurt or Kassel?
Safety-wise, Frankfurt and Kassel are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Kassel wins on affordability, Frankfurt on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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