Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Kaufbeuren

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaufbeuren: $1,961 a month against $2,543 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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
93

Cost of Living Index in Kaufbeuren
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Kaufbeuren Living Index

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Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,543

/mo nomad

Kaufbeuren

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,961

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Frankfurt and in Kaufbeuren

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,543 in Frankfurt versus $1,961 in Kaufbeuren.

Frankfurt $2,543
Kaufbeuren $1,961

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,752 in Frankfurt versus $2,964 in Kaufbeuren.

Frankfurt $3,752
Kaufbeuren $2,964

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,960 in Frankfurt versus $3,967 in Kaufbeuren.

Frankfurt $4,960
Kaufbeuren $3,967

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 30% more expensive than in Kaufbeuren, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 88% above, Kaufbeuren 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 €14.71

$16.62 €14.82

-0.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.8 €78.3

$66.9 €59.7

31.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.34 €11.90

$10.95 €9.77

21.83%

Cappuccino

$4.49 €4.01

$3.86 €3.44

16.32%

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

$3.53 €3.15

$2.81 €2.50

25.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.16

$2.41 €2.15

46.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €5.06

$4.44 €3.96

27.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 €4.96

$4.43 €3.95

25.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.31 €1.17

3.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 €1.92

$1.99 €1.78

8.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.97 €2.65

$4.07 €3.63

-27.03%

Eggs

$3.69 €3.30

$4.01 €3.58

-7.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.51 €12.06

$14.27 €12.73

-5.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.71 €10.45

$10.37 €9.25

12.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.10 €19.71

$24.64 €21.98

-10.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 €2.87

$3.16 €2.82

1.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 €1.82

$2.11 €1.89

-2.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$2.10 €1.88

-5.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 €3.41

$4.40 €3.92

-13.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.26 €1.12

41.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.74

$1.27 €1.13

53.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.41

$1.51 €1.35

4.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.89

$1.02 €0.91

-1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.56 €8.53

$9.18 €8.19

4.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.52 €4.92

$6.31 €5.63

-12.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.11 €0.99

3.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.25

$1.65 €1.47

-14.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.17 €3.72

$3.41 €3.04

22.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.2 €61.7

$70.1 €62.5

-1.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 €4.08

$3.88 €3.46

17.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.29 €2.04

15.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.55 €37.96

$28.33 €25.27

50.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €2.05

$2.06 €1.83

11.17%

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

$32.6K €29.1K

$33.1K €29.5K

-1.53%

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

$38.5K €34.4K

$38.4K €34.3K

0.23%

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

$381 €339

$266 €237

43.17%

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

$21.51 €19.18

$33.57 €29.94

-35.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.50 €41.48

$49.37 €44.04

-5.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 €57.3

$38.33 €34.19

67.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.64 €26.44

$26.54 €23.68

11.68%

Cinema Ticket

$16.75 €14.94

$15.97 €14.24

4.88%

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

$1,079 €962

$342 €305

215.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K €20.2K

$9,557 €8,524

137.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.2 €74.2

$91.8 €81.9

-9.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.29 €29.70

$59.6 €53.2

-44.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 €75.9

$79.5 €70.9

7.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €96.5

$173 €155

-37.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 €1,242

$807 €720

72.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 €1,009

$658 €587

71.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,672 €2,383

$1,497 €1,335

78.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,933 €1,724

$1,136 €1,014

70.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,757 €6,919

$4,614 €4,115

68.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,393 €3,919

$3,299 €2,943

33.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,060 €3,622

$2,826 €2,520

43.70%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kaufbeuren: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Frankfurt

$1.1K 44.5%

Kaufbeuren

$658 33.6% 41.8% $473

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Frankfurt

$449 17.6%

Kaufbeuren

$349 17.8% 22.3% $100

Groceries & Markets

Frankfurt

$330 13%

Kaufbeuren

$339 17.3% 2.9% $9.4

Eating Out

Frankfurt

$294 11.5%

Kaufbeuren

$264 13.5% 10.1% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Frankfurt

$139 5.5%

Kaufbeuren

$182 9.3% 30.5% $43

Getting Around

Frankfurt

$104 4.1%

Kaufbeuren

$99 5.1% 4.4% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Frankfurt

$98 3.8%

Kaufbeuren

$70 3.6% 28.1% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,393 in Frankfurt and $807 in Kaufbeuren. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 44% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $88 in Frankfurt vs $67 in Kaufbeuren. Groceries flip the comparison at $330 vs $339, with Frankfurt cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Kaufbeuren

🕒 Local time

05:03 5:03 AM

Same time as Frankfurt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,350

41,759

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Frankfurt Kaufbeuren 290 km

From you

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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 Kaufbeuren: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaufbeuren is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 44% 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: $1,393 in Frankfurt versus $807 in Kaufbeuren. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,079 in Frankfurt versus $342 in Kaufbeuren. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kaufbeuren – a meal for two runs $67 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 Kaufbeuren 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 Kaufbeuren are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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