Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Kempten

For one person, living is cheaper in Kempten: $1,977 a month against $2,543 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Frankfurt
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Frankfurt Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Kempten
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Kempten Living Index

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Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,543

/mo nomad

Kempten

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,977

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Frankfurt and in Kempten

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,543 in Frankfurt versus $1,977 in Kempten.

Frankfurt $2,543
Kempten $1,977

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,752 in Frankfurt versus $2,950 in Kempten.

Frankfurt $3,752
Kempten $2,950

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,960 in Frankfurt versus $3,924 in Kempten.

Frankfurt $4,960
Kempten $3,924

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 29% more expensive than in Kempten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 88% above, Kempten 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 €14.74

$17.69 €15.82

-6.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.8 €78.5

$56.0 €50.1

56.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.34 €11.93

$9.73 €8.70

37.10%

Cappuccino

$4.49 €4.02

$4.06 €3.63

10.59%

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

$3.53 €3.16

$2.79 €2.49

26.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.17

$2.36 €2.11

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €5.07

$4.87 €4.35

16.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 €4.97

$3.43 €3.06

62.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.28 €1.15

5.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 €1.92

$2.29 €2.04

-6.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.97 €2.65

$3.11 €2.78

-4.50%

Eggs

$3.69 €3.30

$4.37 €3.91

-15.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.51 €12.08

$16.66 €14.90

-18.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.71 €10.47

$12.67 €11.33

-7.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.10 €19.76

$16.81 €15.03

31.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 €2.88

$2.45 €2.19

31.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 €1.83

$1.42 €1.27

44.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.77

$1.58 €1.41

25.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 €3.42

$4.10 €3.66

-6.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.68 €1.51

5.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.74

$1.61 €1.44

21.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.41

$1.47 €1.32

7.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.89

$0.54 €0.48

85.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.56 €8.55

$9.05 €8.09

5.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.52 €4.94

$5.51 €4.93

0.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.09 €0.97

5.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.09 €0.97

29.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.17 €3.73

$3.15 €2.81

32.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.2 €61.8

$60.6 €54.2

14.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 €4.09

$4.76 €4.25

-3.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 €2.36

$2.87 €2.56

-8.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.55 €38.05

$39.80 €35.59

6.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €2.05

$2.10 €1.88

9.05%

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

$32.6K €29.1K

$33.5K €30.0K

-2.74%

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

$38.5K €34.4K

$33.0K €29.5K

16.73%

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

$381 €340

$312 €279

21.81%

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

$21.51 €19.23

$17.72 €15.85

21.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.50 €41.58

$43.47 €38.87

6.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 €57.4

$56.1 €50.2

14.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.64 €26.50

$26.35 €23.56

12.49%

Cinema Ticket

$16.75 €14.97

$13.08 €11.70

28.06%

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

$1,079 €964

$318 €284

239.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K €20.3K

$22.2K €19.8K

2.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.2 €74.4

$80.4 €71.9

3.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.29 €29.77

$43.26 €38.68

-23.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 €76.1

$96.0 €85.9

-11.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €96.7

$139 €124

-22.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 €1,245

$894 €799

55.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 €1,011

$680 €608

66.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,672 €2,389

$1,544 €1,380

73.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,933 €1,729

$1,213 €1,084

59.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,757 €6,936

$6,054 €5,413

28.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,393 €3,928

$4,882 €4,366

-10.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,060 €3,631

$3,872 €3,463

4.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

2.6

40.00%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kempten: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Frankfurt

$1.1K 44.5%

Kempten

$680 34.4% 39.9% $451

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Frankfurt

$449 17.6%

Kempten

$374 18.9% 16.7% $75

Groceries & Markets

Frankfurt

$330 13%

Kempten

$316 16% 4.1% $13

Eating Out

Frankfurt

$294 11.5%

Kempten

$271 13.7% 7.6% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Frankfurt

$139 5.5%

Kempten

$161 8.2% 15.8% $22

Getting Around

Frankfurt

$104 4.1%

Kempten

$92 4.7% 10.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Frankfurt

$98 3.8%

Kempten

$82 4.2% 15.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,393 in Frankfurt and $894 in Kempten. 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 in Frankfurt vs $56 in Kempten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $316 per month, with Kempten cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Kempten

🕒 Local time

23:06 11:06 PM

Same time as Frankfurt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,350

61,399

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Frankfurt Kempten 290 km

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Frankfurt
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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 Kempten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kempten is about 22% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and groceries. That difference 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: $1,393 in Frankfurt versus $894 in Kempten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kempten – a meal for two runs $56 versus $88 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,543 per month in Frankfurt versus $1,977 in Kempten – Kempten is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Kempten 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 Kempten are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Kempten gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.