Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Kiel Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Kiel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,632 in Frankfurt versus $1,985 in Kiel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,944 in Frankfurt versus $2,961 in Kiel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,256 in Frankfurt versus $3,936 in Kiel.

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 33% more expensive than Kiel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 96% above, Kiel 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.73 €17.00

$17.32 €14.92

13.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.2 €81.2

$77.9 €67.1

21.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.12

$11.71 €10.09

20.07%

Cappuccino

$4.43 €3.82

$3.99 €3.44

11.03%

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

$3.74 €3.23

$3.19 €2.75

17.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 €2.88

$2.32 €2.00

43.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.82 €5.01

$5.67 €4.88

2.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.50

$4.74 €4.08

10.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.32 €1.14

13.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 €1.94

$2.22 €1.91

1.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 €2.84

$3.22 €2.78

2.17%

Eggs

$3.97 €3.42

$3.95 €3.41

0.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 €12.68

$14.39 €12.40

2.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$13.51 €11.64

-0.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.76 €18.75

$21.78 €18.77

-0.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 €3.03

$3.21 €2.77

9.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.63 €1.41

26.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.18 €1.88

5.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.10 €4.40

$5.05 €4.35

0.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.57 €1.35

9.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.43 €1.23

15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.88 €1.62

2.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.88 €0.76

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 €8.68

$9.65 €8.31

4.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.39 €5.51

$6.38 €5.50

0.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.13 €0.97

-4.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.58 €1.37

-5.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.19 €3.61

$2.91 €2.51

43.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.9 €57.7

$56.0 €48.21

19.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 €4.94

$4.74 €4.09

20.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 €2.26

$2.02 €1.74

29.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.81 €32.58

$25.54 €22.01

48.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 €1.70

$2.08 €1.80

-4.81%

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

$31.5K €27.1K

$31.1K €26.8K

1.04%

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

$34.7K €29.9K

$36.6K €31.5K

-4.99%

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

$366 €316

$330 €285

10.92%

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

$24.43 €21.05

$24.14 €20.80

1.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.03 €37.07

$54.5 €46.92

-20.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.6 €57.4

$38.02 €32.76

75.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.59 €25.49

$23.55 €20.29

25.65%

Cinema Ticket

$16.09 €13.86

$17.54 €15.12

-8.27%

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

$601 €517

$304 €262

97.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$9,084 €7,827

81.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.0 €77.5

$76.0 €65.5

18.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.41 €33.95

$46.47 €40.04

-15.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.6 €83.2

$101 €87.2

-4.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €127

$133 €114

10.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 €1,316

$667 €575

128.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 €1,023

$639 €550

85.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,756 €2,375

$1,567 €1,350

75.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 €1,773

$1,058 €911

94.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,493 €7,318

$5,476 €4,718

55.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,480 €3,860

$2,912 €2,509

53.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,241 €3,654

$3,430 €2,955

23.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.99

3.96

0.76%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kiel: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,527 in Frankfurt and $667 in Kiel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 24% 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: $94.0 in Frankfurt vs $78.0 in Kiel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $347 per month, with Kiel cheaper across the board.

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 Kiel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kiel is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Frankfurt pays 24% more on average, 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: $1,527 in Frankfurt versus $667 in Kiel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kiel – a meal for two runs $78.0 versus $94.0 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,632 per month in Frankfurt versus $1,985 in Kiel – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,985 in Kiel versus $2,632 in Frankfurt, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Kiel but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Kiel the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kiel 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.

Safety-wise, Frankfurt and Kiel are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kiel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.