Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Kiel

For one person, living is cheaper in Kiel: $1,996 a month against $2,563 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Frankfurt
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Frankfurt Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Kiel
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Kiel Living Index

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Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,563

/mo nomad

Kiel

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,996

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Frankfurt and in Kiel

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,563 in Frankfurt versus $1,996 in Kiel.

Frankfurt $2,563
Kiel $1,996

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,752 in Frankfurt versus $3,036 in Kiel.

Frankfurt $3,752
Kiel $3,036

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,941 in Frankfurt versus $4,075 in Kiel.

Frankfurt $4,941
Kiel $4,075

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 28% more expensive than in Kiel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 91% above, Kiel 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.79 €14.99

$16.52 €14.74

1.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.7 €80.9

$83.5 €74.5

8.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.54 €12.08

$12.55 €11.20

7.89%

Cappuccino

$4.45 €3.97

$3.94 €3.51

12.94%

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

$3.90 €3.48

$3.87 €3.45

0.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.15

$3.30 €2.95

7.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.50 €4.91

$5.69 €5.08

-3.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 €4.94

$4.52 €4.03

22.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.23 €1.10

11.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 €1.98

$2.63 €2.34

-15.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 €2.81

$3.27 €2.92

-3.67%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.58

$4.02 €3.58

-0.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.87 €12.38

$16.04 €14.32

-13.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.15 €10.84

$12.40 €11.07

-2.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.03 €19.66

$26.79 €23.91

-17.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.83

$3.10 €2.77

2.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.15 €1.92

-0.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.74

$2.33 €2.08

-16.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 €3.52

$3.53 €3.15

11.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.53 €1.37

17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.29 €1.15

51.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.74 €1.55

-5.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.93

$0.85 €0.76

22.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.62 €8.59

$10.43 €9.31

-7.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.63 €5.03

$6.21 €5.54

-9.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.09 €0.98

2.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.25

$1.54 €1.38

-8.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.23 €3.77

$2.97 €2.65

42.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.9 €62.4

0.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.90

$3.91 €3.49

11.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €2.02

$2.27 €2.03

-0.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.31 €20.80

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.22 €1.98

4.50%

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

$33.4K €29.8K

$33.3K €29.7K

0.32%

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

$38.9K €34.7K

$37.8K €33.7K

2.94%

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

$393 €351

$298 €266

31.86%

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

$19.87 €17.73

$22.89 €20.43

-13.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.70 €42.57

$49.10 €43.81

-2.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.7 €60.4

$40.89 €36.49

65.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.06 €26.82

$45.31 €40.43

-33.66%

Cinema Ticket

$16.65 €14.85

$13.23 €11.81

25.85%

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

$1,102 €983

$295 €263

273.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K €20.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €79.0

$76.7 €68.4

15.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.20 €30.52

$69.7 €62.2

-50.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 €76.5

$101 €89.7

-14.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €95.4

$114 €102

-5.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,193

$710 €634

88.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 €991

$644 €575

72.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,743 €2,448

$1,471 €1,312

86.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 €1,720

$1,037 €925

85.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,889 €7,040

$5,322 €4,749

48.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,330 €3,865

$2,829 €2,524

53.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,129 €3,685

$3,251 €2,901

27.02%

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 4, 2026

Last update for Kiel: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Frankfurt

$1.1K 43.5%

Kiel

$644 32.5% 42% $466

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Frankfurt

$460 18.1%

Kiel

$370 18.7% 19.7% $90

Groceries & Markets

Frankfurt

$337 13.2%

Kiel

$359 18.1% 6.4% $22

Eating Out

Frankfurt

$297 11.6%

Kiel

$283 14.3% 4.5% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Frankfurt

$142 5.6%

Kiel

$162 8.2% 14.3% $20

Getting Around

Frankfurt

$103 4%

Kiel

$97 4.9% 5.4% $5.5

Sport & Entertainment

Frankfurt

$101 4%

Kiel

$67 3.4% 33.3% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,337 in Frankfurt and $710 in Kiel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 27% 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: $91.0 in Frankfurt vs $84.0 in Kiel. Groceries flip the comparison at $337 vs $359, with Frankfurt cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Kiel

🕒 Local time

12:32 12:32 PM

Same time as Frankfurt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,350

246,306

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Frankfurt Kiel 480 km

From you

Frankfurt
Kiel

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 Kiel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kiel is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and leisure. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 27% 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: $1,337 in Frankfurt versus $710 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 $84.0 versus $91.0 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,563 per month in Frankfurt versus $1,996 in Kiel – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,996 in Kiel versus $2,563 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 28% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.