Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Leverkusen Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Leverkusen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,659 in Frankfurt versus $2,432 in Leverkusen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,960 in Frankfurt versus $3,625 in Leverkusen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,260 in Frankfurt versus $4,817 in Leverkusen.

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 9% more expensive than in Leverkusen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 100% above, Leverkusen 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.56 €16.94

$15.10 €13.08

29.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 €79.8

$69.4 €60.1

32.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.72 €11.88

$12.08 €10.46

13.58%

Cappuccino

$4.40 €3.81

$3.49 €3.02

26.07%

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

$3.79 €3.28

$2.50 €2.17

51.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 €2.80

$2.31 €2.00

39.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 €4.95

$4.80 €4.15

19.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 €4.44

$3.68 €3.18

39.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.32

$1.28 €1.11

18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.04 €1.77

13.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 €2.95

$3.25 €2.81

4.92%

Eggs

$3.94 €3.41

$3.29 €2.85

19.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.00 €12.99

$13.88 €12.02

8.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.75 €11.90

$14.49 €12.55

-5.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.15 €19.18

$19.88 €17.22

11.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 €2.94

$3.30 €2.86

3.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.88

$1.77 €1.53

22.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.23 €1.93

4.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 €4.37

$4.73 €4.10

6.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.60 €1.39

8.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.66 €1.43

-1.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.68

$1.96 €1.70

-1.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.17 €1.01

-0.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 €8.64

$9.52 €8.24

4.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.39 €5.54

$6.18 €5.35

3.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.91

$0.95 €0.83

10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.64 €1.42

-7.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.11 €3.56

$3.42 €2.96

20.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 €58.0

$57.5 €49.76

16.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 €4.98

$5.11 €4.42

12.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.69 €2.33

$2.32 €2.01

15.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.63 €33.45

$41.64 €36.06

-7.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.99 €1.73

4.02%

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

$31.3K €27.1K

$31.5K €27.2K

-0.64%

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

$35.2K €30.5K

$37.9K €32.8K

-7.00%

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

$378 €328

$384 €332

-1.34%

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

$25.02 €21.67

$34.01 €29.45

-26.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.02 €37.25

$41.70 €36.11

3.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.5 €57.6

$30.91 €26.76

115.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.34 €25.41

$22.69 €19.65

29.31%

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 €13.89

$17.09 €14.80

-6.14%

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

$619 €536

$452 €391

37.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$9,775 €8,465

63.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 €79.5

$95.6 €82.8

-3.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.05 €33.82

$72.9 €63.1

-46.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 €85.9

$103 €89.1

-3.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €124

$141 €122

1.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,343

$1,221 €1,057

27.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,202 €1,041

$1,079 €934

11.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 €2,442

$2,237 €1,937

26.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,014 €1,744

$1,820 €1,576

10.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,255 €7,149

$3,960 €3,429

108.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,311 €3,733

$3,641 €3,153

18.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,094 €3,546

$4,124 €3,571

-0.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.99

3.97

0.50%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: July 26, 2026

Last update for Leverkusen: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Frankfurt and $1,221 in Leverkusen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leverkusen pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $92.0 in Frankfurt vs $69.0 in Leverkusen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $343 per month, with Leverkusen 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 Leverkusen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leverkusen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Leverkusen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,551 in Frankfurt versus $1,221 in Leverkusen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Leverkusen – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $92.0 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,659 per month in Frankfurt versus $2,432 in Leverkusen – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,432 in Leverkusen versus $2,659 in Frankfurt, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Leverkusen but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Leverkusen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Leverkusen 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 Leverkusen 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 Leverkusen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.