Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Leverkusen

For one person, living is cheaper in Leverkusen: $2,316 a month against $2,510 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Frankfurt, Germany
Leverkusen, Germany
Frankfurt
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,510
/mo nomad
Leverkusen
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,316
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Frankfurt and in Leverkusen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,510 in Frankfurt versus $2,316 in Leverkusen.

  • Frankfurt $2,510
  • Leverkusen $2,316

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,732 in Frankfurt versus $3,404 in Leverkusen.

  • Frankfurt $3,732
  • Leverkusen $3,404

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,954 in Frankfurt versus $4,491 in Leverkusen.

  • Frankfurt $4,954
  • Leverkusen $4,491

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 8% more expensive than in Leverkusen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 84% above, Leverkusen 70% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Frankfurt
Leverkusen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.83 €15.07
$15.89 €14.23
5.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.1 €78.9
$70.3 €63.0
25.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.28 €11.90
$12.38 €11.09
7.27%
Cappuccino
$4.54 €4.06
$3.96 €3.55
14.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 €3.29
$3.12 €2.80
17.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61 €3.24
$2.30 €2.06
56.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.71 €5.11
$5.24 €4.69
8.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.74 €5.14
$3.91 €3.50
46.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Frankfurt
Leverkusen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.46 €1.31
-10.27%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.91 €1.71
15.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.09 €2.77
$4.10 €3.68
-24.63%
Eggs
$3.65 €3.27
$3.26 €2.92
11.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.55 €12.14
$13.63 €12.21
-0.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.86 €10.62
$10.69 €9.57
10.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.79 €19.52
$18.77 €16.81
16.09%
Apples (1kg)
$3.10 €2.78
$3.39 €3.03
-8.55%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$1.66 €1.49
25.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.94 €1.74
$2.24 €2.01
-13.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.83 €3.43
$4.80 €4.30
-20.21%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 €1.59
$1.86 €1.66
-4.30%
Onion (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.70 €1.53
9.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.57 €1.40
$1.68 €1.51
-6.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 €0.94
$1.13 €1.01
-7.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.49 €8.50
$8.90 €7.97
6.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.03
$6.12 €5.49
-8.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 €1.00
$0.93 €0.83
20.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.45 €1.30
$1.76 €1.58
-17.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Frankfurt
Leverkusen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.29 €3.85
$3.39 €3.04
26.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$69.3 €62.1
$53.9 €48.29
28.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.42 €3.96
$2.99 €2.68
47.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.27 €2.03
$1.95 €1.75
16.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.89 €21.40
$31.08 €27.83
-23.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.22 €1.99
$2.02 €1.81
9.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.2K
$33.0K €29.6K
1.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.2K €35.1K
$38.9K €34.8K
0.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Frankfurt
Leverkusen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$385 €345
$327 €293
17.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.76 €17.70
$24.91 €22.31
-20.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$46.58 €41.72
$39.89 €35.72
16.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Frankfurt
Leverkusen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.4 €56.8
$30.42 €27.24
108.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.55 €26.46
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$16.84 €15.08
$15.44 €13.83
9.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Frankfurt
Leverkusen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,097 €982
$680 €609
61.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.6K €20.2K
$14.0K €12.6K
60.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Frankfurt
Leverkusen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 €77.3
$75.3 €67.4
14.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.24 €29.77
$38.24 €34.25
-13.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.5 €73.8
$102 €91.4
-19.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 €96.5
$115 €103
-6.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Frankfurt
Leverkusen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,418 €1,270
$1,050 €940
35.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,092 €978
$1,043 €934
4.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,713 €2,429
$2,120 €1,899
27.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,920 €1,719
$1,805 €1,617
6.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,738 €6,930
$3,957 €3,544
95.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,482 €4,014
$3,536 €3,167
26.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Frankfurt
Leverkusen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,024 €3,604
$4,100 €3,672
-1.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.64
3.96
-8.08%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: October 26, 2026

Last update for Leverkusen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Frankfurt
$1.1K
Leverkusen
$1K 4.5% $49
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Frankfurt
$451
Leverkusen
$392 13.1% $59
Groceries & Markets
Frankfurt
$330
Leverkusen
$323 2% $6.4
Eating Out
Frankfurt
$298
Leverkusen
$268 10.3% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Frankfurt
$139
Leverkusen
$149 6.8% $9.4
Getting Around
Frankfurt
$102
Leverkusen
$80 21.6% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Frankfurt
$97
Leverkusen
$61 36.8% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,418 in Frankfurt and $1,050 in Leverkusen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $88 in Frankfurt vs $70 in Leverkusen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $323 per month, with Leverkusen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Frankfurt
🇩🇪 Leverkusen
🕒 Local time
22:19 10:19 PM
22:19 10:19 PM
Same time as Frankfurt
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
701,350
160,819
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Frankfurt Leverkusen 160 km
From you
  • Frankfurt
  • Leverkusen

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 Leverkusen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Leverkusen cheaper than Frankfurt?
Leverkusen is about 8% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $3,765 in Frankfurt and $3,475 in Leverkusen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Frankfurt and Leverkusen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,418 in Frankfurt versus $1,050 in Leverkusen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,097 in Frankfurt versus $680 in Leverkusen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Frankfurt or in Leverkusen?
Dining out is cheaper in Leverkusen – a meal for two runs $70 versus $88 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,000 enough to cover costs in Frankfurt or in Leverkusen?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Leverkusen is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is it better to live in Frankfurt or in Leverkusen?
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.
Which city is safer, Frankfurt or Leverkusen?
Safety-wise, Frankfurt and Leverkusen are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Frankfurt vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?