Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Muelheim an der Ruhr

For one person, living costs are similar in Frankfurt and in Muelheim an der Ruhr: $2,539 and $2,439 a month, rent and utilities included.

122

Cost of Living Index in Frankfurt
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Frankfurt Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Muelheim an der Ruhr
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Muelheim an der Ruhr Living Index

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Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,539

/mo nomad

Muelheim an der Ruhr

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,439

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Frankfurt and in Muelheim an der Ruhr

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 Muelheim an der Ruhr actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,539 in Frankfurt versus $2,439 in Muelheim an der Ruhr.

Frankfurt $2,539
Muelheim an der Ruhr $2,439

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,762 in Frankfurt versus $3,176 in Muelheim an der Ruhr.

Frankfurt $3,762
Muelheim an der Ruhr $3,176

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,984 in Frankfurt versus $3,912 in Muelheim an der Ruhr.

Frankfurt $4,984
Muelheim an der Ruhr $3,912

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 4% more expensive than in Muelheim an der Ruhr, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 88% above, Muelheim an der Ruhr 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.72 €14.87

$14.41 €12.81

16.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.4 €78.7

$70.9 €63.1

24.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.36 €11.88

$13.52 €12.02

-1.18%

Cappuccino

$4.54 €4.04

$4.36 €3.88

4.13%

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

$3.69 €3.28

$3.10 €2.75

19.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 €3.21

$2.17 €1.93

65.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 €4.94

$4.58 €4.08

21.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €5.09

$4.42 €3.93

29.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.38 €1.23

-2.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.96

$2.27 €2.02

-2.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

Eggs

$3.85 €3.42

$4.28 €3.81

-10.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 €12.14

$14.13 €12.57

-3.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.78 €10.48

$12.48 €11.10

-5.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.85 €19.43

$18.28 €16.26

19.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 €2.74

$3.49 €3.11

-11.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.17 €1.93

-3.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$2.09 €1.86

-8.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 €3.47

$5.19 €4.62

-24.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.33 €1.18

35.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 €1.71

$1.23 €1.09

56.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.39

$1.76 €1.57

-10.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.88

$1.30 €1.16

-23.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.54 €8.48

$9.58 €8.52

-0.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.47 €4.87

$6.71 €5.97

-18.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.09 €0.97

6.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.25

$1.58 €1.41

-11.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.15 €3.69

$3.33 €2.96

24.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.2 €61.6

$65.0 €57.8

6.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 €3.99

$5.43 €4.83

-17.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.99 €2.66

-27.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.71 €21.09

$48.48 €43.13

-51.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.22 €1.98

3.60%

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

$32.7K €29.1K

$32.8K €29.1K

-0.22%

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

$38.2K €33.9K

$38.5K €34.3K

-0.95%

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

$394 €351

$341 €303

15.73%

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

$19.53 €17.38

$19.67 €17.50

-0.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.62 €42.36

$54.3 €48.26

-12.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.9 €60.4

$31.88 €28.36

112.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.82 €25.64

Cinema Ticket

$16.62 €14.78

$10.77 €9.58

54.32%

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

$1,068 €950

$223 €198

378.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K €20.4K

$17.1K €15.2K

34.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.8 €75.4

$103 €91.3

-17.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.61 €29.90

$33.60 €29.88

0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 €74.5

$110 €97.6

-23.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €93.0

$124 €110

-15.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 €1,196

$810 €721

66.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 €988

$1,104 €982

0.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,720 €2,420

$1,263 €1,123

115.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,936 €1,722

$1,119 €995

73.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,856 €6,988

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,296 €3,822

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,979 €3,539

$3,164 €2,814

25.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

3.91

-7.67%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: October 12, 2026

Last update for Muelheim an der Ruhr: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Frankfurt

$1.1K 43.7%

Muelheim an der Ruhr

$1.1K 45.3% 0.6% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Frankfurt

$461 18.2%

Muelheim an der Ruhr

$415 17% 10.1% $47

Groceries & Markets

Frankfurt

$330 13%

Muelheim an der Ruhr

$341 14% 3.3% $11

Eating Out

Frankfurt

$297 11.7%

Muelheim an der Ruhr

$261 10.7% 12.1% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Frankfurt

$138 5.4%

Muelheim an der Ruhr

$166 6.8% 20.6% $28

Getting Around

Frankfurt

$101 4%

Muelheim an der Ruhr

$99 4.1% 2.5% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Frankfurt

$101 4%

Muelheim an der Ruhr

$53 2.2% 47.2% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,345 in Frankfurt and $810 in Muelheim an der Ruhr. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 26% 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: $88.0 in Frankfurt vs $71.0 in Muelheim an der Ruhr. Groceries flip the comparison at $330 vs $341, with Frankfurt cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Muelheim an der Ruhr

🕒 Local time

09:40 9:40 AM

Same time as Frankfurt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,350

167,108

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Muelheim an der Ruhr: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Muelheim an der Ruhr is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and leisure. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 26% 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: $1,345 in Frankfurt versus $810 in Muelheim an der Ruhr. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Muelheim an der Ruhr – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $88.0 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,539 per month in Frankfurt versus $2,439 in Muelheim an der Ruhr – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,439 in Muelheim an der Ruhr versus $2,539 in Frankfurt, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Muelheim an der Ruhr but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Muelheim an der Ruhr the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Muelheim an der Ruhr 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 Muelheim an der Ruhr 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 Muelheim an der Ruhr gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.