Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Osnabruck Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Osnabruck

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,632 in Frankfurt versus $1,761 in Osnabruck.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,944 in Frankfurt versus $2,810 in Osnabruck.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,256 in Frankfurt versus $3,859 in Osnabruck.

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 49% more expensive than Osnabruck, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 96% above, Osnabruck 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.73 €17.00

$12.06 €10.39

63.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.2 €81.2

$68.8 €59.3

36.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.12

$9.12 €7.85

54.17%

Cappuccino

$4.43 €3.82

$3.52 €3.04

25.85%

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

$3.74 €3.23

$3.28 €2.82

14.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 €2.88

$2.70 €2.33

23.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.82 €5.01

$5.33 €4.59

9.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.50

$4.33 €3.73

20.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.16 €1.00

29.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 €1.94

$2.36 €2.03

-4.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 €2.84

$3.67 €3.16

-10.35%

Eggs

$3.97 €3.42

$3.93 €3.39

1.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 €12.68

$15.10 €13.01

-2.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$14.61 €12.59

-7.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.76 €18.75

$19.13 €16.48

13.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 €3.03

$3.20 €2.76

9.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.74 €1.50

18.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

Tomato (1kg)

$5.10 €4.40

$4.96 €4.27

2.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.58 €1.36

8.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.59 €1.37

3.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.93 €1.66

-0.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.20 €1.03

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 €8.68

$10.22 €8.80

-1.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.39 €5.51

$5.61 €4.83

13.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.93

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.62 €1.40

-7.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.19 €3.61

$3.44 €2.97

21.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.9 €57.7

$55.4 €47.69

20.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 €4.94

$4.97 €4.28

15.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 €2.26

$2.16 €1.86

21.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.81 €32.58

$27.69 €23.86

36.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.95 €1.68

1.54%

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

$31.5K €27.1K

$31.8K €27.4K

-1.16%

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

$34.7K €29.9K

$40.9K €35.2K

-15.02%

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

$366 €316

$228 €196

60.75%

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

$24.43 €21.05

$46.16 €39.77

-47.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.03 €37.07

$54.7 €47.14

-21.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.6 €57.4

$35.79 €30.84

86.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.59 €25.49

$26.50 €22.83

11.66%

Cinema Ticket

$16.09 €13.86

$13.65 €11.76

17.88%

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

$601 €517

$252 €218

137.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$11.4K €9,788

44.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.0 €77.5

$99.6 €85.8

-9.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.41 €33.95

$78.5 €67.7

-49.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.6 €83.2

$101 €86.6

-3.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €127

$132 €114

11.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 €1,316

$718 €619

112.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 €1,023

$514 €443

131.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,756 €2,375

$1,533 €1,321

79.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 €1,773

$1,177 €1,014

74.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,493 €7,318

$3,816 €3,288

122.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,480 €3,860

$3,431 €2,956

30.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,241 €3,654

$2,220 €1,913

91.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.99

3.98

0.25%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: June 7, 2026

Last update for Osnabruck: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,527 in Frankfurt and $718 in Osnabruck. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 91% 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 $69.0 in Osnabruck for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $352 per month, with Osnabruck 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 Osnabruck: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Osnabruck is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Frankfurt pays 91% 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 $718 in Osnabruck. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Osnabruck – a meal for two runs $69.0 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 $1,761 in Osnabruck – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,761 in Osnabruck versus $2,632 in Frankfurt, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Osnabruck but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Osnabruck the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Osnabruck 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 Osnabruck 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 Osnabruck gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.