Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm

For one person, living is cheaper in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm: $1,898 a month against $2,536 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Frankfurt
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,536
/mo nomad
Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,898
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Frankfurt and in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm

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 Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,536 in Frankfurt versus $1,898 in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm.

  • Frankfurt $2,536
  • Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm $1,898

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,763 in Frankfurt versus $2,876 in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm.

  • Frankfurt $3,763
  • Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm $2,876

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,990 in Frankfurt versus $3,854 in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm.

  • Frankfurt $4,990
  • Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm $3,854

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 34% more expensive than in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 87% above, Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm 40% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Frankfurt
Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.72 €14.87
$16.35 €14.54
2.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.2 €78.5
$65.7 €58.5
34.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.43 €11.95
$12.29 €10.93
9.28%
Cappuccino
$4.45 €3.96
$3.92 €3.49
13.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.86 €3.43
$2.69 €2.39
43.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.70 €3.29
$2.08 €1.85
77.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.64 €5.02
$4.22 €3.76
33.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 €5.11
$4.39 €3.90
30.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Frankfurt
Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.42 €1.27
$1.47 €1.31
-3.40%
White Bread (500g)
$2.24 €1.99
$1.86 €1.65
20.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.99 €2.66
$3.75 €3.34
-20.27%
Eggs
$3.63 €3.23
$3.25 €2.89
11.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.58 €12.08
$14.36 €12.77
-5.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.64 €10.35
$8.89 €7.91
30.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.44 €19.96
$24.10 €21.43
-6.89%
Apples (1kg)
$3.16 €2.81
$3.26 €2.90
-3.07%
Banana (1kg)
$2.13 €1.89
$2.14 €1.91
-0.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 €1.77
$1.93 €1.71
3.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.84 €3.42
$3.60 €3.20
6.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.74 €1.54
$1.06 €0.94
64.15%
Onion (1kg)
$1.87 €1.66
$1.25 €1.11
49.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.57 €1.40
$1.40 €1.24
12.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 €0.89
$0.98 €0.87
2.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.00 €8.90
$9.99 €8.89
0.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.56 €4.95
$6.01 €5.34
-7.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 €1.03
$1.11 €0.99
4.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 €1.24
$1.64 €1.46
-14.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Frankfurt
Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.20 €3.73
$3.50 €3.11
20.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.2 €63.3
$67.5 €60.1
5.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.44 €3.95
$3.80 €3.38
16.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.26 €2.01
0.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.30 €20.73
$28.10 €25.00
-17.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.30 €2.04
$2.04 €1.82
12.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.6K €29.9K
$32.8K €29.2K
2.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.2K €34.0K
$38.4K €34.2K
-0.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Frankfurt
Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$390 €347
$266 €237
46.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.63 €17.46
$31.94 €28.41
-38.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.45 €42.21
$47.25 €42.03
0.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Frankfurt
Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.0 €59.6
$38.53 €34.27
73.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.11 €25.89
$26.21 €23.31
11.06%
Cinema Ticket
$16.96 €15.08
$16.07 €14.30
5.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Frankfurt
Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,096 €975
$244 €217
348.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.0K €20.5K
$7,762 €6,905
196.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Frankfurt
Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.5 €76.1
$77.3 €68.7
10.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.20 €29.53
$57.9 €51.5
-42.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.5 €75.1
$80.6 €71.7
4.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 €94.9
$120 €107
-10.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Frankfurt
Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,316 €1,171
$783 €697
68.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,105 €983
$651 €579
69.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,677 €2,381
$1,504 €1,337
78.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,935 €1,721
$1,154 €1,027
67.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,920 €7,045
$4,934 €4,389
60.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,273 €3,801
$3,379 €3,005
26.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Frankfurt
Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,027 €3,582
-
-
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 19, 2026

Last update for Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Frankfurt
$1.1K
Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm
$651 41.1% $454
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Frankfurt
$457
Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm
$345 24.4% $112
Groceries & Markets
Frankfurt
$332
Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm
$320 3.7% $12
Eating Out
Frankfurt
$297
Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm
$264 11.3% $34
Clothing & Footwear
Frankfurt
$139
Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm
$151 8.3% $12
Getting Around
Frankfurt
$104
Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm
$97 6.9% $7.1
Sport & Entertainment
Frankfurt
$101
Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm
$71 30% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,316 in Frankfurt and $783 in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $88.0 in Frankfurt vs $66.0 in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $320 per month, with Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Frankfurt
🇩🇪 Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm
🕒 Local time
13:42 1:42 PM
13:42 1:42 PM
Same time as Frankfurt
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
701,350
27,318
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Frankfurt Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm 270 km
From you
  • Frankfurt
  • Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm

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 Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm cheaper than Frankfurt?
Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $3,804 in Frankfurt and $2,847 in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm 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 Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,316 in Frankfurt versus $783 in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Frankfurt or in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm?
Dining out is cheaper in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $88.0 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Frankfurt and in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm?
All in, you'll spend $2,536 per month in Frankfurt versus $1,898 in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Frankfurt or in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm?
At $1,898 in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm versus $2,536 in Frankfurt, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Frankfurt or Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm more family-friendly?
For families, Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm 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.
Which city is safer, Frankfurt or Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm?
Safety-wise, Frankfurt and Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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