Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Saarlouis

For one person, living is cheaper in Saarlouis: $1,786 a month against $2,536 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Frankfurt
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Frankfurt Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Saarlouis
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Saarlouis Living Index

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Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,536

/mo nomad

Saarlouis

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,786

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Frankfurt and in Saarlouis

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,536 in Frankfurt versus $1,786 in Saarlouis.

Frankfurt $2,536
Saarlouis $1,786

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,763 in Frankfurt versus $2,684 in Saarlouis.

Frankfurt $3,763
Saarlouis $2,684

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,990 in Frankfurt versus $3,582 in Saarlouis.

Frankfurt $4,990
Saarlouis $3,582

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 42% more expensive than in Saarlouis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 87% above, Saarlouis 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.72 €14.87

$13.52 €12.03

23.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.2 €78.5

$54.9 €48.82

60.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.43 €11.95

$11.09 €9.86

21.10%

Cappuccino

$4.45 €3.96

$3.03 €2.69

46.86%

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

$3.86 €3.43

$2.83 €2.52

36.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 €3.29

$2.41 €2.14

53.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.02

$4.38 €3.90

28.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €5.11

$3.31 €2.94

73.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.27 €1.13

11.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 €1.99

$2.17 €1.93

3.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$3.09 €2.75

-3.24%

Eggs

$3.63 €3.23

$3.45 €3.07

5.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.58 €12.08

$13.55 €12.05

0.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 €10.35

$9.61 €8.54

21.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.44 €19.96

$19.76 €17.58

13.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.81

$3.09 €2.75

2.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.68 €1.49

26.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.77

$2.01 €1.79

-1.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 €3.42

$3.84 €3.41

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 €1.54

$1.22 €1.08

42.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.13 €1.01

65.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.34 €1.19

17.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.89

$0.87 €0.77

14.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.00 €8.90

$9.68 €8.61

3.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.56 €4.95

$5.66 €5.04

-1.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.04 €0.92

11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.24

$1.36 €1.21

2.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 €3.73

$3.55 €3.16

18.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.2 €63.3

$68.4 €60.9

4.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 €3.95

$4.18 €3.72

6.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.25 €2.01

0.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.30 €20.73

$36.23 €32.23

-35.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €2.04

$2.02 €1.80

13.86%

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

$33.6K €29.9K

$32.4K €28.8K

3.71%

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

$38.2K €34.0K

$37.8K €33.7K

1.10%

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

$390 €347

$204 €181

91.33%

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

$19.63 €17.46

$28.41 €25.27

-30.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.45 €42.21

$37.03 €32.94

28.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.0 €59.6

$38.43 €34.18

74.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 €25.89

$26.26 €23.36

10.85%

Cinema Ticket

$16.96 €15.08

$15.48 €13.77

9.56%

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

$1,096 €975

$430 €383

154.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K €20.5K

$9,910 €8,815

132.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €76.1

$84.4 €75.1

1.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.20 €29.53

$35.69 €31.74

-6.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 €75.1

$97.2 €86.5

-13.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €94.9

$136 €121

-21.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 €1,171

$798 €709

65.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 €983

$661 €588

67.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,677 €2,381

$1,487 €1,323

80.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 €1,721

$1,120 €996

72.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,920 €7,045

$5,033 €4,477

57.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,801

$3,393 €3,018

25.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,027 €3,582

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

3.62

-0.28%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: October 19, 2026

Last update for Saarlouis: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Frankfurt

$1.1K 43.6%

Saarlouis

$661 37% 40.2% $444

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Frankfurt

$457 18%

Saarlouis

$269 15.1% 41.1% $188

Groceries & Markets

Frankfurt

$332 13.1%

Saarlouis

$302 16.9% 9% $30

Eating Out

Frankfurt

$297 11.7%

Saarlouis

$227 12.7% 23.6% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Frankfurt

$139 5.5%

Saarlouis

$159 8.9% 14% $20

Getting Around

Frankfurt

$104 4.1%

Saarlouis

$98 5.5% 5.5% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Frankfurt

$101 4%

Saarlouis

$69 3.9% 31.2% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,316 in Frankfurt and $798 in Saarlouis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $88.0 in Frankfurt vs $55.0 in Saarlouis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $302 per month, with Saarlouis cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Saarlouis

🕒 Local time

14:34 2:34 PM

Same time as Frankfurt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,350

34,354

💱 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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Frankfurt vs Saarlouis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saarlouis is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,804 in Frankfurt and $2,679 in Saarlouis 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,316 in Frankfurt versus $798 in Saarlouis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Saarlouis – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $88.0 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,536 per month in Frankfurt versus $1,786 in Saarlouis – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,786 in Saarlouis versus $2,536 in Frankfurt, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saarlouis but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Saarlouis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Saarlouis 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 Saarlouis 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 Saarlouis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.