Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Solingen Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Solingen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Frankfurt versus $2,116 in Solingen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,912 in Frankfurt versus $3,218 in Solingen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,161 in Frankfurt versus $4,320 in Solingen.

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 26% more expensive than in Solingen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 94% above, Solingen 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.46 €15.01

$20.04 €17.23

-12.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.3 €79.4

$82.0 €70.5

12.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.99 €12.03

$14.07 €12.10

-0.57%

Cappuccino

$4.69 €4.03

$4.10 €3.52

14.39%

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

$3.76 €3.23

$3.43 €2.95

9.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 €3.10

$3.17 €2.72

13.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 €4.94

$5.13 €4.41

12.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €4.93

$4.71 €4.05

21.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.43 €1.23

-2.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 €1.94

$2.39 €2.06

-5.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 €2.80

$3.40 €2.92

-4.12%

Eggs

$4.17 €3.58

$3.98 €3.42

4.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 €12.46

$17.05 €14.65

-14.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.51 €10.76

$13.26 €11.40

-5.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.93 €19.72

$25.20 €21.66

-9.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 €2.82

$3.30 €2.84

-0.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.15 €1.85

-1.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$2.26 €1.94

-7.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 €3.44

$4.24 €3.64

-5.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.27 €1.10

40.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.29 €1.11

45.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.73 €1.49

-1.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.26 €1.08

-12.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.92 €8.53

$9.96 €8.56

-0.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.43 €5.53

$5.77 €4.96

11.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.97

$1.10 €0.95

2.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.59 €1.36

3.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.33 €3.72

$2.85 €2.45

51.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.1 €62.8

$67.0 €57.6

9.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.63 €3.98

$5.15 €4.43

-10.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €1.94

$3.07 €2.64

-26.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.68 €21.22

$40.98 €35.23

-39.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 €1.92

$2.16 €1.86

3.70%

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

$33.8K €29.1K

$34.5K €29.7K

-2.04%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$39.7K €34.1K

-0.89%

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

$398 €343

$375 €322

6.32%

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

$20.29 €17.44

$19.97 €17.17

1.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.48 €42.54

$45.43 €39.06

8.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.1 €61.1

$68.8 €59.2

3.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.01 €25.80

Cinema Ticket

$17.22 €14.80

$15.85 €13.63

8.64%

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

$1,112 €956

$479 €412

131.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K €20.6K

$9,682 €8,324

147.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €76.6

$98.5 €84.7

-9.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.12 €29.33

$44.06 €37.88

-22.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 €76.0

$115 €99.1

-23.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €108

$177 €152

-29.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,335 €1,148

$860 €739

55.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,000

$632 €543

84.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,798 €2,405

$1,452 €1,249

92.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,973 €1,696

$1,058 €910

86.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,174 €7,027

$5,149 €4,426

58.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,356 €3,745

$4,720 €4,058

-7.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,268 €3,669

$5,532 €4,756

-22.85%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Solingen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,335 in Frankfurt and $860 in Solingen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solingen pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $92.0 in Frankfurt vs $82.0 in Solingen. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $369, with Frankfurt cheaper for home cooking.

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 Solingen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Solingen is cheaper overall, especially in Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Solingen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,335 in Frankfurt versus $860 in Solingen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Solingen – a meal for two runs $82.0 versus $92.0 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Frankfurt versus $2,116 in Solingen – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,116 in Solingen versus $2,663 in Frankfurt, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Solingen but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Solingen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Solingen 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 Solingen 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 Solingen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.