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: $2,724 in Frankfurt versus $2,137 in Solingen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,953 in Frankfurt versus $3,168 in Solingen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,182 in Frankfurt versus $4,199 in Solingen.

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 27% more expensive than in Solingen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 104% above, Solingen 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.56 €17.11

$17.63 €15.42

10.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.7 €81.1

$80.3 €70.2

15.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.30

$11.68 €10.22

20.38%

Cappuccino

$4.52 €3.96

$3.40 €2.97

32.94%

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

$3.65 €3.19

$2.93 €2.57

24.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €2.97

$2.83 €2.48

20.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 €5.17

$5.34 €4.67

10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 €4.59

$4.70 €4.11

11.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.32 €1.15

14.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.26 €1.97

-2.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 €2.90

$3.57 €3.13

-7.00%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.60

$3.91 €3.42

5.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.83 €12.97

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 €12.20

$16.51 €14.44

-15.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.95 €19.20

$19.82 €17.34

10.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 €3.08

$3.21 €2.81

9.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.89

$1.76 €1.54

22.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.04

$2.34 €2.05

-0.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 €4.41

$5.24 €4.58

-4.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.58 €1.38

6.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.58 €1.38

8.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.04 €1.78

-0.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.02

$1.18 €1.03

-1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 €8.66

$9.28 €8.12

6.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.41 €5.60

$5.82 €5.09

10.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.91

$1.07 €0.94

-2.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.75 €1.53

-14.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.33 €3.79

$3.29 €2.87

31.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.9 €59.4

$62.1 €54.4

9.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 €5.14

$4.67 €4.08

25.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 €2.37

$1.89 €1.65

42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.66 €32.95

$28.18 €24.66

33.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.80

$2.04 €1.79

0.49%

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

$31.5K €27.5K

$31.5K €27.6K

-0.22%

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

$35.6K €31.1K

$36.9K €32.3K

-3.64%

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

$367 €321

$351 €307

4.51%

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

$24.53 €21.46

$28.07 €24.56

-12.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 €37.35

$47.86 €41.87

-10.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 €56.3

$57.7 €50.5

11.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.59 €25.89

$23.13 €20.24

27.93%

Cinema Ticket

$16.11 €14.10

$13.72 €12.00

17.42%

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

$604 €528

$576 €504

4.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €14.0K

$14.4K €12.6K

11.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.3 €80.7

$117 €103

-21.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.02 €34.14

$46.75 €40.90

-16.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 €87.1

$138 €121

-28.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 €126

$164 €144

-12.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 €1,349

$932 €816

65.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 €1,021

$683 €598

70.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,806 €2,455

$1,531 €1,340

83.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,010 €1,758

$1,104 €966

81.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,196 €7,171

$4,310 €3,770

90.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,324 €3,783

$4,482 €3,921

-3.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,169 €3,648

$5,365 €4,694

-22.30%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Solingen: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,542 in Frankfurt and $932 in Solingen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solingen pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $93.0 in Frankfurt vs $80.0 in Solingen. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $365, 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 Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 29% 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: $1,542 in Frankfurt versus $932 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 $80.0 versus $93.0 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,724 per month in Frankfurt versus $2,137 in Solingen – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,137 in Solingen versus $2,724 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 27% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.