Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Stuttgart

For one person, living is cheaper in Stuttgart: $2,187 a month against $2,539 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Frankfurt outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

122

Cost of Living Index in Frankfurt
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Frankfurt Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Stuttgart
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Stuttgart Living Index

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Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,539

/mo nomad

Stuttgart

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,187

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Frankfurt and in Stuttgart

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,539 in Frankfurt versus $2,187 in Stuttgart.

Frankfurt $2,539
Stuttgart $2,187

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,762 in Frankfurt versus $3,329 in Stuttgart.

Frankfurt $3,762
Stuttgart $3,329

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,984 in Frankfurt versus $4,471 in Stuttgart.

Frankfurt $4,984
Stuttgart $4,471

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 16% more expensive than in Stuttgart, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 88% above, Stuttgart 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.72 €14.87

$20.37 €18.12

-17.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.4 €78.7

$74.0 €65.8

19.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.36 €11.88

$13.60 €12.10

-1.76%

Cappuccino

$4.54 €4.04

$4.03 €3.58

12.66%

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

$3.69 €3.28

$4.14 €3.68

-10.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 €3.21

$4.03 €3.59

-10.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 €4.94

$5.07 €4.51

9.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €5.09

$5.85 €5.21

-2.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.32 €1.18

1.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.96

$2.13 €1.90

3.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$3.14 €2.79

-5.10%

Eggs

$3.85 €3.42

$4.50 €4.00

-14.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 €12.14

$16.50 €14.68

-17.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.78 €10.48

$12.67 €11.27

-7.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.85 €19.43

$17.98 €15.99

21.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 €2.74

$3.10 €2.76

-0.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.95 €1.73

7.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$2.03 €1.81

-5.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 €3.47

$3.74 €3.33

4.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.32 €1.17

36.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 €1.71

$1.42 €1.26

35.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.39

$1.44 €1.28

9.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.88

$0.93 €0.83

6.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.54 €8.48

$9.66 €8.59

-1.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.47 €4.87

$5.62 €5.00

-2.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.01 €0.90

14.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.25

$1.65 €1.47

-15.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.15 €3.69

$3.99 €3.55

4.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.2 €61.6

$71.5 €63.6

-3.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 €3.99

$4.62 €4.11

-3.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.84 €2.52

-23.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.71 €21.09

$40.64 €36.14

-41.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.25 €2.00

2.22%

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

$32.7K €29.1K

$33.2K €29.5K

-1.40%

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

$38.2K €33.9K

$38.7K €34.4K

-1.46%

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

$394 €351

$309 €275

27.46%

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

$19.53 €17.38

$17.36 €15.45

12.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.62 €42.36

$41.56 €36.97

14.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.9 €60.4

$56.1 €49.88

21.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.82 €25.64

$33.43 €29.73

-13.79%

Cinema Ticket

$16.62 €14.78

$12.74 €11.33

30.46%

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

$1,068 €950

$1,026 €913

4.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K €20.4K

$17.8K €15.8K

29.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.8 €75.4

$89.3 €79.5

-5.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.61 €29.90

$42.61 €37.90

-21.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 €74.5

$95.5 €84.9

-12.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €93.0

$139 €123

-24.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 €1,196

$1,262 €1,123

6.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 €988

$815 €725

36.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,720 €2,420

$1,901 €1,691

43.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,936 €1,722

$1,505 €1,338

28.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,856 €6,988

$6,672 €5,935

17.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,296 €3,822

$4,291 €3,817

0.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,979 €3,539

$4,070 €3,620

-2.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

3.85

-6.23%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: October 12, 2026

Last update for Stuttgart: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Frankfurt

$1.1K 43.7%

Stuttgart

$815 37.3% 26.6% $296

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Frankfurt

$461 18.2%

Stuttgart

$368 16.8% 20.2% $93

Groceries & Markets

Frankfurt

$330 13%

Stuttgart

$329 15.1% 0.3% $1

Eating Out

Frankfurt

$297 11.7%

Stuttgart

$322 14.7% 8.5% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Frankfurt

$138 5.4%

Stuttgart

$165 7.5% 19.3% $27

Getting Around

Frankfurt

$101 4%

Stuttgart

$106 4.9% 5% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Frankfurt

$101 4%

Stuttgart

$82 3.7% 19.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,345 in Frankfurt and $1,262 in Stuttgart. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stuttgart pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88.0 in Frankfurt vs $74.0 in Stuttgart for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $329 per month, with Stuttgart cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Stuttgart

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

Same time as Frankfurt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,350

613,392

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Frankfurt Stuttgart 150 km

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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 Stuttgart: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stuttgart is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Stuttgart. 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: $1,345 in Frankfurt versus $1,262 in Stuttgart. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Stuttgart – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $88.0 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,539 per month in Frankfurt versus $2,187 in Stuttgart – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,187 in Stuttgart versus $2,539 in Frankfurt, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Stuttgart but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Stuttgart the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Stuttgart 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 Stuttgart 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 Stuttgart gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.