Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Frankfurt: $2,539 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 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
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,539

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Frankfurt and in Sydney

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,539 in Frankfurt versus $3,152 in Sydney.

Frankfurt $2,539
Sydney $3,152

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,762 in Frankfurt versus $4,710 in Sydney.

Frankfurt $3,762
Sydney $4,710

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,984 in Frankfurt versus $6,268 in Sydney.

Frankfurt $4,984
Sydney $6,268

Living in Frankfurt costs roughly 19% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 88% above, Sydney 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.72 €14.87

$17.57 A$25.29

-4.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.4 €78.7

$91.5 A$132

-3.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.36 €11.88

$11.96 A$17.21

11.71%

Cappuccino

$4.54 €4.04

$4.07 A$5.85

11.55%

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

$3.69 €3.28

$2.85 A$4.10

29.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 €3.21

$2.25 A$3.24

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 €4.94

$7.60 A$10.94

-26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €5.09

$7.43 A$10.69

-22.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.66 A$2.38

-19.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.96

$2.78 A$4.00

-20.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$2.42 A$3.49

23.14%

Eggs

$3.85 €3.42

$5.64 A$8.12

-31.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 €12.14

$11.71 A$16.85

16.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.78 €10.48

$9.66 A$13.89

21.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.85 €19.43

$16.75 A$24.10

30.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 €2.74

$4.07 A$5.85

-24.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$3.25 A$4.68

-35.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$3.44 A$4.96

-44.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 €3.47

$4.28 A$6.16

-8.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.60

$3.28 A$4.72

-45.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 €1.71

$2.30 A$3.30

-16.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.39

$2.30 A$3.31

-31.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.88

$1.21 A$1.74

-18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.54 €8.48

$43.71 A$62.9

-78.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.47 €4.87

$13.88 A$19.97

-60.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.03

$3.90 A$5.62

-70.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.25

$3.91 A$5.63

-64.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.15 €3.69

$3.04 A$4.38

36.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.2 €61.6

$150 A$216

-53.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 €3.99

$3.38 A$4.86

32.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 €1.94

$1.56 A$2.24

39.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.71 €21.09

$40.01 A$57.6

-40.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €2.05

$1.40 A$2.01

64.29%

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

$32.7K €29.1K

$29.1K A$41.9K

12.28%

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

$38.2K €33.9K

$30.1K A$43.4K

26.67%

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

$394 €351

$223 A$320

77.12%

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

$19.53 €17.38

$27.16 A$39.08

-28.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.62 €42.36

$55.8 A$80.3

-14.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.9 €60.4

$74.6 A$107

-9.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.82 €25.64

$23.99 A$34.52

20.13%

Cinema Ticket

$16.62 €14.78

$17.56 A$25.27

-5.35%

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

$1,068 €950

$2,196 A$3,160

-51.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K €20.4K

$28.2K A$40.6K

-18.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.8 €75.4

$78.4 A$113

8.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.61 €29.90

$68.4 A$98.5

-50.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 €74.5

$111 A$160

-24.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €93.0

$134 A$193

-22.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 €1,196

$2,500 A$3,598

-46.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 €988

$1,709 A$2,460

-35.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,720 €2,420

$4,946 A$7,117

-45.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,936 €1,722

$3,022 A$4,349

-35.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,856 €6,988

$13.2K A$18.9K

-40.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,296 €3,822

$8,370 A$12.0K

-48.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,979 €3,539

$4,113 A$5,919

-3.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

5.84

-38.18%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Frankfurt

$1.1K 43.7%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2% 53.9% $599

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Frankfurt

$461 18.2%

Sydney

$306 9.7% 33.8% $156

Groceries & Markets

Frankfurt

$330 13%

Sydney

$379 12% 14.6% $48

Eating Out

Frankfurt

$297 11.7%

Sydney

$299 9.5% 0.6% $1.9

Clothing & Footwear

Frankfurt

$138 5.4%

Sydney

$177 5.6% 28% $39

Getting Around

Frankfurt

$101 4%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 71.5% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Frankfurt

$101 4%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 8.5% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,345 in Frankfurt and $2,500 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $88.0 in Frankfurt vs $91.0 in Sydney for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $379 per month, with Frankfurt cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

22:46 10:46 PM

07:46 7:46 AM

9 h ahead of Frankfurt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,350

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Frankfurt Sydney 16,480 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

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Frankfurt
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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 Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Frankfurt is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Sydney. 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 $2,500 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Frankfurt – a meal for two runs $88.0 versus $91.0 in Sydney. 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 $3,152 in Sydney – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,539 in Frankfurt versus $3,152 in Sydney, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Frankfurt but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Frankfurt the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Frankfurt is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sydney, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Frankfurt and Sydney 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 Frankfurt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.