Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Ulm Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Ulm

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Frankfurt versus $2,257 in Ulm.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,912 in Frankfurt versus $3,446 in Ulm.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,161 in Frankfurt versus $4,634 in Ulm.

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 18% more expensive than in Ulm, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 94% above, Ulm 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.46 €15.01

$17.13 €14.72

1.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.3 €79.4

$69.5 €59.8

32.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.99 €12.03

$14.21 €12.21

-1.55%

Cappuccino

$4.69 €4.03

$4.15 €3.57

13.01%

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

$3.76 €3.23

$4.86 €4.18

-22.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 €3.10

$2.00 €1.72

80.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 €4.94

$4.81 €4.14

19.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €4.93

$4.71 €4.05

21.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.50 €1.29

-7.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 €1.94

$2.12 €1.82

6.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 €2.80

$4.10 €3.53

-20.49%

Eggs

$4.17 €3.58

$3.75 €3.23

11.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 €12.46

$14.78 €12.71

-1.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.51 €10.76

$10.54 €9.06

18.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.93 €19.72

$26.62 €22.88

-13.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 €2.82

$3.59 €3.08

-8.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.41 €2.07

-12.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$2.06 €1.77

1.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 €3.44

$4.04 €3.48

-0.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.08 €0.93

64.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.12 €0.96

67.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.70 €1.46

0.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.25 €1.07

-12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.92 €8.53

$10.26 €8.82

-3.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.43 €5.53

$5.91 €5.08

8.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.53 €1.31

7.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.33 €3.72

$3.29 €2.83

31.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.1 €62.8

$67.9 €58.4

7.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.63 €3.98

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €1.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.68 €21.22

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 €1.92

$2.05 €1.76

9.27%

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

$33.8K €29.1K

$33.7K €28.9K

0.47%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$40.3K €34.7K

-2.47%

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

$398 €343

$394 €339

1.16%

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

$20.29 €17.44

$34.80 €29.92

-41.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.48 €42.54

$54.9 €47.21

-9.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.1 €61.1

$35.97 €30.93

97.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.01 €25.80

$23.39 €20.11

28.30%

Cinema Ticket

$17.22 €14.80

$13.99 €12.03

23.09%

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

$1,112 €956

$459 €395

142.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K €20.6K

$13.3K €11.5K

79.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €76.6

$93.8 €80.7

-5.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.12 €29.33

$58.8 €50.6

-41.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 €76.0

$96.1 €82.6

-8.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €108

$157 €135

-20.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,335 €1,148

$976 €839

36.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,000

$774 €666

50.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,798 €2,405

$1,956 €1,681

43.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,973 €1,696

$1,569 €1,349

25.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,174 €7,027

$6,053 €5,204

35.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,356 €3,745

$4,122 €3,544

5.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,268 €3,669

$3,878 €3,334

10.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

3.97

-9.07%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ulm: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,335 in Frankfurt and $976 in Ulm. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 10% 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: $92.0 in Frankfurt vs $70.0 in Ulm. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $353, 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 Ulm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulm is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Frankfurt, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,335 in Frankfurt versus $976 in Ulm. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ulm – a meal for two runs $70.0 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 $2,257 in Ulm – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,257 in Ulm versus $2,663 in Frankfurt, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ulm but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Ulm the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ulm 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 Ulm 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 Ulm gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.