Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Villingen-Schwenningen Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Villingen-Schwenningen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,667 in Frankfurt versus $1,846 in Villingen-Schwenningen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,960 in Frankfurt versus $2,705 in Villingen-Schwenningen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,253 in Frankfurt versus $3,565 in Villingen-Schwenningen.

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 44% more expensive than Villingen-Schwenningen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 98% above, Villingen-Schwenningen 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.95 €16.97

$15.35 €13.06

29.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.2 €79.3

$58.3 €49.59

59.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.73 €11.68

$11.16 €9.50

23.03%

Cappuccino

$4.55 €3.87

$3.13 €2.66

45.37%

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

$3.59 €3.06

$3.21 €2.73

11.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 €2.81

$2.63 €2.24

25.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €4.84

$4.37 €3.72

30.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 €4.55

$4.78 €4.07

11.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.23 €1.04

23.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 €1.92

$2.17 €1.85

4.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 €2.88

$3.54 €3.01

-4.52%

Eggs

$4.03 €3.43

$2.61 €2.22

54.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 €12.84

$10.05 €8.55

50.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.57 €11.55

$12.76 €10.86

6.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.55 €18.34

$20.41 €17.37

5.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 €2.86

$3.12 €2.66

7.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.69 €1.44

26.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 €1.99

$2.21 €1.88

5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 €4.14

$4.18 €3.56

16.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.43

$1.53 €1.30

9.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 €1.48

$1.62 €1.37

6.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.64

$1.93 €1.65

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.94

$1.22 €1.04

-9.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.66 €8.22

$9.57 €8.14

0.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.25 €6.17

$4.02 €3.43

80.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.92

$1.07 €0.91

1.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.33

$1.73 €1.47

-9.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.13 €3.51

$2.85 €2.43

44.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.8 €56.0

$66.0 €56.1

-0.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 €5.06

$5.48 €4.67

8.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 €2.23

$2.35 €2.00

11.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.26 €32.56

$38.07 €32.40

0.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.69

$2.09 €1.78

-4.78%

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

$31.8K €27.1K

$32.0K €27.3K

-0.69%

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

$34.6K €29.4K

$36.8K €31.3K

-5.96%

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

$376 €320

$394 €335

-4.56%

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

$24.54 €20.89

$16.08 €13.69

52.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.65 €37.15

$52.8 €44.97

-17.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.7 €56.8

$34.15 €29.07

95.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.09 €25.61

$23.25 €19.79

29.42%

Cinema Ticket

$16.39 €13.95

$12.12 €10.32

35.23%

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

$607 €516

$275 €234

120.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$13.3K €11.3K

22.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 €78.2

$103 €87.4

-10.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.63 €32.87

$57.6 €49.05

-32.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 €83.8

$91.0 €77.5

8.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 €127

$141 €120

5.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,555 €1,323

$478 €407

225.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 €1,025

$476 €405

153.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,760 €2,349

$924 €786

198.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 €1,750

$807 €686

154.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,482 €7,218

$4,555 €3,876

86.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,750 €4,042

$3,920 €3,336

21.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,607 €3,921

$4,222 €3,593

9.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.99

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

Last update for Frankfurt: April 12, 2026

Last update for Villingen-Schwenningen: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,555 in Frankfurt and $478 in Villingen-Schwenningen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 9% 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: $93 in Frankfurt vs $58 in Villingen-Schwenningen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $316 per month, with Villingen-Schwenningen cheaper across the board.

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 Villingen-Schwenningen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Villingen-Schwenningen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Frankfurt pays 9% more on average, 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: $1,555 in Frankfurt versus $478 in Villingen-Schwenningen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Villingen-Schwenningen – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $93.0 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,667 per month in Frankfurt versus $1,846 in Villingen-Schwenningen – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,846 in Villingen-Schwenningen versus $2,667 in Frankfurt, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Villingen-Schwenningen but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Villingen-Schwenningen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Villingen-Schwenningen 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 Villingen-Schwenningen 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 Villingen-Schwenningen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.