Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Wiesbaden

For one person, living is cheaper in Wiesbaden: $2,348 a month against $2,510 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Frankfurt outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

121

Cost of Living Index in Frankfurt
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Frankfurt Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Wiesbaden
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Wiesbaden Living Index

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Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,510

/mo nomad

Wiesbaden

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,348

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Frankfurt and in Wiesbaden

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,510 in Frankfurt versus $2,348 in Wiesbaden.

Frankfurt $2,510
Wiesbaden $2,348

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,732 in Frankfurt versus $3,465 in Wiesbaden.

Frankfurt $3,732
Wiesbaden $3,465

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,954 in Frankfurt versus $4,582 in Wiesbaden.

Frankfurt $4,954
Wiesbaden $4,582

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 7% more expensive than in Wiesbaden, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 84% above, Wiesbaden 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €15.12

$18.09 €16.25

-6.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.1 €79.1

$90.8 €81.5

-2.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.93

$14.55 €13.07

-8.73%

Cappuccino

$4.54 €4.08

$4.45 €3.99

2.02%

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

$3.68 €3.30

$3.39 €3.05

8.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 €3.25

$3.22 €2.89

12.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.71 €5.13

$5.17 €4.65

10.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 €5.15

$4.41 €3.96

30.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.41 €1.27

-7.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 €1.98

$1.86 €1.67

18.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 €2.78

$3.99 €3.58

-22.56%

Eggs

$3.65 €3.28

$3.57 €3.21

2.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 €12.17

$14.09 €12.66

-3.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 €10.65

$10.17 €9.14

16.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.79 €19.57

$26.17 €23.51

-16.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 €2.79

$3.30 €2.96

-6.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$2.29 €2.06

-8.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.74

$1.90 €1.71

2.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 €3.44

$4.88 €4.39

-21.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.23 €1.10

44.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$1.36 €1.22

36.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.41

$1.52 €1.37

3.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.94

$1.09 €0.98

-3.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.49 €8.52

$9.97 €8.96

-4.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$6.51 €5.85

-13.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €1.01

$1.11 €1.00

0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.31

$1.66 €1.49

-12.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.29 €3.86

$4.08 €3.66

5.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 €62.3

$70.2 €63.1

-1.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 €3.97

$4.90 €4.40

-9.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 €2.04

$2.22 €2.00

2.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.89 €21.46

$44.82 €40.26

-46.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.99

$2.20 €1.97

0.91%

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

$33.7K €30.2K

$33.2K €29.9K

1.29%

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

$39.2K €35.2K

$38.8K €34.9K

0.84%

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

$385 €346

$344 €309

11.82%

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

$19.76 €17.75

$31.42 €28.22

-37.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.58 €41.85

$50.6 €45.48

-8.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.4 €56.9

$42.38 €38.07

49.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.55 €26.54

$30.08 €27.02

-1.76%

Cinema Ticket

$16.84 €15.12

$13.25 €11.90

27.09%

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

$1,097 €985

$408 €367

168.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K €20.3K

$19.3K €17.3K

17.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 €77.5

$121 €109

-28.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.24 €29.86

$37.01 €33.24

-10.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 €74.1

$127 €114

-34.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €96.8

$207 €186

-47.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,418 €1,274

$879 €789

61.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 €981

$882 €793

23.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,713 €2,437

$1,551 €1,393

74.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,920 €1,725

$1,375 €1,235

39.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,738 €6,951

$6,597 €5,926

17.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,482 €4,026

$3,975 €3,570

12.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,024 €3,615

$3,181 €2,857

26.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

3.95

-7.85%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: October 26, 2026

Last update for Wiesbaden: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Frankfurt

$1.1K 43.5%

Wiesbaden

$882 37.6% 19.2% $209

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Frankfurt

$451 18%

Wiesbaden

$426 18.2% 5.5% $25

Groceries & Markets

Frankfurt

$330 13.2%

Wiesbaden

$344 14.7% 4.3% $14

Eating Out

Frankfurt

$298 11.9%

Wiesbaden

$303 12.9% 1.6% $4.8

Clothing & Footwear

Frankfurt

$139 5.6%

Wiesbaden

$221 9.4% 58.6% $82

Getting Around

Frankfurt

$102 4.1%

Wiesbaden

$103 4.4% 0.2% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Frankfurt

$97 3.9%

Wiesbaden

$69 2.9% 29% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,418 in Frankfurt and $879 in Wiesbaden. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 27% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $88 in Frankfurt vs $91 in Wiesbaden for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $344 per month, with Frankfurt cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Wiesbaden

🕒 Local time

00:08 12:08 AM

Same time as Frankfurt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,350

299,946

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Frankfurt Wiesbaden 32 km

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Wiesbaden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wiesbaden is about 6% cheaper overall, especially in leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 27% 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: $1,418 in Frankfurt versus $879 in Wiesbaden. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,097 in Frankfurt versus $408 in Wiesbaden. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Frankfurt – a meal for two runs $88 versus $91 in Wiesbaden. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Wiesbaden is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Frankfurt and Wiesbaden are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Wiesbaden wins on affordability, Frankfurt on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.