Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Friedrichshafen and Frankfurt

For one person, living costs are similar in Friedrichshafen and in Frankfurt: $2,495 and $2,536 a month, rent and utilities included.

122

Cost of Living Index in Friedrichshafen
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Friedrichshafen Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Frankfurt
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Frankfurt Living Index

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Friedrichshafen

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,495

/mo nomad

Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,536

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Friedrichshafen and in Frankfurt

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Friedrichshafen and in Frankfurt actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Friedrichshafen versus $2,536 in Frankfurt.

Friedrichshafen $2,495
Frankfurt $2,536

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,113 in Friedrichshafen versus $3,763 in Frankfurt.

Friedrichshafen $3,113
Frankfurt $3,763

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,731 in Friedrichshafen versus $4,990 in Frankfurt.

Friedrichshafen $3,731
Frankfurt $4,990

Living in Friedrichshafen costs roughly 2% less than in Frankfurt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Friedrichshafen 84% above, Frankfurt 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.00

$16.72 €14.87

0.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.8 €64.8

$88.2 €78.5

-17.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 €9.82

$13.43 €11.95

-17.80%

Cappuccino

$4.16 €3.70

$4.45 €3.96

-6.52%

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

$3.83 €3.41

$3.86 €3.43

-0.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.59

$3.70 €3.29

-21.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 €4.53

$5.64 €5.02

-9.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 €4.47

$5.75 €5.11

-12.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.42 €1.27

-4.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.24 €1.99

-2.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.39

$2.99 €2.66

-10.37%

Eggs

$3.56 €3.16

$3.63 €3.23

-1.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.20 €12.63

$13.58 €12.08

4.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.41 €10.15

$11.64 €10.35

-1.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.75 €15.78

$22.44 €19.96

-20.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 €2.61

$3.16 €2.81

-7.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$2.13 €1.89

-11.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.99 €1.77

4.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 €3.86

$3.84 €3.42

12.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.74 €1.54

-18.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 €1.09

$1.87 €1.66

-34.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.57 €1.40

-6.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$1.00 €0.89

-17.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.83 €8.75

$10.00 €8.90

-1.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.28 €5.59

$5.56 €4.95

12.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.16 €1.03

-6.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.41

$1.40 €1.24

12.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 €2.38

$4.20 €3.73

-36.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.6 €61.9

$71.2 €63.3

-2.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.58 €5.85

$4.44 €3.95

48.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 €2.78

$2.27 €2.02

37.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.87 €38.13

$23.30 €20.73

83.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.30 €2.04

-6.96%

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

$32.6K €29.0K

$33.6K €29.9K

-3.14%

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

$39.0K €34.7K

$38.2K €34.0K

2.00%

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

$215 €191

$390 €347

-44.83%

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

$18.32 €16.30

$19.63 €17.46

-6.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.89 €35.48

$47.45 €42.21

-15.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.81 €31.85

$67.0 €59.6

-46.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 €25.89

Cinema Ticket

$15.80 €14.05

$16.96 €15.08

-6.84%

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

$806 €717

$1,096 €975

-26.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €14.4K

$23.0K €20.5K

-29.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.4 €78.7

$85.5 €76.1

3.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.87 €37.24

$33.20 €29.53

26.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €90.9

$84.5 €75.1

21.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €104

$107 €94.9

9.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 €1,244

$1,316 €1,171

6.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,158

$1,105 €983

17.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 €1,679

$2,677 €2,381

-29.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 €960

$1,935 €1,721

-44.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,920 €7,045

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,424 €3,045

$4,273 €3,801

-19.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,980 €2,651

$4,027 €3,582

-26.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

3.61

5.82%

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

Last update for Friedrichshafen: October 18, 2026

Last update for Frankfurt: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Friedrichshafen

$1.3K 52.2%

Frankfurt

$1.1K 43.6% 15.1% $196

Groceries & Markets

Friedrichshafen

$313 12.5%

Frankfurt

$332 13.1% 6.1% $19

Eating Out

Friedrichshafen

$280 11.2%

Frankfurt

$297 11.7% 6.1% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Friedrichshafen

$273 11%

Frankfurt

$457 18% 67.2% $184

Clothing & Footwear

Friedrichshafen

$157 6.3%

Frankfurt

$139 5.5% 11.3% $18

Getting Around

Friedrichshafen

$102 4.1%

Frankfurt

$104 4.1% 1.3% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Friedrichshafen

$67 2.7%

Frankfurt

$101 4% 49.7% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,398 in Friedrichshafen and $1,316 in Frankfurt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 35% 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: $73.0 in Friedrichshafen vs $88.0 in Frankfurt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $313 vs $332 per month, with Friedrichshafen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Friedrichshafen

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🕒 Local time

12:52 12:52 PM

Same time as Friedrichshafen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,099

701,350

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Friedrichshafen vs Frankfurt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Friedrichshafen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Frankfurt. 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: $1,398 in Friedrichshafen versus $1,316 in Frankfurt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Friedrichshafen – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $88.0 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,495 per month in Friedrichshafen versus $2,536 in Frankfurt – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,495 in Friedrichshafen versus $2,536 in Frankfurt, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Friedrichshafen but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Friedrichshafen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Friedrichshafen 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, Friedrichshafen and Frankfurt 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 Friedrichshafen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.