Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Giessen and Frankfurt

For one person, living is cheaper in Giessen: $2,262 a month against $2,510 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Giessen
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Giessen Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Frankfurt
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Frankfurt Living Index

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Giessen

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,262

/mo nomad

Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,510

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Giessen 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 Giessen and in Frankfurt actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,262 in Giessen versus $2,510 in Frankfurt.

Giessen $2,262
Frankfurt $2,510

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,161 in Giessen versus $3,732 in Frankfurt.

Giessen $3,161
Frankfurt $3,732

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,059 in Giessen versus $4,954 in Frankfurt.

Giessen $4,059
Frankfurt $4,954

Living in Giessen costs roughly 10% less than in Frankfurt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Giessen 66% above, Frankfurt 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.48 €19.24

$16.83 €15.07

27.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.8

$88.1 €78.9

-22.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.90

Cappuccino

$4.01 €3.59

$4.54 €4.06

-11.67%

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

$2.34 €2.09

$3.68 €3.29

-36.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.76

$3.61 €3.24

-45.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.63 €4.15

$5.71 €5.11

-18.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 €4.95

$5.74 €5.14

-3.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.31 €1.17

0.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 €1.92

$2.20 €1.97

-2.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 €3.36

$3.09 €2.77

21.68%

Eggs

$3.59 €3.22

$3.65 €3.27

-1.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.39 €12.89

$13.55 €12.14

6.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.96 €9.81

$11.86 €10.62

-7.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.00 €17.02

$21.79 €19.52

-12.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 €2.70

$3.10 €2.78

-2.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 €1.59

$2.09 €1.87

-15.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 €1.89

$1.94 €1.74

8.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 €3.50

$3.83 €3.43

2.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.78 €1.59

-32.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.01

$1.86 €1.66

-39.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.57 €1.40

-1.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.16

$1.05 €0.94

22.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.91 €8.88

$9.49 €8.50

4.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.68 €5.09

$5.61 €5.03

1.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.88

$1.12 €1.00

-11.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.45 €1.30

4.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 €3.42

$4.29 €3.85

-11.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 €61.7

$69.3 €62.1

-0.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 €5.02

$4.42 €3.96

26.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 €1.95

$2.27 €2.03

-3.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.52 €34.50

$23.89 €21.40

61.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.22 €1.99

-13.96%

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

$29.9K €26.8K

$33.7K €30.2K

-11.08%

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

$38.6K €34.6K

$39.2K €35.1K

-1.37%

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

$348 €311

$385 €345

-9.66%

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

$32.76 €29.34

$19.76 €17.70

65.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 €46.69

$46.58 €41.72

11.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.83 €33.88

$63.4 €56.8

-40.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.55 €26.46

Cinema Ticket

$10.47 €9.38

$16.84 €15.08

-37.83%

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

$1,088 €974

$1,097 €982

-0.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.9K €40.2K

$22.6K €20.2K

98.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.88 €39.30

$86.3 €77.3

-49.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.21 €19.89

$33.24 €29.77

-33.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €101

$82.5 €73.8

36.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 €136

$108 €96.5

41.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 €639

$1,418 €1,270

-49.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$891 €798

$1,092 €978

-18.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,438 €1,288

$2,713 €2,429

-46.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 €1,083

$1,920 €1,719

-37.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,559 €4,979

$7,738 €6,930

-28.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,829 €2,534

$4,482 €4,014

-36.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,667 €2,389

$4,024 €3,604

-33.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

3.64

8.79%

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

Last update for Giessen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Frankfurt: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Giessen

$891 39.4%

Frankfurt

$1.1K 43.5% 22.6% $201

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Giessen

$433 19.1%

Frankfurt

$451 18% 4.3% $19

Groceries & Markets

Giessen

$320 14.1%

Frankfurt

$330 13.2% 3.2% $10

Eating Out

Giessen

$311 13.8%

Frankfurt

$298 11.9% 4.2% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Giessen

$149 6.6%

Frankfurt

$139 5.6% 6.3% $9.3

Getting Around

Giessen

$101 4.5%

Frankfurt

$102 4.1% 1.6% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Giessen

$59 2.6%

Frankfurt

$97 3.9% 65.1% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $713 in Giessen and $1,418 in Frankfurt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 51% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Giessen vs $88 in Frankfurt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $330 per month, with Giessen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Giessen

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🕒 Local time

06:45 6:45 AM

Same time as Giessen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,179

701,350

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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

Giessen vs Frankfurt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Giessen is about 10% cheaper overall, especially in leisure and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Giessen. 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: $713 in Giessen versus $1,418 in Frankfurt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,088 in Giessen versus $1,097 in Frankfurt. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Giessen – a meal for two runs $68 versus $88 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Giessen gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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

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