Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilmenau and Frankfurt

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilmenau: $2,071 a month against $2,539 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Ilmenau
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Ilmenau Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Frankfurt
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Frankfurt Living Index

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Ilmenau

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,071

/mo nomad

Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,539

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,071 in Ilmenau versus $2,539 in Frankfurt.

Ilmenau $2,071
Frankfurt $2,539

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,525 in Ilmenau versus $3,762 in Frankfurt.

Ilmenau $2,525
Frankfurt $3,762

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Ilmenau versus $4,984 in Frankfurt.

Ilmenau $2,980
Frankfurt $4,984

Living in Ilmenau costs roughly 18% less than in Frankfurt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ilmenau 53% above, Frankfurt 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 €9.75

$16.72 €14.87

-34.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 €59.2

$88.4 €78.7

-24.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.02

$13.36 €11.88

-15.64%

Cappuccino

$3.41 €3.04

$4.54 €4.04

-24.89%

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

$4.26 €3.79

$3.69 €3.28

15.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 €7.09

$3.60 €3.21

121.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.41 €3.92

$5.55 €4.94

-20.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 €4.44

$5.73 €5.09

-12.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.34 €1.20

-15.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.21 €1.96

-3.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 €2.88

$2.98 €2.65

8.72%

Eggs

$3.23 €2.87

$3.85 €3.42

-16.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 €12.75

$13.65 €12.14

4.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 €9.11

$11.78 €10.48

-13.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.79

$21.85 €19.43

-18.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$3.08 €2.74

-6.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 €1.24

$2.09 €1.86

-33.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 €3.11

$1.91 €1.70

83.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 €3.40

$3.90 €3.47

-2.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$1.80 €1.60

17.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.93 €1.71

-29.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.57 €1.39

3.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.78

$0.99 €0.88

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.22 €8.20

$9.54 €8.48

-3.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 €5.53

$5.47 €4.87

13.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.99

$1.16 €1.03

-4.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.40 €1.25

5.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.15 €3.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 €58.1

$69.2 €61.6

-5.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.23 €4.65

$4.48 €3.99

16.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.21 €3.75

$2.18 €1.94

93.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.78 €38.94

$23.71 €21.09

84.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.30 €2.05

-6.96%

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

$32.3K €28.7K

$32.7K €29.1K

-1.35%

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

$37.8K €33.6K

$38.2K €33.9K

-1.05%

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

$675 €600

$394 €351

71.16%

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

$27.38 €24.36

$19.53 €17.38

40.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.08 €30.32

$47.62 €42.36

-28.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.13 €42.81

$67.9 €60.4

-29.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.82 €25.64

Cinema Ticket

$13.20 €11.74

$16.62 €14.78

-20.58%

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

$454 €404

$1,068 €950

-57.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K €20.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 €82.8

$84.8 €75.4

9.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.50 €28.02

$33.61 €29.90

-6.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 €107

$83.7 €74.5

44.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €101

$105 €93.0

8.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 €419

$1,345 €1,196

-64.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 €404

$1,111 €988

-59.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 €737

$2,720 €2,420

-69.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,936 €1,722

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,856 €6,988

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,296 €3,822

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,254 €2,894

$3,979 €3,539

-18.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

3.61

9.42%

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

Last update for Ilmenau: October 11, 2026

Last update for Frankfurt: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilmenau

$736 35.6%

Frankfurt

$461 18.2% 37.3% $275

Accommodation & Living

Ilmenau

$455 22%

Frankfurt

$1.1K 43.7% 144% $656

Groceries & Markets

Ilmenau

$309 14.9%

Frankfurt

$330 13% 6.9% $21

Eating Out

Ilmenau

$243 11.8%

Frankfurt

$297 11.7% 21.9% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Ilmenau

$161 7.8%

Frankfurt

$138 5.4% 14.5% $23

Getting Around

Ilmenau

$92 * 4.4%

Frankfurt

$101 4% 10.6% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Ilmenau

$75 3.6%

Frankfurt

$101 4% 35.7% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $471 in Ilmenau and $1,345 in Frankfurt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 22% 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: $67.0 in Ilmenau vs $88.0 in Frankfurt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $309 vs $330 per month, with Ilmenau cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Ilmenau

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🕒 Local time

18:47 6:47 PM

Same time as Ilmenau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,000

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)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ilmenau vs Frankfurt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilmenau is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 22% 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: $471 in Ilmenau versus $1,345 in Frankfurt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ilmenau – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $88.0 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,071 per month in Ilmenau versus $2,539 in Frankfurt – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,071 in Ilmenau versus $2,539 in Frankfurt, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ilmenau but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Ilmenau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ilmenau 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, Ilmenau 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 Ilmenau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.