Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kassel and Frankfurt

For one person, living is cheaper in Kassel: $1,912 a month against $2,510 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kassel, Germany
Frankfurt, Germany
Kassel
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,912
/mo nomad
Frankfurt
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,510
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,912 in Kassel versus $2,510 in Frankfurt.

  • Kassel $1,912
  • Frankfurt $2,510

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,822 in Kassel versus $3,732 in Frankfurt.

  • Kassel $2,822
  • Frankfurt $3,732

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Kassel versus $4,954 in Frankfurt.

  • Kassel $3,732
  • Frankfurt $4,954

Living in Kassel costs roughly 24% less than in Frankfurt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kassel 40% above, Frankfurt 84% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kassel
Frankfurt
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.62 €13.13
$16.83 €15.12
-13.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.4 €49.79
$88.1 €79.1
-37.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.14 €10.91
$13.28 €11.93
-8.58%
Cappuccino
$3.82 €3.43
$4.54 €4.08
-15.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.93 €3.53
$3.68 €3.30
6.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 €2.23
$3.61 €3.25
-31.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.56 €4.99
$5.71 €5.13
-2.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.54 €4.08
$5.74 €5.15
-20.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kassel
Frankfurt
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 €1.15
$1.31 €1.17
-2.29%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 €1.86
$2.20 €1.98
-5.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.30 €2.96
$3.09 €2.78
6.80%
Eggs
$3.55 €3.19
$3.65 €3.28
-2.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.44 €12.07
$13.55 €12.17
-0.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.85 €9.74
$11.86 €10.65
-8.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$24.96 €22.42
$21.79 €19.57
14.55%
Apples (1kg)
$3.29 €2.96
$3.10 €2.79
6.13%
Banana (1kg)
$2.15 €1.93
$2.09 €1.88
2.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.32 €2.08
$1.94 €1.74
19.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.97 €4.47
$3.83 €3.44
29.77%
Potato (1kg)
$1.52 €1.36
$1.78 €1.60
-14.61%
Onion (1kg)
$1.30 €1.17
$1.86 €1.67
-30.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.76 €1.58
$1.57 €1.41
12.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.92 €0.83
$1.05 €0.94
-12.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.36 €8.40
$9.49 €8.52
-1.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.07 €5.46
$5.61 €5.04
8.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 €0.85
$1.12 €1.01
-15.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 €1.37
$1.45 €1.31
5.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Kassel
Frankfurt
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.71 €3.33
$4.29 €3.86
-13.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$69.0 €62.0
$69.3 €62.3
-0.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.21 €3.78
$4.42 €3.97
-4.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.51 €2.25
$2.27 €2.04
10.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.65 €35.62
$23.89 €21.46
65.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.11 €1.90
$2.22 €1.99
-4.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.5K €29.2K
$33.7K €30.2K
-3.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.9K €34.1K
$39.2K €35.2K
-3.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kassel
Frankfurt
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$402 €361
$385 €346
4.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$41.28 €37.08
$19.76 €17.75
108.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.5 €46.27
$46.58 €41.85
10.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kassel
Frankfurt
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.64 €32.01
$63.4 €56.9
-43.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.15 €10.02
$29.55 €26.54
-62.27%
Cinema Ticket
$13.36 €12.00
$16.84 €15.12
-20.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kassel
Frankfurt
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$364 €327
$1,097 €985
-66.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K €14.4K
$22.6K €20.3K
-28.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kassel
Frankfurt
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$92.4 €83.0
$86.3 €77.5
7.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.16 €39.67
$33.24 €29.86
32.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.2 €77.4
$82.5 €74.1
4.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$111 €100.0
$108 €96.8
3.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kassel
Frankfurt
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$649 €583
$1,418 €1,274
-54.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$503 €452
$1,092 €981
-53.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,083 €973
$2,713 €2,437
-60.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$915 €822
$1,920 €1,725
-52.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,725 €4,244
$7,738 €6,951
-38.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,801 €2,516
$4,482 €4,026
-37.51%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kassel
Frankfurt
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,574 €2,312
$4,024 €3,615
-36.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.95
3.64
8.52%

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

Last update for Kassel: October 26, 2026

Last update for Frankfurt: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kassel
$503
Frankfurt
$1.1K 117% $589
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kassel
$495
Frankfurt
$451 8.8% $44
Groceries & Markets
Kassel
$339
Frankfurt
$330 2.7% $9.1
Eating Out
Kassel
$262
Frankfurt
$298 13.9% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Kassel
$150
Frankfurt
$139 7.3% $11
Getting Around
Kassel
$101
Frankfurt
$102 1.6% $1.7
Sport & Entertainment
Kassel
$62
Frankfurt
$97 55.6% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $649 in Kassel and $1,418 in Frankfurt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 56% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $55 in Kassel vs $88 in Frankfurt. Groceries flip the comparison at $339 vs $330, with Frankfurt cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Kassel
🇩🇪 Frankfurt
🕒 Local time
14:04 2:04 PM
14:04 2:04 PM
Same time as Kassel
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
204,021
701,350
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kassel Frankfurt 150 km
From you
  • Kassel
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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
Kassel vs Frankfurt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kassel cheaper than Frankfurt?
Kassel is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and leisure. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Kassel or Frankfurt?
On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Kassel. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Kassel and Frankfurt?
Rent for a central apartment: $649 in Kassel versus $1,418 in Frankfurt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $364 in Kassel versus $1,097 in Frankfurt. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Kassel or in Frankfurt?
Dining out is cheaper in Kassel – a meal for two runs $55 versus $88 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is it better to live in Kassel or in Frankfurt?
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.
Which city is safer, Kassel or Frankfurt?
Safety-wise, Kassel 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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Kassel wins on affordability, Frankfurt on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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