Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kiel and Frankfurt

For one person, living is cheaper in Kiel: $1,996 a month against $2,563 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Kiel
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Kiel Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Frankfurt
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Frankfurt Living Index

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Kiel

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,996

/mo nomad

Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,563

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,996 in Kiel versus $2,563 in Frankfurt.

Kiel $1,996
Frankfurt $2,563

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,036 in Kiel versus $3,752 in Frankfurt.

Kiel $3,036
Frankfurt $3,752

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,075 in Kiel versus $4,941 in Frankfurt.

Kiel $4,075
Frankfurt $4,941

Living in Kiel costs roughly 22% less than in Frankfurt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kiel 49% above, Frankfurt 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.52 €14.74

$16.79 €14.99

-1.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.5 €74.5

$90.7 €80.9

-7.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.55 €11.20

$13.54 €12.08

-7.31%

Cappuccino

$3.94 €3.51

$4.45 €3.97

-11.46%

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

$3.87 €3.45

$3.90 €3.48

-0.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 €2.95

$3.54 €3.15

-6.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.08

$5.50 €4.91

3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 €4.03

$5.54 €4.94

-18.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.10

$1.37 €1.22

-10.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.22 €1.98

18.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 €2.92

$3.15 €2.81

3.81%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.58

$4.01 €3.58

0.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 €14.32

$13.87 €12.38

15.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.40 €11.07

$12.15 €10.84

2.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.79 €23.91

$22.03 €19.66

21.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 €2.77

$3.17 €2.83

-2.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.92

$2.14 €1.91

0.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.08

$1.95 €1.74

19.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 €3.15

$3.95 €3.52

-10.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 €1.37

$1.80 €1.60

-15.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.96 €1.75

-34.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.64 €1.47

6.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.76

$1.04 €0.93

-18.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.43 €9.31

$9.62 €8.59

8.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.21 €5.54

$5.63 €5.03

10.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.98

$1.12 €1.00

-2.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.41 €1.25

9.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 €2.65

$4.23 €3.77

-29.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.9 €62.4

-0.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 €3.49

$4.37 €3.90

-10.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 €2.03

$2.26 €2.02

0.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.31 €20.80

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.98

$2.32 €2.07

-4.31%

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

$33.3K €29.7K

$33.4K €29.8K

-0.32%

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

$37.8K €33.7K

$38.9K €34.7K

-2.86%

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

$298 €266

$393 €351

-24.16%

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

$22.89 €20.43

$19.87 €17.73

15.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.10 €43.81

$47.70 €42.57

2.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.89 €36.49

$67.7 €60.4

-39.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.31 €40.43

$30.06 €26.82

50.73%

Cinema Ticket

$13.23 €11.81

$16.65 €14.85

-20.54%

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

$295 €263

$1,102 €983

-73.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K €20.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.7 €68.4

$88.6 €79.0

-13.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.7 €62.2

$34.20 €30.52

103.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €89.7

$85.7 €76.5

17.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €102

$107 €95.4

6.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$710 €634

$1,337 €1,193

-46.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$644 €575

$1,110 €991

-41.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 €1,312

$2,743 €2,448

-46.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 €925

$1,927 €1,720

-46.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,322 €4,749

$7,889 €7,040

-32.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,829 €2,524

$4,330 €3,865

-34.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,251 €2,901

$4,129 €3,685

-21.27%

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 Kiel: October 6, 2026

Last update for Frankfurt: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kiel

$644 32.5%

Frankfurt

$1.1K 43.5% 72.3% $466

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kiel

$370 18.7%

Frankfurt

$460 18.1% 24.5% $90

Groceries & Markets

Kiel

$359 18.1%

Frankfurt

$337 13.2% 6% $22

Eating Out

Kiel

$283 14.3%

Frankfurt

$297 11.6% 4.7% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Kiel

$162 8.2%

Frankfurt

$142 5.6% 12.5% $20

Getting Around

Kiel

$97 4.9%

Frankfurt

$103 4% 5.7% $5.5

Sport & Entertainment

Kiel

$67 3.4%

Frankfurt

$101 4% 49.9% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $710 in Kiel and $1,337 in Frankfurt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 27% 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: $84.0 in Kiel vs $91.0 in Frankfurt. Groceries flip the comparison at $359 vs $337, with Frankfurt cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Kiel

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🕒 Local time

09:35 9:35 AM

Same time as Kiel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,306

701,350

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Kiel Frankfurt 480 km

From you

Kiel
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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

Kiel vs Frankfurt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kiel is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and leisure. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 27% 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: $710 in Kiel versus $1,337 in Frankfurt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kiel – a meal for two runs $84.0 versus $91.0 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,996 per month in Kiel versus $2,563 in Frankfurt – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,996 in Kiel versus $2,563 in Frankfurt, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Kiel but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Kiel the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kiel 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, Kiel 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 Kiel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.