Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krefeld and Frankfurt

For one person, living is cheaper in Krefeld: $1,920 a month against $2,510 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Krefeld, Germany
Frankfurt, Germany
Krefeld
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,920
/mo nomad
Frankfurt
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,510
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,920 in Krefeld versus $2,510 in Frankfurt.

  • Krefeld $1,920
  • Frankfurt $2,510

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,931 in Krefeld versus $3,732 in Frankfurt.

  • Krefeld $2,931
  • Frankfurt $3,732

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,941 in Krefeld versus $4,954 in Frankfurt.

  • Krefeld $3,941
  • Frankfurt $4,954

Living in Krefeld costs roughly 23% less than in Frankfurt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krefeld 41% above, Frankfurt 84% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Krefeld
Frankfurt
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.96 €15.20
$16.83 €15.08
0.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.3 €63.9
$88.1 €78.9
-19.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.82 €11.49
$13.28 €11.90
-3.46%
Cappuccino
$3.98 €3.57
$4.54 €4.07
-12.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 €3.28
$3.68 €3.29
-0.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.23 €2.90
$3.61 €3.24
-10.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.76 €5.16
$5.71 €5.12
0.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.61 €5.03
$5.74 €5.14
-2.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Krefeld
Frankfurt
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 €1.13
$1.31 €1.17
-3.82%
White Bread (500g)
$2.06 €1.84
$2.20 €1.97
-6.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.63 €3.25
$3.09 €2.77
17.48%
Eggs
$3.64 €3.26
$3.65 €3.27
-0.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.65 €12.24
$13.55 €12.14
0.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.98 €10.74
$11.86 €10.63
1.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.19 €20.78
$21.79 €19.53
6.42%
Apples (1kg)
$3.12 €2.80
$3.10 €2.78
0.65%
Banana (1kg)
$2.01 €1.80
$2.09 €1.88
-3.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.47 €2.21
$1.94 €1.74
27.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.26 €3.82
$3.83 €3.43
11.23%
Potato (1kg)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.78 €1.59
-20.79%
Onion (1kg)
$1.21 €1.09
$1.86 €1.66
-34.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.69 €1.51
$1.57 €1.40
7.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 €0.94
$1.05 €0.94
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.76 €8.75
$9.49 €8.50
2.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.65 €5.96
$5.61 €5.03
18.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.12 €1.00
-4.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 €1.37
$1.45 €1.30
5.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Krefeld
Frankfurt
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.43 €3.08
$4.29 €3.85
-20.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$58.7 €52.6
$69.3 €62.1
-15.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.98 €4.46
$4.42 €3.96
12.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.23 €2.00
$2.27 €2.04
-1.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.97 €29.54
$23.89 €21.41
38.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.29 €2.05
$2.22 €1.99
3.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.9K €29.5K
$33.7K €30.2K
-2.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.3K
$39.2K €35.1K
-2.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Krefeld
Frankfurt
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$310 €277
$385 €345
-19.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.00 €23.30
$19.76 €17.70
31.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.20 €36.02
$46.58 €41.74
-13.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Krefeld
Frankfurt
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.19 €36.02
$63.4 €56.8
-36.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.55 €24.69
$29.55 €26.48
-6.77%
Cinema Ticket
$13.54 €12.14
$16.84 €15.09
-19.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Krefeld
Frankfurt
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$469 €420
$1,097 €983
-57.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.7K €19.5K
$22.6K €20.3K
-3.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Krefeld
Frankfurt
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.5 €78.4
$86.3 €77.4
1.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.65 €36.43
$33.24 €29.79
22.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €94.3
$82.5 €73.9
27.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 €114
$108 €96.5
18.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Krefeld
Frankfurt
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 €653
$1,418 €1,271
-48.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$598 €535
$1,092 €978
-45.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,425 €1,277
$2,713 €2,431
-47.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,096 €982
$1,920 €1,720
-42.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,276 €2,935
$7,738 €6,934
-57.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,505 €4,037
$4,482 €4,017
0.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Krefeld
Frankfurt
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,953 €1,750
$4,024 €3,606
-51.47%
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 Krefeld: 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
Krefeld
$598
Frankfurt
$1.1K 82.7% $494
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Krefeld
$376
Frankfurt
$451 20% $75
Groceries & Markets
Krefeld
$339
Frankfurt
$330 2.8% $9.4
Eating Out
Krefeld
$289
Frankfurt
$298 3% $8.7
Clothing & Footwear
Krefeld
$162
Frankfurt
$139 14.1% $23
Getting Around
Krefeld
$89
Frankfurt
$102 15.5% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Krefeld
$67
Frankfurt
$97 44.2% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Krefeld and $1,418 in Frankfurt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $71 in Krefeld vs $88 in Frankfurt. Groceries flip the comparison at $339 vs $330, with Frankfurt cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Krefeld
🇩🇪 Frankfurt
🕒 Local time
20:06 8:06 PM
20:06 8:06 PM
Same time as Krefeld
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
222,058
701,350
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Krefeld Frankfurt 200 km
From you
  • Krefeld
  • Frankfurt

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Krefeld vs Frankfurt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Krefeld cheaper than Frankfurt?
Krefeld is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Krefeld or Frankfurt?
On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Krefeld. 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 Krefeld and Frankfurt?
Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Krefeld versus $1,418 in Frankfurt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Krefeld or in Frankfurt?
Dining out is cheaper in Krefeld – a meal for two runs $71 versus $88 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Krefeld and in Frankfurt?
All in, you’ll spend $1,920 per month in Krefeld versus $2,510 in Frankfurt – Krefeld is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Krefeld or in Frankfurt?
At $1,920 in Krefeld versus $2,510 in Frankfurt, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Krefeld but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Krefeld the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Krefeld 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, Krefeld or Frankfurt?
Safety-wise, Krefeld and Frankfurt are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Krefeld 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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