Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ludwigshafen and Frankfurt

For one person, living is cheaper in Ludwigshafen: $1,850 a month against $2,539 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Ludwigshafen
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Ludwigshafen Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Frankfurt
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Frankfurt Living Index

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Ludwigshafen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,850

/mo nomad

Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,539

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,850 in Ludwigshafen versus $2,539 in Frankfurt.

Ludwigshafen $1,850
Frankfurt $2,539

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Ludwigshafen versus $3,762 in Frankfurt.

Ludwigshafen $2,721
Frankfurt $3,762

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,592 in Ludwigshafen versus $4,984 in Frankfurt.

Ludwigshafen $3,592
Frankfurt $4,984

Living in Ludwigshafen costs roughly 27% less than in Frankfurt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ludwigshafen 37% above, Frankfurt 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.61 €14.78

$16.72 €14.87

-0.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.3 €69.7

$88.4 €78.7

-11.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 €11.05

$13.36 €11.88

-6.96%

Cappuccino

$4.18 €3.72

$4.54 €4.04

-7.93%

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

$3.39 €3.01

$3.69 €3.28

-8.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 €2.32

$3.60 €3.21

-27.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 €4.50

$5.55 €4.94

-8.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.07

$5.73 €5.09

-20.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €1.01

$1.34 €1.20

-14.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.45

$2.21 €1.96

-25.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 €2.51

$2.98 €2.65

-5.37%

Eggs

$3.95 €3.52

$3.85 €3.42

2.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.09 €11.64

$13.65 €12.14

-4.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 €9.44

$11.78 €10.48

-9.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.62 €22.79

$21.85 €19.43

17.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$3.08 €2.74

-14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 €1.30

$2.09 €1.86

-29.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$1.91 €1.70

40.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$3.90 €3.47

-44.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.80 €1.60

-24.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.93 €1.71

-24.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.57 €1.39

-13.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.95

$0.99 €0.88

7.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.92 €8.83

$9.54 €8.48

3.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.50 €5.78

$5.47 €4.87

18.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.92

$1.16 €1.03

-10.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.40 €1.25

11.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.54 €3.15

$4.15 €3.69

-14.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 €61.2

$69.2 €61.6

-0.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.46 €8.41

$4.48 €3.99

111.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 €3.05

$2.18 €1.94

57.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.85 €17.65

$23.71 €21.09

-16.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.70

$2.30 €2.05

-16.96%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$32.7K €29.1K

-1.03%

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

$38.1K €33.8K

$38.2K €33.9K

-0.30%

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

$259 €231

$394 €351

-34.23%

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

$11.29 €10.04

$19.53 €17.38

-42.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.80 €41.62

$47.62 €42.36

-1.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.52 €34.26

$67.9 €60.4

-43.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.15 €25.93

$28.82 €25.64

1.15%

Cinema Ticket

$16.46 €14.64

$16.62 €14.78

-0.96%

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

$474 €421

$1,068 €950

-55.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K €20.2K

$22.9K €20.4K

-0.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 €58.9

$84.8 €75.4

-21.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.01 €39.14

$33.61 €29.90

30.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 €74.3

$83.7 €74.5

-0.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.50 €40.47

$105 €93.0

-56.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$782 €696

$1,345 €1,196

-41.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 €579

$1,111 €988

-41.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,487 €1,322

$2,720 €2,420

-45.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$927 €825

$1,936 €1,722

-52.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,917 €4,374

$7,856 €6,988

-37.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,308 €2,943

$4,296 €3,822

-23.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,434 €3,054

$3,979 €3,539

-13.70%

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 Ludwigshafen: October 12, 2026

Last update for Frankfurt: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ludwigshafen

$651 35.2%

Frankfurt

$1.1K 43.7% 70.6% $460

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ludwigshafen

$317 17.2%

Frankfurt

$461 18.2% 45.4% $144

Groceries & Markets

Ludwigshafen

$314 17%

Frankfurt

$330 13% 5.1% $16

Eating Out

Ludwigshafen

$279 15.1%

Frankfurt

$297 11.7% 6.4% $18

Getting Around

Ludwigshafen

$110 5.9%

Frankfurt

$101 4% 7.6% $8.3

Clothing & Footwear

Ludwigshafen

$108 5.8%

Frankfurt

$138 5.4% 28.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Ludwigshafen

$71 3.9%

Frankfurt

$101 4% 41.6% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $782 in Ludwigshafen and $1,345 in Frankfurt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 16% 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: $78.0 in Ludwigshafen vs $88.0 in Frankfurt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $330 per month, with Ludwigshafen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Ludwigshafen

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🕒 Local time

23:58 11:58 PM

Same time as Ludwigshafen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

163,340

701,350

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Ludwigshafen Frankfurt 73 km

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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

Ludwigshafen vs Frankfurt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ludwigshafen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 16% 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: $782 in Ludwigshafen 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 Ludwigshafen – a meal for two runs $78.0 versus $88.0 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,850 per month in Ludwigshafen versus $2,539 in Frankfurt – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,850 in Ludwigshafen versus $2,539 in Frankfurt, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ludwigshafen but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Ludwigshafen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ludwigshafen 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, Ludwigshafen 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 Ludwigshafen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.