Cost of living in Frankfurt, Germany: What to expect

Relocating to Frankfurt? Come find out how much exactly you'll be spending here with our cost of living in Frankfurt overview!

Bas

4 minute read

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Updated on 11 Feb 2025

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Living

Frankfurt is one of the best cities to live in Germany, offering a high quality of life and great opportunities. If you’re considering moving to this city, you’ll need to get a good understanding of the cost of living in Frankfurt so you can budget properly. In this article, we’ll walk you through the living expenses in Frankfurt, broken down by rent, food, transportation, health insuance, and more.

With an average cost of living of €2,146 per month, Frankfurt is considered one of the expensive cities to live in Germany.

The cost of living in Frankfurt for a single person with a moderate budget is €2,562. Families should expect higher costs, around €3,856-€4,500 per month, as they need to rent an apartment and consider expenses like daycare. The living costs in Frankfurt for students are €1,300. This is lower given that students generally rent a shared room and receive discounts on public transport and health insurance.

Now, let’s look at the breakdown of the cost of living in Frankfurt so that you can prepare a better budget for yourself.

The average rent in Frankfurt is €1,213, making rental prices in Frankfurt one of the highest in Germany. The high rental prices are down to the high demand for rental homes, especially in the popular neighbourhoods in Frankfurt. But the exact amount you’ll pay depends on the type of accommodation you rent and the location.

Rooms

According to the quarterly HousingAnywhere Rent Index, a private room in Frankfurt costs €695 per month.

Most students at Frankfurt universities rent a room in a shared apartment. It offers the most affordable way to live in the centre or near the university campus.

For a safe way to book your new home from abroad, you can search for student accommodation in Frankfurt on HousingAnywhere. This way, you can book with Tenant Protection, which protects your rent until after you move in, unless you tell us the place isn’t as advertised.

Studios

According to HousingAnywhere data, the average price of a studio in Frankfurt is €1,245 per month.

If you prefer not to share your space, a studio is your best option. Having your own kitchen and bathroom ramps up the price, costing you much more than a room. Then again, if you’re working a full-time job, getting to come home to your own space is completely worth it! Find studios for rent in in Frankfurt here.

Apartments

According to HousingAnywhere data, the average price of a 1-bedroom apartment in Frankfurt is €1,700 monthly.

Apartment prices can vary greatly, depending on whether you live in a central area or a nice flat in the suburbs, how old the apartment is, and whether it is furnished. Find apartments for rent in Frankfurt on HousingAnywhere.

After your rent, groceries, snacks on the go, and eating out will follow as one of your bigger expenses. So let's take a look at what your food habits will cost you.

Groceries

If you’re single, you should budget between €300 and €450 per month for groceries in Frankfurt. Families of four should budget between €600-€900 per month. Ultimately, how much you spend depends on your dietary preferences and which supermarkets you shop from.

Explore our guide to learn more about popular grocery stores, shopping tips, and how to save money on groceries in Germany.

Dining out in Frankfurt

Going out for quick bite can cost you around €18, whereas a three-course meal for 2 is around €70 at a mid-range restaurant. Beer is generally €4.95 for a pint and a cappuccino is €3.50.

Using public transport in Frankfurt is a convenient way to travel between classes, work, gym, or meeting friends across the city.

Students at participating Frankfurt universities can apply for a semesterticket and travel for free or a reduced cost during term time. For others, if you want to travel frequently throughout Germany, buy the Deutschlandticket for €58 monthly. Alternatively, you can get a monthly or an annual subscription, which ranges between €85-€106 per month.

The cost of health insurance in Germany is the same across all the cities.

As a student in Hamburg, you can expect to pay €140 per month towards health insurance contributions. If you’re employed in Hamburg, every month 7.3% of your gross monthly salary will automatically be deducted to pay for health insurance. Your employer takes care of this.

For example, if you earn the average salary of €4,187 in Germany, then you’ll pay €305.6 towards public health insurance. The public health insurance contribution is capped at €5,512.50 per month, meaning anyone earning this much or more will pay a maximum of €421.58 per month.

For a phone plan with calling minutes and 10 GB data, you’ll be paying between €20 and €40 per month. If you want unlimited data, then you’ll be spending between €40 and €80 per month.

Many landlords have internet included in the rental price, but there’s a chance your home internet won't be included. Depending on the connectivity of your address, you pay between €30 (100Mbit) to €50 (500Mbit or more) a month.

You can save up on these costs by getting a subscription which includes both.

This part of the budget is entirely dependent on your interests and how often you plan to do some of these activities. We recommend budgeting €250-€400 per month. To give you an idea, here’s what you can expect to spend on entertainment or leisure activities in Frankfurt:

We hope you now have a pretty good understanding of what your new life in Frankfurt is going to cost you. Happy budgeting!

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