Cost of living in Frankfurt am Main in 2020


Updated on Sep 11 • 5 minute read

So you’re scoping out Frankfurt as one of your options as a new home in Germany? One of the most important questions you need to answer is: what is the cost of living in Frankfurt? You can cook your own meals, ingredients only from the local market, or go out to dinner every day: it all depends on your lifestyle. But there’s a number of things we can slap a price tag on, to give you a pretty good idea of what your cost of living in Frankfurt is going to be!

Cost of living: Housing & Utilities

Let’s be honest, it doesn’t matter where you live: housing costs are probably going to make up the largest chunk of cost of living bills. So what does it cost to live in Frankfurt? Like every city, there are highs and lows, depending on where you want to live. Let’s take a look at the average rental prices for rooms, studios, and apartments in this metropolitan.

Housing typeCost (including utilities)


What is the living cost for students in Frankfurt?

  • According to HousingAnywhere data, the average price of a private room in Frankfurt is €633 including utilities.

As a student, you’re probably going to spend most of your time away from home, so a room or a room in a shared apartment is one of the most likely candidates for your stay in Frankfurt. The price of your room will of course be dependent on where you live and what kind of amenities you can enjoy while you stay.

Find your room in Frankfurt here!


What is the average rent for a studio in Frankfurt?

  • According to HousingAnywhere data, the average price of a studio in Frankfurt is €912 including utilities.

If you prefer not to share your facilities, a studio is your thing! Though, having your own kitchen and bathroom ramps up the price, costing you quite a bit 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 your studio in Frankfurt here


How much is the rent for an apartment in Frankfurt?

  • According to HousingAnywhere data, the average price of a 1-bedroom apartment in Frankfurt is €1066 including utilities.

Apartments are where prices can go almost anywhere, from highrise apartments to a nice flat in the suburbs. So you choose, do you pay a premium to live in the city center or do you save yourself some money on rent and make use of the excellent public transport to get to work on time.

Find your apartment in Frankfurt here

Cost of living: Food

Food is another one of those living costs that is going to be high on your list of living expenses. After your rent, groceries, snacks on the go, and going out to eat probably follow as one of your bigger expenses. So let's take a look at what your lunch- and cooking habits will cost you!


Also, for many Germans going out to eat for dinner is more of an exception than the norm. So, if you follow suit, you could keep your budget under control here. Luckily, Frankfurt is home to various supermarkets, catering to the budget-minded expats, Lidl and Aldi are your friends.

If you’re on your own, you should be able to comfortably purchase groceries for between €30-50 a week, if you’re cooking for yourself. If you’re in an international company, it’s likely that your colleagues will be eager to go out for lunch at least once a week, so that’s probably next on your budget!

Going out to eat & drink

Going out for lunch could cost you around €7-10 for a nice sandwich, whereas something fancier could run you from €13-20 . If you’re going out to dinner, it all depends on what kind of restaurant to pick; that said, though, a ‘normal’ restaurant should run you around €25-35 for a main course and a drink.

Essentials: Health insurance

The German health system is one of the best in the world! This isn’t just because of its world-class specialists and hospitals, but also due to the fact that pretty much everyone with a job contributes to the public health insurance fund. This means that if you’re working in Germany, you get to make use of the healthcare system as well! There’s not a set number I can give you as far as the cost of your healthcare contribution, as this depends on your income. You contribute around 7.3% of your gross salary, starting once you earn over €850, up until you earn well over €4600. So let’s break it down with some numbers. And don’t worry, this will automatically be deducted from your gross income!

  • 7.3% of €1000: €73 a month
  • 7.3% of €2500: €182.5 a month
  • 7.3% of €3500: €255.5 a month
  • 7.3% of €4687: €342.15 a month. This is the salary cap, so if you earn more than this, your contribution will stay the same.

It seems like a lot, but since it’s deducted from your gross salary, you pay less in income tax! Find out more in our in-depth article about the German health insurance system.

Essentials: Internet

With covid measures still in place around the world, working and studying from home is the new normal for a lot of people. Many landlords have internet included in the rental price, but there’s quite a chance that you’re not the only one using the network, be it roommates attending online lectures, flatmates talking on a conference call, or maybe your own partner also downloading work files at the same time. So, what do you pay for internet in Frankfurt? Or, more importantly for most people, how much could an upgrade that gives us all some more bandwidth breathing room cost me?

So let’s look at the pricing for internet in Frankfurt:

How much does internet cost in Frankfurt?

  • Depending on the connectivity of your address, you pay between €30 (100Mbit) to €50+ (500Mbit or more) a month.

To get access to a respectable 100Mbit (enough speed for 2-3 people video calling and/or streaming) you‘re looking at a cost of around €30-40 a month. For an exact price, you can use Check24.de to run a check for your (future) address. If you’re looking for even more speed and a strong upload connection as well, then a fiber connection might be right for you, netting you a blistering 500Mbit or more, starting at around €50 a month. These kinds of speeds are a must-have if you have 2-3 or more people actively using the same network for work and entertainment at the same time.

Extra luxuries

Of course, we need to look at more than just the essentials. There are some monthly costs that almost everyone had, but you could technically survive without.

Mobile phone: unlimited data

Moving abroad to Germany, to Frankfurt, doesn’t mean your relatives are going to disappear! Depending on where you’re from, international calls might still be very expensive. Thankfully, the internet is your friend! With covid going on, video calling is more popular than ever, so a cellphone subscription with a lot of or even unlimited data might not be that much of a luxury after all.

Check24.de to the rescue once again! For a phone plan with 100 calling minutes combined with 10 GB data, you’ll be paying around €15 a month. Do you want unlimited data, then you’ll be spending closer to €25 a month. A small price to pay to stay in touch with your loved ones!

Gym subscriptions

Though covid is preventing us from actually hitting the gym for the last few months, it might actually be a good moment to score a gym subscription at a discount. So, if you’re looking for a budget gym, then at €30 a month, McFit is for you! If you feel like you might need some of those corona pounds and you have a corporate discount or really want to commit yourself, you can attend the Primetime Main Tower Gym to pump iron with a killer view of the city at €75-100 a month. For that kind of money, at least you know you’ll have a hard time skipping your gym visits (besides, you should never skip leg-day anyway).

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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