Cost of living in Frankfurt: Food, transport, and more

When you choose a destination abroad for work, study, or long-term stay, it’s crucial to understand the economy and monthly budget required. Here, we’ll study the cost of living in Frankfurt, a financial and commercial city in western Germany.

In this article, we’ll detail accommodation, food costs, transport prices, medical assistance, and leisure activities with their fees. We’ll also discuss internet connection plans and available options. So, if you’re ready to live in Frankfurt, let’s prepare your wallet!

Average accommodation costs in Frankfurt

The area you choose to live in will impact Frankfurt’s rental costs. As one of Europe’s financial hubs, rental housing is expensive, especially downtown. If you live in outer districts, you can save up to 30%. Here are the available options:

• One-bedroom flat: a furnished central flat costs from $1,432 (€1,253), or $1,041 (€911) in suburbs like Bornheim or Niederrad.
• Coliving: a shared coliving in Frankfurt with coworking, such as Habyt Frankfurt in Ostend, costs $1,485 (€1,300) monthly including services.
• Three-star hotel: a central hotel, like City Kräme am Röme, with a double room, costs $85 (€75) daily.
• Airbnb: average flats in Sachsenhausen or Ostend cost $114 (€100) nightly.

Cost of food

Food also shapes the cost of living in Frankfurt, whether you shop in supermarkets, order takeout, or eat out. The best way to save is cooking at home, and here you’ll find affordable supermarkets like Aldi, where a basket costs roughly:

• Pasta (1 kg): $1.49 (€1.30)
• Eggs (dozen): $3.98 (€3.48)
• Whole milk (1 L): $1.43 (€1.25)
• Beef (1 kg): $8.71 (€7.62)
• Chicken (1 kg): $6.25 (€5.47)
• Chocolate (100 g): $1.71 (€1.50)
• Ground coffee (500 g): $6.97 (€6.10)
• Apples (1 kg): $2.33 (€2.04)
• Bread (500 g): $1.91 (€1.67)

A worker’s life, such as a digital nomad, often means leaving the coworking space to eat nearby or using meals for client meetings. If you want to try typical Hessian cuisine, simple yet flavourful, visit Zum Gemalten Haus in Sachsenhausen. Here’s a sample menu:

Typical menu at a restaurant in Frankfurt.

Transport prices in Frankfurt

Transport is another factor raising Frankfurt’s living costs. Options include public, private, bike rental, or driving your own vehicle. Depending on your stay’s purpose, one may suit you better.

For example, students or nomads often use bikes or metros, tourists prefer trains or buses, and long-term residents may buy a car. Here’s the budget needed:

Getting around Frankfurt with public transport

The Frankfurt Verkehrsverbund (RMV) manages transport across Frankfurt and surroundings. It organises metro, tram, buses, and regional trains. With the Deutschlandticket, you can access all with one pass. Prices are:

• Monthly pass: $63 (€58)
• Single ticket (ABC zones): $4.35 (€3.80)
• Day ticket: $10.29 (€9.00)

The convenience of Taxi, Uber, and Bolt

Frankfurt taxis follow official city fares, with a base fee plus kilometre rate. You’ll find them at Taxistand stops or via the Taxi Frankfurt app. A five-kilometre ride costs $18.30 (€16.00).

Uber and Bolt are ridesharing apps connecting passengers with private drivers. You book via the app, confirm the fare, and pay automatically. The same five-kilometre ride with Uber costs about $14.86 (€13), slightly cheaper with Bolt.

Bike rental in Frankfurt

If you prefer exercise and sustainability, Frankfurt offers bike-sharing and rental options by hours, days, or weeks. Bike lanes cover 90% of streets, and Fahrradstraßen prioritise bicycles, banning most cars. This ensures safer, smoother rides. Main rental rates are:

• Baja Bikes: from $11.43 (€10) for four hours or $21.72 (€19) for a full day.
• Call a Bike: $0.09 (€0.08) per minute after a $1.14 (€1.00) monthly subscription.
• Nextbike: €1.50 ($1.61) every 30 minutes, with optional subscription.

New car prices and fuel costs

If you need to drive in Germany, a new car in Frankfurt, such as a Volkswagen Golf, costs about $41,717 (€36,500). You’ll also need mandatory insurance: from $295 (€258) yearly for third-party or $670 (€587) for full coverage.

In your monthly Frankfurt budget, include petrol or electric charging. Current prices are:

• Petrol (95 octane): €1.50 ($1.71) per litre.
• Diesel: €1.45 ($1.66) per litre.
• Electricity (residential): $0.402 (€0.367) per kWh.

Healthcare costs in Frankfurt

Healthcare in Frankfurt can be expensive without public access. EU citizens can use the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which you must request in your country before arrival.

If you’re from outside the EU, you must purchase health insurance. Public insurance covers consultations, hospital stays, and treatments with reduced co-pay if you hold a student or work visa. Health insurance can be public, which covers medical appointments, hospitalisation and treatments with reduced co-payments if you have a student or work visa, or private, if you do not hold any of these permits, with an approximate cost starting from $172 (€150) per month with Allianz Care. Here are typical prices:

Healthcare costs in Frankfurt.

Internet and call plan prices

When abroad, a stable internet connection is vital, especially for work. The cost of living in Frankfurt includes fixed internet and mobile plans. Here are the main providers:

• O₂ Home XXL: fixed internet with up to 1000 MBit/s download and 50 MBit/s upload for $68.56 (€59.99) monthly.
• MagentaZuhause L: fixed internet with 100 MBit/s download and 40 MBit/s upload for $22.80 (€19.95) monthly.
• O₂ Mobile M: 30 GB with unlimited calls for $28.56 (€24.99) monthly.

For demanding users, Holafly monthly plans connect you in 170+ destinations without SIM changes, with 5G coverage across Frankfurt, unlimited data options, and reliable service. Pick your plan:

Features of Holafly’s monthly plans

With Holafly, you can also get unlimited data using an eSIM for Germany. Choose the days you need, keep your SIM, and avoid roaming costs. best esim internet for digital nomads

Important: If you are a frequent traveler and want to stay connected without worrying about expensive roaming or looking for a new SIM at every destination, Holafly’s subscription plans are for you. With a single eSIM, enjoy internet in more than 160 countries for a fixed price and no surprises on your bill. Travel without limits and connect easily and securely! 🚀🌍

Leisure activity costs in Frankfurt

Finally, let’s end with leisure in Frankfurt: cultural and outdoor activities add to living costs. Entertainment is varied, from cinemas and museums to Main Tower views.

With the Frankfurt City Pass, you’ll get discounts on 40+ attractions and free transport from $13.15 (€11.50) daily. Budget for fun with these prices:

• Cinema: $13.72 (€12) per ticket.
• Zoo: general entry $17.15 (€15).
• Theatre: musicals at Städtische Bühnen cost $29–$57 (€25–€50).
• Streaming platforms: Netflix, Prime, or Disney+ subscription $10.27 (€8.99) monthly.
• Museums: Städel Museum $8 (€7), Senckenberg Museum $11 (€10).
• Goethe House: entry costs $8 (€7).
• Main Tower: observation deck costs $13.72 (€12).
• Palmengarten: Frankfurt’s largest botanical garden costs $8 (€7).

Now you know how much you’ll spend in Frankfurt for housing, food, transport, healthcare, internet, or leisure. You can better organise your budget and decide if living here is viable.

Compared with the cost of living in Germany, Frankfurt is more expensive than Berlin but cheaper than Munich. We hope this guide helps you evaluate whether Frankfurt fits your lifestyle. If so, Willkommen in Frankfurt am Main!

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