Cost of living in Frankfurt, Germany: What to expect

Thinking about moving to Frankfurt? Get a breakdown of monthly expenses, rent ranges, and what makes budgeting here unique—especially for students and young expats.

Bas

9 minute read

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Updated on 16 Sep 2026

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Living

Budget around €1,755 a month as a student or €2,185–€2,635 a month as a single professional (rent included) to live in Frankfurt, one of Germany's priciest cities. 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 insurance, and more.

Key takeaways:

• Students: budget around €1,755 a month total, including a shared room, discounted transport, and student health insurance.
• Single professionals: expect €2,185–€2,635 a month including rent, food, transport, and full health insurance contributions.
• Families: plan for €3,806+ a month excluding rent, plus a bigger home and extras like daycare.
• Rent drives your budget: rooms average €650, studios €1,080, and apartments €1,530 a month.
• Fixed costs catch newcomers off guard: the mandatory Rundfunkbeitrag (€18.36/month) and, for many students, around €148/month in health insurance.
• International students on a visa also need to fund a blocked account (Sperrkonto) with about €992/month before arrival.

Frankfurt is considered one of the expensive cities to live in Germany. The cost of living in Frankfurt for a single person excluding rent is €1,105. Families should expect higher costs, around €3,806 per month excluding rent, as they need to consider expenses like daycare. The living costs in Frankfurt for students are lower given that students generally rent a shared room and receive discounts on public transport and health insurance. You should budget around €1,755 a month to live in Frankfurt as a student.

Here's how the numbers break down by household type:

The average rent in Frankfurt is €650-€1,530, making rental prices in Frankfurt one of the highest in Germany. The exact amount you'll pay depends on the type of accommodation you rent and the location. You can do a quick comparison by filtering your search for homes for rent in Frankfurt by property type and neighborhoods.

The high rental prices are down to the high demand for rental homes, especially in the popular neighbourhoods in Frankfurt. A practical workaround that many people use to cut housing costs is to commute in from a cheaper city nearby. But before you settle on an area, do a quick safety check by neighborhood to make sure your shortlist matches both your budget and your comfort level.

Rooms

According to the quarterly HousingAnywhere Rent Index, a private room in Frankfurt costs €650 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 popular 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 €1,080 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 €1,530 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.

What's the difference between warm rent and cold rent?

German listings usually quote two rent figures: Kaltmiete (cold rent) and Warmmiete (warm rent). The Kaltmiete is the base rent for the space itself, while the Warmmiete adds Nebenkosten, the running costs like heating, water, waste collection, and building maintenance. When you compare listings, always check which figure you're looking at, because a "cheap" Kaltmiete can end up costing the same as a pricier all-inclusive Warmmiete once bills land.

Most listings on HousingAnywhere, including the room, studio, and apartment prices above, already show the Warmmiete so you can budget with the full monthly cost in mind rather than getting surprised by a separate utilities bill.

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 €311 per month for groceries in Frankfurt. Families of four should budget between €500-€800 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 where to shop for groceries in Germany, shopping tips, and how to save money.

Dining out in Frankfurt

Going out for a quick bite can cost you around €17, whereas a three-course meal for 2 is around €80 at a mid-range restaurant. Beer is generally €5 for a pint and a cappuccino is €4.16.

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 €63 monthly.

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

As a student, you can expect to pay €148 per month towards health insurance contributions. If you're employed, every month 14.6% 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 €4,492 in Germany, then you'll pay €469 towards public health insurance. The public health insurance contribution is capped at €5,812.50 per month, meaning anyone earning this much or more will pay a maximum of €630 per month.

For a SIM plan with calling minutes and 10 GB data, you'll be paying about €10-15 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 €60 (500Mbit or more) a month.

You can save up on these costs by getting a subscription which includes both. In general, you can expect to pay around €58 per month for both internet and mobile.

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 €251 per month. To give you an idea, here's what you can expect to spend on entertainment or leisure activities in Frankfurt:

Two mandatory costs rarely show up in a first budget draft, but you'll need to plan for both.

Every household in Germany pays the Rundfunkbeitrag, a broadcasting fee of €18.36 per month, regardless of whether you own a TV or radio. It's billed per household, so if you share a flat, you can split it with your flatmates instead of paying it alone.

If you're a non-EU student applying for a German student visa, you'll also need to open a blocked account (Sperrkonto) and deposit €11,904 for the year, released at €992 a month. This proves to the immigration office that you can support yourself, and the bank releases the funds to you monthly once you arrive. Factor this upfront deposit into your moving budget well before your visa appointment, since it's separate from your monthly living costs.

Where you live changes your budget more than almost any other factor. Rödelheim has the lowest prices overall, while Höchst, Niederrad, and Bornheim also come in below the city average. Bockenheim and Dornbusch are go-to picks if you're a student who wants to stay close to Goethe University without paying Westend or Innenstadt prices.

If your shortlist still feels out of budget, commuting in from a cheaper city nearby or widening your search to Höchst and Fechenheim usually brings your rent down without adding much commute time. Always run a safety check by neighbourhood before you commit to a cheaper area.

A few Frankfurt-specific habits make a real dent in your monthly spending:

• Get the Deutschlandticket (€63/month) instead of single tickets if you travel around the city or region often; students at participating universities get an even cheaper semester ticket.
• Eat at a Mensa if you're a student. University canteens serve subsidised meals for a few euros, well below restaurant prices.
• Shop at Kleinmarkthalle for fresh produce, meat, and deli items at prices that beat many supermarkets for quality.
• Search for a WG (shared flat) instead of a solo apartment. Rooms average €650 versus €1,080+ for a studio, and it's the fastest way to cut your biggest expense.
• Bundle your internet and mobile plans to land closer to €58/month instead of paying for each separately.
• Split the Rundfunkbeitrag with flatmates since it's charged per household, not per person.

You now have a solid picture of what your new life in Frankfurt will cost. Rent is the largest chunk of your budget, so start your search for homes in Frankfurt early and lock in a place before you arrive. Booking ahead on HousingAnywhere means you can compare rooms, studios, and apartments by price and neighbourhood, message landlords directly, and secure your rent with Tenant Protection, so your payment stays protected until 48 hours after move-in unless the place doesn't match what was advertised. Happy budgeting!

For a broader perspective on life here, check out your guide to living in Frankfurt to see why so many expats choose this city and what makes it stand out beyond just the costs.

Is Frankfurt expensive compared to other German cities? Yes. Frankfurt is one of the more expensive cities in Germany, driven mainly by high rent. A single person should budget €1,105 a month excluding rent, on top of average rents of €650 (room) to €1,530 (apartment).

What is the average cost of living in Frankfurt for a student? Students should budget around €1,755 a month in total. This is lower than other renter groups because students typically share a room, and get discounts on transport and health insurance.

How much money do you need to live comfortably in Frankfurt? A single professional living comfortably, with a studio or 1-bedroom apartment, food, transport, and full health insurance, should plan for €2,185–€2,635 a month. Families need closer to €3,806 a month excluding rent.

What is the average rent in Frankfurt? Average rent in Frankfurt is €650 for a room, €1,080 for a studio, and €1,530 for a 1-bedroom apartment, according to the HousingAnywhere Rent Index.

How much does a single person spend per month in Frankfurt? A single person spends around €1,105 a month excluding rent on food, transport, insurance, and leisure. Add average rent of €650–€1,530, depending on housing type, for a full monthly budget.

What is the average salary in Frankfurt? The average gross salary in Germany is around €4,492 a month. At this level, you'd pay about €469 a month towards public health insurance, since contributions are capped at €630 for higher earners.