✦ Compare
Frankfurt vs
Munich
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
To keep the same standard of living in Munich, DE, you'd need
$79,875 / year
Munich, DE is 7% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (Munich, DE vs Frankfurt, DE)
- Housing+13%
- Food & groceries+4%
- Transport+2%
- Utilities+3%
- Healthcare0%
- Goods & services+4%
◎ How Frankfurt, DE and Munich, DE compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Frankfurt, DE | Munich, DE | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 114 | 121 |
| Housing | 135 | 152 |
| Food | 106 | 110 |
| Transport | 88 | 90 |
| Utilities | 128 | 132 |
| Healthcare | 95 | 95 |
| Goods & services | 106 | 110 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $1,350/mo | $1,700/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $950/mo | $1,300/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $2,600/mo | $3,400/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $8,500 | $11,000 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $881 | $827 |
| Inexpensive meal | $15 | $16 |
| Monthly transit pass | $100 | $60 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 45% | 45% |
| VAT / sales tax | 19% | 19% |
| Social security (employee) | 20% | 20% |
| Corporate tax | 30% | 30% |
| Capital gains | 26.4% | 26.4% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $2,900/mo | $2,900/mo |
| Minimum wage | $2,200/mo | $2,200/mo |
| GDP per capita | $60,496 | $60,496 |
| Inflation (annual) | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | High | High |
| Coworking spaces | 45 | 60 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 | UTC+1 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 68 | 78 |
| Healthcare index | 84 | 80 |
| Pollution index | 40 | 40 |
| Internet speed | 150 Mbps | 120 Mbps |
| Walkability | 78 | 86 |
| Public transport | 85 | 92 |
| Family-friendly | 72 | 74 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Life expectancy | 81 yr | 81 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +3 °C | 0 °C |
| July avg | +20 °C | +19 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 110 | 100 |
| Rainfall / year | 650 mm | 960 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Germany vs Germany. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
Good to know before you move to Frankfurt
Germany's banking capital and its only real skyline — home to the ECB, the country's biggest airport and a compact, international core. Costs run high for Germany but sit below Munich, and the airport makes it the easiest base for anyone who flies a lot.
- Currency
- Euro (€ EUR)
- Languages
- German
- Time zone
- UTC+1
- Internet
- 150 Mbps
- English
- Widely spoken
- Safety
- 68/100
- Climate
- ❄ 3°C · ☀ 20°C · 110 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- F · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Nordend · Bornheim · Sachsenhausen · Westend
Good to know before you move to Munich
Germany's wealthy southern powerhouse — BMW, beer gardens and the Alps nearby, at the country's highest rents.
- Currency
- Euro (€ EUR)
- Languages
- German
- Time zone
- UTC+1
- Internet
- 120 Mbps
- English
- Widely spoken
- Safety
- 78/100
- Climate
- ❄ 0°C · ☀ 19°C · 100 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- F · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Schwabing · Glockenbachviertel · Maxvorstadt
Plan your move to Frankfurt
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsNH Hotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Flight compensationAirHelp
Sponsored
Plan your move to Munich
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsNH Hotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Flight compensationAirHelp
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Frankfurt to Munich: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Frankfurt to Munich, your cost of living will be roughly 7% more expensive. Munich’s cost-of-living index is 121 versus 114 for Frankfurt (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Frankfurt cheaper than Munich?
Munich is about 7% more expensive than Frankfurt overall — its cost-of-living index is 121 versus 114 for Frankfurt.
How much do you need to earn in Munich to live like in Frankfurt?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Frankfurt is worth about $79,875 in Munich. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Frankfurt or Munich?
Both cities are in the same country, so national income tax (45%) and VAT are identical; only local cost of living differs.
◷ More comparisons from Frankfurt
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.