cost
Cost of Living Index
Cologne70.2 / 0
Frankfurt60.1 / 100
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: Frankfurt leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; Cologne leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; Cologne leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Cologne leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | Cologne | 70.2 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | Frankfurt | 60.1 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | Cologne | 63.7 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | Frankfurt | 44.1 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | Cologne | $2,277 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | Frankfurt | $2,792 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Cologne | 5.7x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Frankfurt | 10.0x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Cologne | $5,147/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Frankfurt | $4,299/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Cologne | 2.9% | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Frankfurt | 5.3% | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | Cologne | 71.4 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | Frankfurt | 61.4 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Cologne | 79.9 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Frankfurt | 79.5 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
Cologne wins on 14 of 22 metrics compared to Frankfurt.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
Cologne leads safety, rent, and housing; Frankfurt leads cost, air quality, and demographics.
cost
Cologne
70.2
Frankfurt
60.1
safety
Cologne
63.7
Frankfurt
44.1
housing
Cologne
$2,277
Frankfurt
$2,792
housing
Cologne
5.7x
Frankfurt
10.0x
jobs
Cologne
$5,147/mo
Frankfurt
$4,299/mo
jobs
Cologne
2.9%
Frankfurt
5.3%
health
Cologne
71.4
Frankfurt
61.4
health
Cologne
79.9 years
Frankfurt
79.5 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
Cologne
1.0%
Frankfurt
2.4%
education
Cologne
89.6
Frankfurt
81.2
transport
Cologne
68.5
Frankfurt
68.1
safety
Cologne
20.0 per 100k
Frankfurt
9.2 per 100k
safety
Cologne
44.2 per 100k
Frankfurt
38.5 per 100k
health
Cologne
20.7%
Frankfurt
26.9%
quality
Cologne
3.5
Frankfurt
3.4
housing
Cologne
$9,709/sqm
Frankfurt
$5,739/sqm
religion
Cologne
52.7%
Frankfurt
16.0%
religion
Cologne
41.6%
Frankfurt
58.5%
religion
Cologne
29.8%
Frankfurt
55.1%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.