Get tips, join events & make friends in Frankfurt
Discover the ins and outs of living in Germany from British members in our InterNations community. Living abroad can be an exciting adventure, yet there are times when you might just want to meet people from home. Maybe you want to share your experience of life in Frankfurt. Or you’re seeking for advice from people who’ve been through the same things before. Whether you’re looking for the best fish and chips spot, craving English snacks like Walkers crisps, or need a buddy to watch football or the Six Nations Championship with — our community has got you covered.
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Francis White
I had the pleasure to meet so many interesting expats at a Frankfurt bar night that I found myself a new social circle in no time at all.
Caroline Stiles
Cultural events, aperitivos, Cantonese dinners - there's so much going on in InterNations Frankfurt that I don't know where to start.
Why you'll love InterNations in Frankfurt
and countless possibilities for fun and friendship!
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The pros and cons of living in Frankfurt
No place is perfect — there’s always the good, the bad, and the ugly. Find out what our British members love about Frankfurt but also the challenges they face.
Pros of living in Frankfurt
Public transportation: Public transportation in Germany is much cheaper compared to the UK, especially if you’re a regular traveler and get the monthly pass. The transportation system in Frankfurt is efficient and can be used to travel to almost anywhere in the city and its surrounding areas.
Ease of travel: Frankfurt’s very central location in Europe makes it the perfect transportation hub for traveling to other parts of Germany and the continent, whether by car, rail, or plane. Frankfurt Airport is located just a 30-minute drive from the city center. One of Europe’s busiest airports, it offers flights to almost anywhere in the world.
Job opportunities: Frankfurt is very international, so there are many job opportunities in English compared to other parts of Germany. It’s also a major financial hub, so if you’re in the fields of finance or IT, there may well be a good job waiting for you in Frankfurt.
Cons of living in Frankfurt
Bureaucracy: There are many horror stories about German bureaucracy. It can be difficult to navigate, few things can get done online, and often the offices are not too helpful or friendly, either.
Language barrier: Normal day-to day activities and interactions are do-able without knowing German. But doctor appointments, official paperwork, finding rental apartments, and so on are much harder without local language skills. And connecting with the locals, who’re often described as distant, is not made easier by not speaking the language. However, many Brits find learning German quite difficult.
Taxes: Depending on how much you earn, taxes can go up to 42% of your income. And this is in addition to social security contributions.
Frequent questions about expat life in Frankfurt
Try visiting popular sports bars and Irish pubs in Frankfurt. O’Reilly’s, for example, regularly shows football and rugby games, including the Six Nations Championship. Champions Frankfurt and Yours Sportsbar are popular spots to watch games, too. However, in our opinion, that’s doing it the hard way. Why not join events specially designed for Brits and other English-speaking expats in Frankfurt? Our InterNations events offer a great opportunity to connect with fellow global minds. And they include our Newcomers’ Events, which are geared towards introducing newcomers to the community, so you can make your first friends fast here in Frankfurt. It’s a whole lot easier than trying your luck in a bar.
The average cost of living in Frankfurt can range from 1,800 to 2,700 EUR depending on if you’re a single person or a family of four. Most people say to live comfortably in Germany with your family, you should earn about 5,000 EUR monthly. Let’s break down the costs of living in Frankfurt:
| GBP per month | Local currency per month | |
Rent for a studio apartment | 1,020 GBP | 1,200 EUR |
Rent for a small family home | 1,850 GBP | 2,200 EUR |
Utilities (power, water, etc.) | 250 GBP | 300 EUR |
Mobile phone & internet | 20 GBP | 25 EUR |
Basic health insurance | min. 14.6% of gross salary | |
Public transportation | 50 GBP | 50 EUR |
Groceries (per person) | 170–300 GBP | 200–350 EUR |
Meal at a restaurant (per person) | 17 GBP | 20 EUR |
Frankfurt is a very international city that receives a substantial number of tourists every year. So, it’s not too hard to get around with no to very limited language skills. Still, this is bound to feel limiting at some point, and you’ll find yourself hitting that proverbial language barrier. The most challenging moments usually occur when you must get official paperwork done, need to find a flat, are going to see a doctor, etc. So ideally, you treat your time in Frankfurt as an opportunity to learn some German. There is a wide variety of language schools to get you started. And, of course, these days there are also many apps that allow you to learn on your own time and budget. To make your time in Frankfurt a bit easier, we have collected some services that cater to English speakers (these services are not affiliated with or endorsed by InterNations):
General practitioner (GP) | Frankfurt Doctors A list of English-speaking doctors in Frankfurt; includes their location so you can find one close to you. |
Dentist | Zahnarzt: Arztsuche A list of English-speaking dentists in Frankfurt am Main. |
Urgent care | Airport Hospital The airport hospital located in terminal 1 provides emergency care in English. |
Immigration assistance | Offer and Mastmann Immigration lawyers for immigration in Germany and the EU. |
Tax advisor | Taxmain Tax lawyer in Frankfurt; speaks fluent English. |
Instant interpreting service | DayInterpreting Get connected to a native German speaker on your phone and use the loudspeaker to have an instant interpreter with you. |
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Meet British expats at our events in Frankfurt
Making friends and building a network in a new city can be hard. At our events, everyone is from somewhere else and it’s completely normal to introduce yourself to people and ask them about their own expat journey. You’ll get to know a bunch of international people and other Brits in no time and get first-hand information about your new home Frankfurt. Check out our upcoming events and become part of Frankfurt’s large expat family. Our Newcomers’ Events, for example, are geared specially towards people that are new to the city. Our event hosts (called Ambassadors) can’t wait to welcome you and to introduce you to other expats living in Frankfurt.
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Find friends who share your hobbies
There’s a variety of InterNations Groups you can join if you’d like to continue with your hobbies — or discover new ones — while living in Frankfurt. These groups are run by dedicated Consuls with at least one activity each month, such as dinners in Frankfurt’s finest restaurants, comedy nights with the Stand Up Comedy Group, and all kinds of outings with other expats to explore all that this German city has to offer
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Enjoy the international experience with InterNations
We’re not just active in Frankfurt — InterNations offers lively communities in most of Germany’s major cities! So if you’re travelling or moving within the country, check out our British communities in Berlin, Hamburg , Munich, Düsseldorf, Essen, Cologne, Bonn, Regensburg, Heidelberg, Stuttgart, or more. But that’s not all: we have communities in over 420 cities worldwide! So if you’re in the mood for a night out while traveling further abroad, have a look at all our other communities here: Browse all InterNations Communities worldwide.
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British expats in Germany
Other Nationalities in Frankfurt
Germany Guide Topics
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