Your guide to living and studying in Frankfurt

Before you can start enjoying life as a student in Frankfurt, there are quite a few things to tick off on your to-do list. From packing to finding a room, to taking care of your finances and looking for a side hustle, moving for uni can be a major stress. But fear not! Here, you’ll learn everything you need to know about studying in “Mainhattan”—including recommendations for some weekend fun.

Each year, about 15,000 people move to this city on the Main. Given this, you should start searching for suitable accommodation a few months prior to your planned move—and devote some serious time to it. Our tip: use Facebook groups and online platforms such as WG-gesucht, Studenten-WG, and Wohnraumkarte, as well as offline search methods. If you’re already in Frankfurt, you might find ads in local newspapers or on bulletin boards at uni or supermarkets.

If you’re looking to rent your own apartment, platforms such as ImmobilienScout24, Immowelt, and Immonet can prove quite helpful. But beware: studying in Frankfurt isn’t cheap—the average price per square meter for rental apartments is a whopping €17. In comparison, the price per square meter in Cologne is €13,50. 

Therefore, many students opt for a room in a shared apartment. Brokenheim, Gallus, and Nordend are popular student quarters. You can also apply for housing with the Studentenwerk Frankfurt. However, spots are limited to 3,320, and the waiting list is pretty long. If you haven’t found accommodation in time, you can also look for temporary housing to cover the first few months. Platforms such as Airbnb, Wunderflats.com, HousingAnywhere, or YOUNIQ offer furnished flats and student apartments. Though this isn’t a long-term solution, it gives you more time to intensify your search within the city.

Once you’ve found the perfect apartment and lovely housemates, manage your finances together the easy way with Shared Spaces. From rent and utility bills to snacks and drinks for your next house party—simply create a sub-account and invite up to 10 N26 users to contribute. And speaking of house parties: why not protect what you love most with N26 Insurance. After all, you never know what will happen when a party turns wild...    

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Want to explore your new home on a budget? How about a relaxing stroll along the Main riverside with a view of Frankfurt’s famous skyline? It’s just a stone’s throw away from the Museumsufer, which boasts a whopping 26 museums. If you’re studying at Goethe University, the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, or the College of Music and Performing Arts, you can also use your student ID as a Cultural Pass. This gives you free access to 19 museums, including the German Film Museum. 

As a student, you’ll also benefit from discounts on many of the city’s attractions, like the Goethe House, the Opera, the Palmengarten (botanical garden), the Frankfurter Buchmesse (the world’s largest book fair), and much more. If you need a break from the city, head to the Taunus region. In just a 30 minute train ride, you can enjoy nature to its fullest. Or how about a bike tour to the Hattsteinweiher, a local lake? During the hot summer months, you can jump in the refreshing water or relax and read on the grass.

If hunger strikes, then head over to Kleinmarkthalle. There, you can try a variety of local and international delicacies for free. If you want to sample some local fares on the weekend, you’ll find numerous traditional cider restaurants in Sachsenhausen. And make sure to try Handkäs and Grüne Soße—a sour milk cheese and cream-herbs sauce—as well as the famous Ebbelwoi cider. 

Fancy exploring other culinary delights? From paneer pakora at Delhi Tandoori, to steak pie and Guinness at Waxy’s Irish Pub, to Hawaiian poke bowls at Aloha Poke, Frankfurt’s restaurants leave nothing to be desired. As in many other big cities, contactless payments are accepted almost everywhere in Frankfurt, so you’ll only need to bring your smartphone or debit card. And if you want to split the bill with your friends after a decadent meal, do so effortlessly with our handy feature right in the N26 app. 

Getting around as a student is as important for your social life as it is for your studies. Our top tip? Hop on a bike! Quick, cheap, and environmentally friendly—cycling is a great way to stay mobile (and fit) during your studies. Check out our guide to student transport to learn more about buying a bike—and all things mobility.

In case of rain or snow—or when you simply don’t feel like biking—you can always count on your RMV-SemesterTicket. It gives you access to all S-Bahn trains, the metro, trams, buses and regional trains throughout the whole Rhein-Main-Verkehrsbund transport district for little money. This way you can visit Hanau, Mainz, Wiesbaden, and other places nearby on a budget.

With rent, groceries, semester fees, and books, studying in Frankfurt can really break the bank. If your student loan or parents’ support don’t suffice, a side hustle is the perfect solution—and you can even start putting some money aside. But how can you find a student job in Frankfurt? If your German is good enough, you can look for job offers on platforms such as the Studentenwerk or the Career Center of Goethe University. It’s also worth checking out Zenjob, Univativ, or Indeed to find interesting job offers.

When it comes to side hustles in Frankfurt, your options are endless. Regardless of whether you want to sell popcorn at the cinema, work as a tutor, or distribute flyers: you can find plenty of side gigs that won’t interfere with your studies. But which job provides you with the highest income? Most jobs in Frankfurt will offer an average hourly rate of €13. Promoters get up to €15 per hour, and tutors and waiters can even earn €18 an hour! But for the highest rates, try working as a bike courier—here, you’ll get €20 per hour and up! Plus, after a long day of sitting through seminars and lectures, you’ll likely be happy to get some fresh air. That’s what we call a win-win-situation!

Whatever you decide, don’t forget that you aren’t allowed to work more than 20 hours per week. Otherwise, your health insurance provider will no longer consider you a student and charge you higher monthly contributions. And, if you get financial support through the BAföG student support scheme and earn over €450 per month on top, you should be prepared for some budget cuts. 

We’re sure you can barely wait to get your student life started in Frankfurt! So why add extra stress to your life standing in line at your bank branch?

There’s a better way with N26! Our Statistics feature automatically categorizes your monthly spending and helps you save more easily. If you want to reach your financial goals even faster, the N26 Income Sorter automatically transfers part of your earnings to one of your Spaces sub-accounts. And with MoneyBeam, you can send and receive money from your N26 contacts in seconds. On top of that, you’ll enjoy numerous Perks from well-known brands like Zalando, Reebok, and Uber. Compare our plans to find the account that suits you best and open your 100% mobile bank account right away!