Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Best and Jena

For one person, living is cheaper in Jena: $1,801 a month against $2,232 in Best, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Best outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

106

Cost of Living Index in Best
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Best Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Jena
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Jena Living Index

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Best

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,232

/mo nomad

Jena

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,801

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Best and in Jena

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Best and in Jena actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,232 per month in Best vs $1,801 in Jena, rent included.

Best $2,232
Jena $1,801

A couple spends around $3,105 per month in Best vs $2,680 in Jena, rent included.

Best $3,105
Jena $2,680

A family of three spends $3,978 per month in Best vs $3,559 in Jena, rent included.

Best $3,978
Jena $3,559

Best costs about 24% more than Jena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Best and Jena sit above the global median – Best by 65%, Jena by 33%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.78 €20.32

$13.45 €12.00

69.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.1 €78.6

$63.7 €56.9

38.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 €10.86

$11.01 €9.82

10.54%

Cappuccino

$3.54 €3.16

$4.21 €3.76

-15.91%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 €2.97

$3.02 €2.69

10.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 €2.22

$3.02 €2.69

-17.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €5.03

$5.62 €5.01

0.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.05 €4.50

$4.50 €4.01

12.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.17 €1.04

-4.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.77

$2.06 €1.84

-3.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 €1.92

$2.72 €2.43

-20.96%

Eggs

$3.07 €2.74

$3.84 €3.42

-20.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.03 €9.84

$14.63 €13.05

-24.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.32 €10.10

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.75 €13.16

$19.08 €17.02

-22.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 €1.79

$3.02 €2.69

-33.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 €1.45

$1.80 €1.61

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 €1.46

$2.14 €1.91

-23.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 €4.51

$3.83 €3.41

32.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 €0.99

$1.33 €1.19

-16.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.17 €1.04

-0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.51 €1.34

-27.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.64

$1.24 €1.11

-42.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 €9.79

$9.62 €8.58

14.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.03

$5.42 €4.83

4.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.01 €0.90

48.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.37

$1.39 €1.24

90.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 €2.27

$2.94 €2.62

-13.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.2 €64.4

$69.6 €62.1

3.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 €4.35

$5.16 €4.60

-5.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 €3.12

$2.70 €2.41

29.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.6 €59.4

$33.87 €30.21

96.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.54 €2.27

$2.12 €1.89

19.81%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.5K €23.6K

$30.7K €27.4K

-13.71%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.6K €35.4K

$38.1K €34.0K

3.92%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$189 €169

$395 €352

-52.06%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$14.83 €13.22

$21.45 €19.13

-30.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.23 €34.10

$40.91 €36.49

-6.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.44 €36.07

$36.19 €32.28

11.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.40 €22.66

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 €12.27

$9.89 €8.82

39.03%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,261 €1,125

$909 €810

38.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,297 €4,725

$17.0K €15.2K

-68.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 €46.40

$87.1 €77.7

-40.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.99 €29.42

$41.64 €37.14

-20.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 €64.6

$108 €96.6

-33.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.6 €50.4

$118 €106

-52.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,368

$703 €627

118.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 €997

$459 €410

143.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 €1,756

$1,247 €1,112

57.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 €1,227

$842 €751

63.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,735 €5,115

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,441 €3,961

$2,797 €2,495

58.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,105 €3,662

$3,268 €2,915

25.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.54

3.96

-10.61%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Best: November 2, 2026

Last update for Jena: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Best

$1.1K 50.1%

Jena

$459 25.5% 58.9% $658

Eating Out

Best

$323 14.5%

Jena

$252 14% 21.8% $70

Groceries & Markets

Best

$280 12.6%

Jena

$316 17.5% 12.7% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Best

$242 10.9%

Jena

$457 25.4% 88.7% $215

Getting Around

Best

$105 4.7%

Jena

$100 5.6% 4.6% $4.8

Clothing & Footwear

Best

$96 4.3%

Jena

$160 8.9% 66% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Best

$68 3%

Jena

$56 3.1% 17.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,534 in Best versus $703 in Jena. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 26% higher in Best. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88 in Best versus $64 in Jena. Groceries tell a different story – $280 in Best vs $316 in Jena – so Best wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Best

🇩🇪 Jena

🕒 Local time

08:36 8:36 AM

Same time as Best

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,988

111,343

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Best Jena 440 km

From you

Best
Jena

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Best vs Jena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Best is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,348 per month in Best and $2,701 in Jena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jena, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $703 there versus $1,534 in Best.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,232 in Best and $1,801 in Jena. That makes Jena about 19% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 4% less in Jena. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Jena, where all-in costs run around $1,801, than in Best at $2,232. In Jena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Best it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jena – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Jena. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Best makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.