Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Jena

For one person, living is cheaper in Jena: $1,817 a month against $2,536 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Frankfurt
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Frankfurt Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Jena
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Jena Living Index

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Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,536

/mo nomad

Jena

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,817

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Frankfurt 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 Frankfurt and in Jena actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,536 in Frankfurt versus $1,817 in Jena.

Frankfurt $2,536
Jena $1,817

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,763 in Frankfurt versus $2,703 in Jena.

Frankfurt $3,763
Jena $2,703

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,990 in Frankfurt versus $3,590 in Jena.

Frankfurt $4,990
Jena $3,590

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 40% more expensive than in Jena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 87% above, Jena 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.72 €14.87

$12.86 €11.43

30.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.2 €78.5

$64.4 €57.3

37.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.43 €11.95

$11.34 €10.08

18.43%

Cappuccino

$4.45 €3.96

$3.99 €3.54

11.53%

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

$3.86 €3.43

$3.15 €2.80

22.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 €3.29

$3.03 €2.69

22.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.02

$5.76 €5.12

-2.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €5.11

$4.52 €4.02

27.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.16 €1.03

22.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 €1.99

$2.06 €1.83

8.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$2.93 €2.60

2.05%

Eggs

$3.63 €3.23

$3.72 €3.31

-2.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.58 €12.08

$14.58 €12.97

-6.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 €10.35

$11.44 €10.17

1.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.44 €19.96

$19.90 €17.70

12.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.81

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.85 €1.65

15.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.77

$2.04 €1.82

-2.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 €3.42

$3.99 €3.55

-3.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 €1.54

$1.34 €1.19

29.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.14 €1.01

64.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.50 €1.34

4.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.89

$1.20 €1.07

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.00 €8.90

$9.53 €8.48

4.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.56 €4.95

$5.68 €5.05

-2.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.03

$0.99 €0.88

17.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.24

$1.45 €1.29

-3.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 €3.73

$2.98 €2.65

40.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.2 €63.3

$69.7 €62.0

2.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 €3.95

$4.40 €3.91

0.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.71 €2.41

-16.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.30 €20.73

$33.48 €29.78

-30.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €2.04

$2.20 €1.95

4.55%

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

$33.6K €29.9K

$30.0K €26.7K

12.12%

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

$38.2K €34.0K

$38.5K €34.2K

-0.56%

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

$390 €347

$399 €355

-2.24%

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

$19.63 €17.46

$20.84 €18.54

-5.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.45 €42.21

$44.24 €39.35

7.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.0 €59.6

$37.53 €33.38

78.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 €25.89

Cinema Ticket

$16.96 €15.08

$10.03 €8.92

69.09%

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

$1,096 €975

$878 €781

24.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K €20.5K

$15.5K €13.8K

49.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €76.1

$89.4 €79.5

-4.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.20 €29.53

$40.83 €36.32

-18.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 €75.1

$107 €94.8

-20.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €94.9

$120 €107

-11.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 €1,171

$725 €645

81.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 €983

$467 €416

136.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,677 €2,381

$1,242 €1,105

115.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 €1,721

$861 €766

124.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,920 €7,045

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,801

$2,830 €2,517

50.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,027 €3,582

$3,288 €2,925

22.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

3.96

-8.84%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: October 19, 2026

Last update for Jena: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Frankfurt

$1.1K 43.6%

Jena

$467 25.7% 57.7% $638

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Frankfurt

$457 18%

Jena

$464 25.6% 1.5% $7

Groceries & Markets

Frankfurt

$332 13.1%

Jena

$320 17.6% 3.5% $12

Eating Out

Frankfurt

$297 11.7%

Jena

$247 13.6% 16.9% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Frankfurt

$139 5.5%

Jena

$161 8.8% 15.1% $21

Getting Around

Frankfurt

$104 4.1%

Jena

$100 5.5% 4% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Frankfurt

$101 4%

Jena

$58 3.2% 42.9% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,316 in Frankfurt and $725 in Jena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 22% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $88.0 in Frankfurt vs $64.0 in Jena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $320 per month, with Jena cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Jena

🕒 Local time

17:30 5:30 PM

Same time as Frankfurt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,350

111,343

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Frankfurt Jena 220 km

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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

Frankfurt vs Jena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jena is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 22% higher in Frankfurt, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,316 in Frankfurt versus $725 in Jena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Jena – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $88.0 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,536 per month in Frankfurt versus $1,817 in Jena – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,817 in Jena versus $2,536 in Frankfurt, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Jena but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. The gap between the two cities makes Jena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jena is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Frankfurt, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Frankfurt and Jena are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Jena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.