Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamburg and Jena

For one person, living is cheaper in Jena: $1,801 a month against $2,364 in Hamburg, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Hamburg
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Hamburg Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Jena
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Jena Living Index

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Hamburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,364

/mo nomad

Jena

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,801

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,364 per month in Hamburg vs $1,801 in Jena, rent included.

Hamburg $2,364
Jena $1,801

A couple spends around $3,490 per month in Hamburg vs $2,680 in Jena, rent included.

Hamburg $3,490
Jena $2,680

A family of three spends $4,615 per month in Hamburg vs $3,559 in Jena, rent included.

Hamburg $4,615
Jena $3,559

Hamburg costs about 31% more than Jena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hamburg and Jena sit above the global median – Hamburg by 75%, Jena by 33%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.17 €16.14

$13.45 €11.95

35.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.6 €63.6

$63.7 €56.6

12.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.50 €11.99

$11.01 €9.78

22.62%

Cappuccino

$4.55 €4.04

$4.21 €3.74

8.08%

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

$4.10 €3.64

$3.02 €2.68

35.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 €2.96

$3.02 €2.68

10.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.56 €4.94

$5.62 €4.99

-1.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 €4.50

$4.50 €3.99

12.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.17 €1.04

5.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 €2.40

$2.06 €1.83

31.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$2.72 €2.42

5.51%

Eggs

$4.35 €3.87

$3.84 €3.41

13.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.37 €10.99

$14.63 €12.99

-15.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.82 €10.50

$11.32 €10.06

4.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.72 €16.63

$19.08 €16.95

-1.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 €2.84

$3.02 €2.68

5.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 €2.04

$1.80 €1.60

27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$2.14 €1.90

39.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 €3.60

$3.83 €3.40

5.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.33 €1.18

42.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.17 €1.04

48.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.51 €1.34

13.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.24 €1.10

-0.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.36 €9.20

$9.62 €8.54

7.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.55 €5.81

$5.42 €4.81

20.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.05

$1.01 €0.90

16.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.33

$1.39 €1.24

7.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.29 €3.82

$2.94 €2.61

45.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.5 €63.5

$69.6 €61.8

2.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 €4.80

$5.16 €4.58

4.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 €2.73

$2.70 €2.40

13.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 €37.15

$33.87 €30.09

23.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €2.01

$2.12 €1.88

7.08%

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

$33.6K €29.9K

$30.7K €27.3K

9.54%

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

$38.0K €33.8K

$38.1K €33.9K

-0.37%

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

$401 €356

$395 €351

1.58%

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

$19.94 €17.71

$21.45 €19.05

-7.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.88 €34.54

$40.91 €36.34

-4.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.28 €37.56

$36.19 €32.15

16.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.73 €25.52

Cinema Ticket

$16.16 €14.36

$9.89 €8.78

63.40%

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

$512 €455

$909 €807

-43.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K €16.3K

$17.0K €15.1K

7.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 €75.6

$87.1 €77.4

-2.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.94 €31.93

$41.64 €36.99

-13.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.4

$108 €96.2

-2.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

-0.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,103

$703 €624

76.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$922 €819

$459 €408

100.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,193 €1,948

$1,247 €1,107

75.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,440

$842 €748

92.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,428 €8,375

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,259 €4,672

$2,797 €2,484

88.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,680 €3,269

$3,268 €2,903

12.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.75

3.96

-5.30%

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

Last update for Hamburg: November 1, 2026

Last update for Jena: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamburg

$922 39%

Jena

$459 25.5% 50.2% $463

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamburg

$460 19.5%

Jena

$457 25.4% 0.6% $2.7

Groceries & Markets

Hamburg

$335 14.2%

Jena

$316 17.5% 5.8% $19

Eating Out

Hamburg

$308 13%

Jena

$252 14% 18.1% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Hamburg

$155 6.6%

Jena

$160 8.9% 3.2% $5

Getting Around

Hamburg

$109 4.6%

Jena

$100 5.6% 8.5% $9.3

Sport & Entertainment

Hamburg

$75 3.2%

Jena

$56 3.1% 25% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,242 in Hamburg 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 13% higher in Hamburg, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Hamburg versus $64 in Jena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $335 vs $316 – making Jena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Hamburg

🇩🇪 Jena

🕒 Local time

19:43 7:43 PM

Same time as Hamburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,812,709

111,343

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Hamburg Jena 310 km

From you

Hamburg
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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

Hamburg vs Jena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamburg costs about 31% more than Jena, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,546 per month in Hamburg 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 $1,242 in Hamburg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,364 in Hamburg and $1,801 in Jena. That makes Jena about 24% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 3% 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 Hamburg at $2,364. In Jena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hamburg has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,801 in Jena to $2,364 in Hamburg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Hamburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.