Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jena and Best

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.

87

Cost of Living Index in Jena
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Jena Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Best
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Best Living Index

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Jena

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,801

/mo nomad

Best

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jena and in Best

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

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

Jena $1,801
Best $2,232

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

Jena $2,680
Best $3,105

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

Jena $3,559
Best $3,978

Jena is about 19% cheaper than Best, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.45 €11.95

$22.78 €20.23

-40.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 €56.6

$88.1 €78.2

-27.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 €9.78

$12.17 €10.81

-9.53%

Cappuccino

$4.21 €3.74

$3.54 €3.14

18.93%

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

$3.02 €2.68

$3.33 €2.96

-9.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.68

$2.49 €2.21

21.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €4.99

$5.63 €5.00

-0.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 €3.99

$5.05 €4.48

-10.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.12 €0.99

4.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 €1.83

$1.98 €1.76

4.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.72 €2.42

$2.15 €1.91

26.51%

Eggs

$3.84 €3.41

$3.07 €2.73

25.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.63 €12.99

$11.03 €9.80

32.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.32 €10.06

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.08 €16.95

$14.75 €13.11

29.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 €2.68

$2.01 €1.79

50.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.62 €1.44

11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 €1.90

$1.64 €1.45

30.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 €3.40

$5.06 €4.50

-24.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.11 €0.99

19.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.16 €1.03

0.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.10 €0.97

37.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.10

$0.71 €0.63

74.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.62 €8.54

$10.98 €9.75

-12.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.42 €4.81

$5.64 €5.01

-3.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.90

$1.50 €1.33

-32.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

$2.65 €2.36

-47.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.61

$2.55 €2.26

15.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.6 €61.8

$72.2 €64.2

-3.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.16 €4.58

$4.87 €4.33

5.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 €2.40

$3.50 €3.11

-22.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.87 €30.09

$66.6 €59.1

-49.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.88

$2.54 €2.26

-16.54%

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

$30.7K €27.3K

$26.5K €23.5K

15.88%

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

$38.1K €33.9K

$39.6K €35.2K

-3.77%

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

$395 €351

$189 €168

108.59%

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

$21.45 €19.05

$14.83 €13.17

44.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.91 €36.34

$38.23 €33.96

7.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.19 €32.15

$40.44 €35.92

-10.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.40 €22.56

Cinema Ticket

$9.89 €8.78

$13.75 €12.22

-28.07%

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

$909 €807

$1,261 €1,120

-27.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €15.1K

$5,297 €4,705

221.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 €77.4

$52.0 €46.21

67.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.64 €36.99

$32.99 €29.30

26.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.2

$72.4 €64.3

49.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$56.6 €50.2

109.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$703 €624

$1,534 €1,363

-54.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 €408

$1,118 €993

-58.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 €1,107

$1,968 €1,748

-36.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$842 €748

$1,375 €1,221

-38.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,735 €5,094

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,797 €2,484

$4,441 €3,945

-37.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,268 €2,903

$4,105 €3,646

-20.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

3.54

11.86%

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

Last update for Jena: November 2, 2026

Last update for Best: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jena

$459 25.5%

Best

$1.1K 50.1% 143% $658

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jena

$457 25.4%

Best

$242 10.9% 47% $215

Groceries & Markets

Jena

$316 17.5%

Best

$280 12.6% 11.3% $36

Eating Out

Jena

$252 14%

Best

$323 14.5% 27.9% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Jena

$160 8.9%

Best

$96 4.3% 39.8% $64

Getting Around

Jena

$100 5.6%

Best

$105 4.7% 4.8% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

Jena

$56 3.1%

Best

$68 3% 21.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $703 in Jena versus $1,534 in Best. 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 $64 in Jena versus $88 in Best. Groceries tell a different story – $316 in Jena vs $280 in Best – so Best wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Jena

🇳🇱 Best

🕒 Local time

19:16 7:16 PM

Same time as Jena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

111,343

29,988

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Jena Best 440 km

From you

Jena
Best

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

Jena vs Best: 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 $2,701 per month in Jena and $3,348 in Best. 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 $1,801 in Jena and $2,232 in Best. 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.