Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jena and Frankfurt

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.

88

Cost of Living Index in Jena
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Jena Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Frankfurt
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Frankfurt Living Index

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Jena

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,817

/mo nomad

Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,536

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jena and in Frankfurt

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 Frankfurt actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Jena $1,817
Frankfurt $2,536

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

Jena $2,703
Frankfurt $3,763

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

Jena $3,590
Frankfurt $4,990

Living in Jena costs roughly 28% less than in Frankfurt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.86 €11.43

$16.72 €14.87

-23.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 €57.3

$88.2 €78.5

-27.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.34 €10.08

$13.43 €11.95

-15.56%

Cappuccino

$3.99 €3.54

$4.45 €3.96

-10.34%

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

$3.15 €2.80

$3.86 €3.43

-18.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 €2.69

$3.70 €3.29

-18.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €5.12

$5.64 €5.02

2.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 €4.02

$5.75 €5.11

-21.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.42 €1.27

-18.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 €1.83

$2.24 €1.99

-8.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.93 €2.60

$2.99 €2.66

-2.01%

Eggs

$3.72 €3.31

$3.63 €3.23

2.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.58 €12.97

$13.58 €12.08

7.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 €10.17

$11.64 €10.35

-1.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.90 €17.70

$22.44 €19.96

-11.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.81

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 €1.65

$2.13 €1.89

-13.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.99 €1.77

2.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 €3.55

$3.84 €3.42

3.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 €1.19

$1.74 €1.54

-22.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 €1.01

$1.87 €1.66

-39.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.57 €1.40

-4.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.00 €0.89

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.53 €8.48

$10.00 €8.90

-4.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.68 €5.05

$5.56 €4.95

2.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.88

$1.16 €1.03

-14.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.40 €1.24

3.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.65

$4.20 €3.73

-29.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.7 €62.0

$71.2 €63.3

-2.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 €3.91

$4.44 €3.95

-0.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 €2.41

$2.27 €2.02

19.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.48 €29.78

$23.30 €20.73

43.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.95

$2.30 €2.04

-4.35%

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

$30.0K €26.7K

$33.6K €29.9K

-10.81%

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

$38.5K €34.2K

$38.2K €34.0K

0.56%

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

$399 €355

$390 €347

2.29%

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

$20.84 €18.54

$19.63 €17.46

6.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.24 €39.35

$47.45 €42.21

-6.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.53 €33.38

$67.0 €59.6

-43.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 €25.89

Cinema Ticket

$10.03 €8.92

$16.96 €15.08

-40.86%

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

$878 €781

$1,096 €975

-19.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K €13.8K

$23.0K €20.5K

-32.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €79.5

$85.5 €76.1

4.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 €36.32

$33.20 €29.53

22.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €94.8

$84.5 €75.1

26.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

$107 €94.9

12.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$725 €645

$1,316 €1,171

-44.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 €416

$1,105 €983

-57.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,105

$2,677 €2,381

-53.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 €766

$1,935 €1,721

-55.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,920 €7,045

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,830 €2,517

$4,273 €3,801

-33.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,288 €2,925

$4,027 €3,582

-18.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

3.61

9.70%

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

Last update for Jena: October 17, 2026

Last update for Frankfurt: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jena

$467 25.7%

Frankfurt

$1.1K 43.6% 136% $638

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jena

$464 25.6%

Frankfurt

$457 18% 1.5% $7

Groceries & Markets

Jena

$320 17.6%

Frankfurt

$332 13.1% 3.6% $12

Eating Out

Jena

$247 13.6%

Frankfurt

$297 11.7% 20.3% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Jena

$161 8.8%

Frankfurt

$139 5.5% 13.1% $21

Getting Around

Jena

$100 5.5%

Frankfurt

$104 4.1% 4.2% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Jena

$58 3.2%

Frankfurt

$101 4% 75.2% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $725 in Jena and $1,316 in Frankfurt. 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: $64.0 in Jena vs $88.0 in Frankfurt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $332 per month, with Jena cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Jena

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🕒 Local time

16:24 4:24 PM

Same time as Jena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

111,343

701,350

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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

Jena vs Frankfurt: 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.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Frankfurt. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $725 in Jena versus $1,316 in Frankfurt. 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 $1,817 per month in Jena versus $2,536 in Frankfurt – 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, Jena and Frankfurt 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.