Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jena and Saarbrucken

For one person, living is cheaper in Saarbrucken: $1,654 a month against $1,786 in Jena, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Jena outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

87

Cost of Living Index in Jena
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Jena Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Saarbrucken
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Saarbrucken Living Index

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Jena

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,786

/mo nomad

Saarbrucken

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,654

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jena and in Saarbrucken

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

A single person spends $1,786 per month in Jena vs $1,654 in Saarbrucken, rent included.

Jena $1,786
Saarbrucken $1,654

A couple spends around $2,668 per month in Jena vs $2,560 in Saarbrucken, rent included.

Jena $2,668
Saarbrucken $2,560

A family of three spends $3,550 per month in Jena vs $3,466 in Saarbrucken, rent included.

Jena $3,550
Saarbrucken $3,466

Jena costs about 8% more than Saarbrucken, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Jena and Saarbrucken sit above the global median – Jena by 32%, Saarbrucken by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.92 €11.49

$13.38 €11.90

-3.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.9 €58.7

$55.8 €49.66

18.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.28 €10.03

$11.01 €9.79

2.45%

Cappuccino

$4.02 €3.58

$2.90 €2.58

38.62%

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

$3.04 €2.71

$2.83 €2.52

7.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.66

$2.31 €2.05

29.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.61 €4.99

$4.49 €3.99

24.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €4.04

$3.31 €2.94

37.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.24 €1.11

-7.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.17 €1.93

-0.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 €2.60

$2.96 €2.64

-1.35%

Eggs

$3.65 €3.25

$3.56 €3.17

2.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.56 €12.95

$14.10 €12.54

3.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 €10.35

$9.75 €8.67

19.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.23 €17.11

$19.78 €17.60

-2.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 €2.76

$3.12 €2.77

-0.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.69 €1.50

9.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 €1.82

$2.19 €1.94

-6.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 €3.54

$5.18 €4.61

-23.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.32 €1.17

3.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.00

$1.19 €1.06

-5.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.28 €1.14

13.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.98

$0.81 €0.72

35.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.80 €8.72

$9.57 €8.51

2.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.54 €4.93

$6.62 €5.89

-16.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.88

$1.04 €0.92

-4.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.42 €1.26

1.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 €2.54

$3.36 €2.99

-14.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.1 €61.4

$65.1 €57.9

6.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €4.03

$5.35 €4.76

-15.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 €2.41

$3.80 €3.38

-28.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.59 €29.88

$35.86 €31.90

-6.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.09 €1.86

4.78%

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

$30.1K €26.8K

$32.7K €29.1K

-7.93%

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

$38.5K €34.2K

$38.6K €34.4K

-0.42%

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

$380 €338

$201 €178

89.60%

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

$20.18 €17.95

$27.96 €24.87

-27.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.58 €37.87

$37.42 €33.28

13.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.48 €32.45

$35.42 €31.50

2.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.86 €24.78

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 €8.95

$16.93 €15.06

-40.58%

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

$874 €778

$427 €380

104.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

$10.2K €9,034

49.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €76.8

$98.1 €87.3

-11.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.90 €36.38

$42.97 €38.22

-4.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.1

$99.2 €88.2

9.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$151 €134

-19.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 €639

$624 €555

15.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 €411

$502 €447

-7.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 €1,078

$1,157 €1,029

4.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 €752

$933 €830

-9.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,218 €2,862

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,753 €2,449

$2,270 €2,019

21.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,204 €2,850

$2,848 €2,533

12.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

3.92

1.02%

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

Last update for Jena: October 11, 2026

Last update for Saarbrucken: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jena

$462 25.9%

Saarbrucken

$502 30.4% 8.6% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jena

$443 24.8%

Saarbrucken

$266 16.1% 40% $177

Groceries & Markets

Jena

$318 17.8%

Saarbrucken

$313 19% 1.4% $4.5

Eating Out

Jena

$247 13.8%

Saarbrucken

$224 13.6% 9% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Jena

$161 9%

Saarbrucken

$176 10.6% 9.7% $16

Getting Around

Jena

$99 5.5%

Saarbrucken

$103 6.2% 4.4% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Jena

$57 3.2%

Saarbrucken

$69 4.2% 22.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Jena versus $624 in Saarbrucken. 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 Jena, 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 $66.0 in Jena versus $56.0 in Saarbrucken. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $313 – making Saarbrucken the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Jena

🇩🇪 Saarbrucken

🕒 Local time

07:31 7:31 AM

Same time as Jena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

111,343

177,201

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Jena Saarbrucken 380 km

From you

Jena
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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

Jena vs Saarbrucken: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jena costs about 8% more than Saarbrucken, 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 $2,679 per month in Jena and $2,481 in Saarbrucken. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saarbrucken, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $874 per month in Jena and $427 in Saarbrucken. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Jena, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Saarbrucken, where all-in costs run around $1,654, than in Jena at $1,786. In Saarbrucken it covers expenses comfortably, while in Jena it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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