Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saarbrucken and Jena

For one person, living is cheaper in Saarbrucken: $1,661 a month against $1,801 in Jena, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Jena outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

80

Cost of Living Index in Saarbrucken
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Saarbrucken Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Jena
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Jena Living Index

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Saarbrucken

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,661

/mo nomad

Jena

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,801

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,661 per month in Saarbrucken vs $1,801 in Jena, rent included.

Saarbrucken $1,661
Jena $1,801

A couple spends around $2,573 per month in Saarbrucken vs $2,680 in Jena, rent included.

Saarbrucken $2,573
Jena $2,680

A family of three spends $3,484 per month in Saarbrucken vs $3,559 in Jena, rent included.

Saarbrucken $3,484
Jena $3,559

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

Both Saarbrucken and Jena sit above the global median – Saarbrucken by 23%, Jena by 33%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.36 €11.87

$13.45 €11.95

-0.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.1 €48.03

$63.7 €56.6

-15.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 €9.51

$11.01 €9.78

-2.82%

Cappuccino

$2.93 €2.60

$4.21 €3.74

-30.40%

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

$2.83 €2.52

$3.02 €2.68

-6.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.08

$3.02 €2.68

-22.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 €3.89

$5.62 €4.99

-22.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €3.03

$4.50 €3.99

-24.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.17 €1.04

10.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 €2.03

$2.06 €1.83

11.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$2.72 €2.42

9.56%

Eggs

$3.53 €3.14

$3.84 €3.41

-8.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.06 €12.49

$14.63 €12.99

-3.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.39

$11.32 €10.06

-16.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.62 €17.43

$19.08 €16.95

2.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 €2.73

$3.02 €2.68

1.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.54

$1.80 €1.60

-3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$2.14 €1.90

-0.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.25 €4.66

$3.83 €3.40

37.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.33 €1.18

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.17 €1.04

-1.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.14

$1.51 €1.34

-14.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.72

$1.24 €1.10

-34.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.75 €8.66

$9.62 €8.54

1.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.57 €5.83

$5.42 €4.81

21.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.93

$1.01 €0.90

3.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.39 €1.24

-2.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.65 €3.24

$2.94 €2.61

24.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.4 €61.7

$69.6 €61.8

-0.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 €4.78

$5.16 €4.58

4.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.97 €3.53

$2.70 €2.40

47.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.62 €41.41

$33.87 €30.09

37.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.86

$2.12 €1.88

-0.94%

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

$33.4K €29.7K

$30.7K €27.3K

8.86%

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

$38.1K €33.8K

$38.1K €33.9K

-0.15%

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

$204 €182

$395 €351

-48.22%

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

$27.58 €24.50

$21.45 €19.05

28.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.12 €32.97

$40.91 €36.34

-9.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.32 €32.26

$36.19 €32.15

0.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.34 €25.18

Cinema Ticket

$16.69 €14.82

$9.89 €8.78

68.76%

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

$418 €371

$909 €807

-53.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,474 €3,086

$17.0K €15.1K

-79.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.2 €88.1

$87.1 €77.4

13.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.49 €39.52

$41.64 €36.99

6.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 €87.9

$108 €96.2

-8.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 €134

$118 €105

27.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 €567

$703 €624

-9.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 €443

$459 €408

8.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 €1,007

$1,247 €1,107

-9.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 €838

$842 €748

12.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,267 €2,902

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,272 €2,018

$2,797 €2,484

-18.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,808 €2,494

$3,268 €2,903

-14.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.92

3.96

-1.01%

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

Last update for Saarbrucken: October 31, 2026

Last update for Jena: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saarbrucken

$499 30.1%

Jena

$459 25.5% 7.9% $40

Groceries & Markets

Saarbrucken

$313 18.8%

Jena

$316 17.5% 0.9% $2.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saarbrucken

$269 16.2%

Jena

$457 25.4% 69.9% $188

Eating Out

Saarbrucken

$224 13.5%

Jena

$252 14% 12.9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Saarbrucken

$177 10.7%

Jena

$160 8.9% 9.8% $17

Getting Around

Saarbrucken

$109 6.6%

Jena

$100 5.6% 8.4% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Saarbrucken

$70 4.2%

Jena

$56 3.1% 19.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $638 in Saarbrucken 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 16% higher in Jena. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Saarbrucken versus $64 in Jena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $313 vs $316 – making Saarbrucken the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Saarbrucken

🇩🇪 Jena

🕒 Local time

22:25 10:25 PM

Same time as Saarbrucken

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

177,201

111,343

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Saarbrucken Jena 380 km

From you

Saarbrucken
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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

Saarbrucken vs Jena: 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 $2,491 per month in Saarbrucken and $2,701 in Jena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $638 in Saarbrucken and $703 in Jena. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,661 in Saarbrucken and $1,801 in Jena. That makes Saarbrucken about 8% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Saarbrucken and $64 in Jena. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,661 in Saarbrucken and $1,801 in Jena, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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