Cost of living

The greatest expenditure must be made in the area of housing. The average rent in Jena is above the average of other eastern German cities. Specific details can be found in the rent indexes.

The price is higher or lower depending on the location and furnishings of the apartment. Rentable living space is most frequently found in sizes ranging from 40 to over 90 m².

In addition to the pure rental costs, also known as basic rent, you will need to budget for additional costs for water, heating, waste disposal and cleaning fees. Expenses for improvements such as an elevator or a renovated bathroom can also be included in the service charges. The operating costs table provides information on the service charges to be expected.

You will pay for electricity depending on your personal consumption. Depending on the size of your household, you can expect an annual consumption of 2000 kWh or more. There are many ways to reduce energy costs through conscious use.

If you are not exempt from the broadcasting fee, you will pay 18.36 euros per month. In addition, you may have to pay an average of 20 euros per month for a standard cable connection; alternatively, you can use satellite reception or DVB-T.

In Germany, there is a general obligation to take out health insurance. Employees up to a certain income limit must take out statutory health insurance. The amount of the contribution depends on your income.

If you are in employment subject to social insurance contributions, around 21 percent of your gross salary is deducted for social insurance.

Freelancers and the self-employed must take out private insurance if their income exceeds 450 euros per month. These professional groups can also take out voluntary insurance with the statutory health insurance fund, whereby the health insurance funds assume a high monthly basic income and the contributions are correspondingly high.

Anyone who receives state support in the form of unemployment benefit I (SGB III) or citizen's allowance (SGB II) does not have to pay contributions.

In addition, it may make sense to plan for the costs of other insurance policies to protect your health and to secure the financing of your living expenses in the long term.

Monthly expenditure on food is sometimes similar to expenditure on housing. Depending on your individual nutritional and consumer behavior, you ultimately determine your monthly expenditure yourself.

In general, almost all foods are subject to price fluctuations, determined by quality, place of sale and special offers. For example, you can bake bread yourself, buy it pre-packed or baked at the supermarket for prices starting at 1 euro or at the bakery for around 3 euros.

In addition to your expenses for fresh food, you may have to plan for other expenses, e.g. for meals in kindergartens and schools or for visits to restaurants.

In the area of mobility, you can expect costs depending on your individual needs. If you regularly use local or even long-distance public transport, you should plan your journeys in advance to reduce your costs by purchasing daily or monthly tickets or other economy fares.

In addition to the purchase costs for a car or motorcycle, you need to plan for other expenses such as registration, regular inspections, tire changes and other repairs. There are also ongoing payments for gas and insurance.

If you choose to travel by bike instead, you are unlikely to incur any other expenses apart from the purchase costs, except for regular maintenance or repairs.

You can keep your mobility expenses to a minimum by planning ahead and comparing your individual options. It may be possible to reduce costs by carpooling.

For only occasional trips, you could check whether a cab, rental car or car sharing is a cost-effective alternative to your own car. It is also worth comparing providers when traveling longer distances. Sometimes it is cheaper to travel by train, plane or long-distance bus.

Expenses in the leisure sector depend on your personal habits. You may pay monthly or annual membership fees for a sports club, music school or gym.

Subscriptions to newspapers and magazines incur costs. A library membership is cheaper. Occasional expenses for trips to the zoo, markets and fairs are also included in the leisure sector, as are entrance fees for museums, theaters and cinemas.

Many hobbies can be expensive, especially if they are associated with a passion for collecting, high material procurement or travel costs. Vacation trips are also among the larger cost factors in the leisure sector.