But of course, a student will survive on much<\/em> less than a senior executive. Major cities cost more than living in the sticks. If you have a family or a mortgage, things get more complicated…<\/p>\n
There are so many variables that it\u2019s tough to provide answers that will ring true for everyone.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, you clearly want us to tackle this topic.<\/p>\n
So we\u2019re going to give you the most objective view possible on how much it costs to live in Germany.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Cost of living in Germany: What you can expect to spend<\/strong><\/h2>\n <\/p>\n
Average expenditure in Germany per household, according to the Federal Statistics Office<\/a>, are as follows. The statistics are from the 2019 statistical yearbook, which quotes actual figures from 2017. So these will have increased slightly by now.<\/p>\n\n- Single households – \u20ac1,629 per month<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Single parents – \u20ac1,929<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Co-habiting couples without children – \u20ac3,047<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Co-habiting couples with children (number of children not specified) – \u20ac3,483<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
This makes Germany a relatively inexpensive place to live by Western European standards. Your main expenditure is likely to be accommodation, which tends to be slightly more costly in Germany than in neighbouring countries.<\/p>\n
Major urban centres are likely to have a higher cost of living but will also generally have more employment opportunities. So what you lose through higher living costs you (hopefully) gain back through a higher paying job.<\/p>\n
The rank of essential items is going to be pretty much the same for everyone, so let\u2019s start with the most important and most costly first:<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”30px||30px||true|false”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/y3h_gqQf7ZI” _builder_version=”4.6.0″ width=”75%” width_tablet=”85%” width_phone=”95%” width_last_edited=”on|phone” module_alignment=”center” box_shadow_style=”preset2″][\/et_pb_video][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Accommodation” _builder_version=”4.5.7″ text_orientation=”justified” z_index_tablet=”500″ text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px”]<\/p>\n
Accommodation<\/strong><\/h3>\n <\/p>\n
Your apartment in Germany will almost definitely be the largest influencing factor on your cost of living in Germany.<\/p>\n
Housing costs are very dependent upon which area of Germany you choose to live in, and your standards in terms of accommodation. Most people in Germany live in apartments.<\/p>\n
If you live in a major metropolitan area, this will definitely have the biggest impact on your living costs. The pressure on housing is usually quite high.<\/p>\n
Because of demand and supply you may find housing to be fairly expensive.
For this comparison we\u2019re considering rentals rather than purchasing a property and getting a mortgage<\/a>.<\/p>\nThe most expensive city in Germany for rents is Munich<\/a>, followed closely by Frankfurt<\/a>, and then come the other major cities where the economy is strong, such as Hamburg, Stuttgart, Cologne and D\u00fcsseldorf.<\/p>\nBerlin<\/a>, which despite being the capital, had very cheap rents in the 2000s, has now almost caught up with the first-tier German cities mentioned previously.<\/p>\nWhile housing may seem expensive to some people, the quality of housing is generally high.<\/p>\n
Expect to pay around \u20ac17-\u20ac20 per square metre in cities like Frankfurt and Munich for a well-maintained (but not brand new) apartment in a better-than-average neighbourhood.<\/p>\n
This drops to \u20ac14-\u20ac15 in the other major metropolitan areas listed, with Berlin coming in at around \u20ac12-\u20ac13 (unless you like avocado toast and quinoa burgers and want to live in a hipster neighbourhood, then add \u20ac2-\u20ac3 on top of this figure!).<\/p>\n
If you are living in a smaller city or a more rural location, the cost of living in Germany becomes much more manageable. Housing costs drop considerably and you should reckon on anything between \u20ac6 to \u20ac8 per square metre, depending on the quality of accommodation.<\/p>\n
Leipzig<\/a> is the best value of the larger German cities, with rents averaging around \u20ac8-\u20ac9 per square metre. It\u2019s also somewhat cheaper when it comes to other goods and services across the board.<\/p>\nThis is because it experienced a huge population exodus in the 1990s. However it has now the main up-and-coming city in Germany with lots of inward investment.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Groceries” _builder_version=”4.6.0″ text_orientation=”justified” z_index_tablet=”500″ text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px”]<\/p>\n
Groceries<\/strong><\/h3>\n <\/p>\n
Next on the list of basic necessities comes grocery shopping.<\/a><\/p>\nStandard groceries are generally very cheap in Germany compared to most other European countries. Discounters such as Aldi and Lidl have made the food retail market in Germany a very cutthroat business.<\/p>\n
Only the Netherlands and a handful of Southern and Eastern European countries have lower average prices for a standard shopping basket.<\/p>\n
With this said, certain speciality items or exotic foodstuffs might prove more expensive than in, for example the UK. This is because major supermarket chains tend to stock fewer items (think Aldi), which means having to shop at specialist stores.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re single, live alone, and eat out maybe once or twice per week as well as lunch at work, you shouldn\u2019t need more than \u20ac50 per week for groceries. You can slum it on \u20ac30 if you\u2019re on a really tight budget.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Transportation” _builder_version=”4.5.7″ text_orientation=”justified” z_index_tablet=”500″ text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px”]<\/p>\n
Transportation<\/strong><\/h3>\n <\/p>\n
Public transportation<\/a> is of average cost compared to the rest of Europe. It costs between \u20ac60 and \u20ac90 per month for an all-inclusive monthly ticket in the main city zone that you are living in.<\/p>\nRunning a car in Germany is slightly more expensive than most European countries, mainly down to the cost of insurance and maintenance. Car mechanics are quite expensive. The cost of fuel is in line with most other European countries but comes in around double that of North America.<\/p>\n
At the time of writing (Aug 2020) it is at around \u20ac1.20 per litre (or $5.45 per gallon for Americans) but this depends on the oil price and the dollar of course.<\/p>\n
Taxis are very expensive in Germany and you will quickly run up a \u20ac10 bill even for a very short trip. Uber\u00a0has a limited presence in Germany thanks to a very strong taxi lobby.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Utilities” _builder_version=”4.6.0″ text_orientation=”justified” z_index_tablet=”500″ text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px”]<\/p>\n
Utilities<\/strong><\/h3>\n <\/p>\n
Utility costs are relatively high, driven partially by the decision by Merkel\u2019s coalition government to withdraw from nuclear electricity generation<\/a> by 2022, following the Fukoshima disaster in 2011.<\/p>\nSubsidies and green energy taxes bump up the price of electricity, making Germany one of the priciest countries in Europe for power..<\/p>\n
What does all this mean?<\/p>\n
You should consider paying around \u20ac2.50 per square metre on utilities<\/a> if you live in an apartment<\/strong>. This includes heating, hot water, gas or electricity (usually you will not have both), trash collection, snow removal for communal walkways on the apartment block\u2019s land, as well as janitorial and landscaping services.<\/p>\nA phone line and fast Internet connection together will cost around \u20ac30 per month. For a full package including cable TV expect to pay around \u20ac15 extra on top of this. In reality though, why would you need it. Get a VPN<\/a>, and enjoy US or UK Netflix and Amazon Prime, and then you don\u2019t need German TV other than the terrestrial channels perhaps for a means to learn German<\/a>.<\/p>\nYou can spend as much or as little as you like on German mobile phone or SIM packages<\/a>, depending on what you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Spending disposable income” _builder_version=”4.5.7″ text_orientation=”justified” z_index_tablet=”500″ text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px”]<\/p>\n
Spending your disposable income<\/strong><\/h3>\n <\/p>\n
So what about all those little things that make life enjoyable? Well, the cost of living in Germany may pleasantly surprise you for these!<\/p>\n
Meals in restaurants are generally quite good value, although more expensive than southern and eastern European countries (except Italy).<\/p>\n
I find the cost of meals in independent restaurants to be lower than the U.K., and similar to the U.S. \u2013 but the quality is usually significantly higher and the ingredients fresher.<\/p>\n
An (optional) tip of around 5-10% is the norm<\/a>.<\/p>\nA fast food meal in a major chain, noodle bar or kebab shop will cost around \u20ac8.00 to \u20ac9.00. Work on something similar for a sandwich, small salad and drink from the supermarket or bakery at lunch time. A bit more for a sit-down meal.<\/p>\n
The price of drinks is extremely low, especially domestically produced products such as wine<\/a> produced in the south-west of the country and beer from the main brewing area of Franconia and Bavaria.<\/p>\nBudget on average to spend around \u20ac70 for a 2-course meal for two including wine in a good \u2013 but not posh \u2013 restaurant.<\/p>\n
Drinks in a bar are around \u20ac4.00 for a half litre draft beer and around \u20ac5.00 to \u20ac6.00 for an 0.2 litre glass of good quality wine. Whites will usually be German, reds generally Italian or Spanish. A coffee will cost around \u20ac3.00 in a local coffee shop or major chain.<\/p>\n
Cinema tickets will cost around \u20ac15.00.<\/p>\n
Gym membership, depending on what you are looking for, ranges from \u20ac25 for a bargain basement gym with lots of Russian and Turkish guys who look like gangsters, to around \u20ac75 for a premium chain such as Fitness First or David.<\/p>\n
For those who want a bit more luxury, a cleaner will set you back about \u20ac12-\u20ac15 per hour in major cities, as will a babysitter.<\/p>\n
A three or four star hotel, including breakfast, for a weekend city-break will be anything between \u20ac80 \u2013 \u20ac125 per night, depending on location and time of year.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Conclusion” _builder_version=”4.8.2″ text_orientation=”justified” z_index_tablet=”500″ text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px”]<\/p>\n
So what does all of this mean?<\/strong><\/h3>\n <\/p>\n
Whilst the cost of living really depends a lot on your individual lifestyle, some things cost the same no matter what.<\/p>\n
You can economise on accommodation requirements<\/a> and eat out less if you\u2019re on a budget. You can easily get by without a car if you live in a major city.<\/p>\nGroceries can be purchased at a lower cost if you\u2019re happy to shop at discount supermarkets and not buy stuff which is more difficult to find in Germany.<\/p>\n
Clothes can be as cheap or as expensive as you want them to be.<\/p>\n
A single person who is making EUR 2,000 per month net of taxes and social security contributions<\/a> can easily afford a comfortable life here, although that said, rent will typically be your largest monthly outgoing. This could be around 45-50% of your income if you live in Munich, compared to 25-30% if you live in Leipzig.<\/p>\nConsider the cost of rent over and above everything else when you get a job offer or are considering which city to move to.<\/p>\n
Numbeo<\/a> is a great cost of living calculator, offering cost of living comparisons by country. It can help you to get a rough idea of what individual items cost and goes into more detail than I do here in terms of the range of items it compares.<\/p>\nIt also has a very cool feature which allows you to compare the cost of living index of one city against the other.<\/p>\n
Expatistan<\/a> is another similar site doing more or less the same thing.<\/p>\nIf you want to calculate net vs. gross salary, my video on the LWG YouTube channel<\/a> will explain clearly how to do this.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”30px||30px||true|false”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/-wk8jv-KcFI” _builder_version=”4.0.6″ width=”75%” width_tablet=”85%” width_phone=”95%” width_last_edited=”on|phone” module_alignment=”center” box_shadow_style=”preset2″][\/et_pb_video][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.5.7″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#f8f8f8″ width=”80%” width_tablet=”75%” width_phone=”100%” width_last_edited=”on|tablet” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”2vw||2vw||false|false” border_radii=”on|15px|15px|15px|15px” border_width_all=”1px” global_module=”47539″ saved_tabs=”all”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.5.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”|auto|0px|auto|false|false” custom_padding=”1vw||0vw||false|false”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.5.7″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.5.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”1vw||1vw||true|false”]<\/p>\n
Looking for helpful content on another topic?<\/h4>\n
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Here at Live Work Germany, we get asked about cost of living and salary expectations a LOT. Unfortunately, they\u2019re really hard questions to answer, because\u2026 well, everyone has different expectations: Germany is relatively inexpensive by European standards, even though some basics like food and housing cost more. A student, living in rented accomodation and spending […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47794,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"\u00a0\r\n
What Is The Average Cost Of Living In Germany?<\/h2>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nThis is one of the most frequently asked questions on expat forums for Germany, and I've seen different variations of it several times on Quora<\/a> too. The problem is it is such a vague and woolly question when formulated in such a way. It\u00a0depends where you are coming from, what type of job you do, and how expensive a lifestyle you lead.\r\n[purchase_link id=\"26106\" text=\"DOWNLOAD NOW!\" style=\"button\" color=\"dark-gray\"]<\/p>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nWhat is the average cost of living in Germany is one of those questions which is very difficult to answer well <\/strong>because everyone has different expectations. A student will survive on much less than a senior executive. Nonetheless, folks obviously want an answer and so I will attempt to do this the best I can. Whilst\u00a0it is\u00a0a subjective question, there are some important elements which can be universally applied.\r\n\r\nMajor urban centres are likely to have a higher cost of living but will also generally have more employment opportunities<\/strong> and therefore the opportunity to maximise the potential salary you can expect to earn. So what you lose through higher living costs you (hopefully) gain back through a higher paying job. The rank of essential items is pretty much the same for everyone, so let's start with the most important:\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\nAccommodation<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n![\"cost](\"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/cost-of-living-accomm-300x200.jpg\")
<\/a>Let's start with the most essential of necessities - shelter. This is the single\u00a0largest outgoing for most people\u00a0and therefore what is most likely to predetermine how the average cost of living in Germany will compare to where you currently live.\u00a0Housing costs are very dependent upon which area of Germany you will be living in and what your standards and expectations are in terms of accommodation. Most people in Germany live in apartments and if you live in a major metropolitan area, the pressure on housing is usually quite high. Because of demand and supply you may find housing to be fairly expensive, depending on where you have come from. For this comparison I am considering rentals rather than purchasing a property and getting a mortgage.\r\n\r\nThe most expensive city in Germany for rents\u00a0is Munich<\/a>, followed closely by Frankfurt<\/a>, and then come the other major cities where the economy is strong, such as Hamburg, Stuttgart, Cologne and D\u00fcsseldorf. Berlin<\/a>, which despite being the capital, had very cheap rents in the 2000s but has now almost caught up with the first-tier German cities mentioned previously.\r\n\r\nWhilst housing may seem expensive to some people, the quality of housing generally is very high. Expect to pay around \u20ac15 per square metre in cities like Frankfurt and Munich for a well-maintained (but not brand new) apartment in a better-than-average neighbourhood. This drops to\u00a0\u20ac10-\u20ac12 in the other major metropolitan areas listed, with Berlin coming in at around \u20ac8-\u20ac10.\r\n\r\nIf you are living in a smaller city or a more rural location, these housing costs drop considerably and you should reckon on anything between \u20ac6 to \u20ac8 euro per square metre, depending on the quality of accommodation. Leipzig<\/a> is the best value of the larger German cities with rents on average at around \u20ac6-\u20ac7 per square metre and other general expenses also coming in lower than the average cost of living in Germany. This is because it experienced a huge population exodus in the 1990s, however it has now recovered from the economic slump after reunification and is now the main up-and-coming city in Germany with inward investment from Porsche, DHL and Amazon.\r\n\r\nIf you'd prefer to watch the VIDEO instead, then here you go :-)\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=y3h_gqQf7ZI\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\nGroceries<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n![\"groceries\"](\"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/cost-of-living-groceries-300x200.jpg\")
<\/a>Next on the list of basic necessities come food and water. Standard\u00a0groceries are generally very cheap<\/a> in Germany compared to most other European countries. The proliferation of discounters such as Aldi and Lidl have made the food retail market\u00a0in Germany a very cutthroat business. Only the Netherlands\u00a0and a handful of Southern and Eastern European countries have lower average prices for a standard shopping basket.\r\n\r\nSpecific grocery items which may not be readily available in every German supermarket tend to cost more than they do back in the UK, mainly because major supermarket chains tend to stock fewer items, which means having to shop at specialist stores. A good example are\u00a0items for Asian cooking such as curry, bean sprouts, specialist sauces, and more exotic vegetables.\r\n\r\nIf you are single, live alone, and eat out maybe once or twice per week as well as lunch at work, you shouldn't need\u00a0more than \u20ac40 per week for\u00a0groceries. You can slum it on \u20ac25 if you're on a really tight budget.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\nTransportation<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n![\"transport\"](\"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/cost-of-living-transport-300x200.jpg\")
<\/a>Public transportation is of average cost compared to the rest of Europe and you will pay between \u20ac60 and \u20ac90 per month for an all-inclusive monthly ticket for the main city zone that you are living in. Running a car in Germany is slightly more expensive than most European countries, mainly down to the cost of insurance and maintenance. Car mechanics are quite expensive. The cost of petrol \/ diesel is in line with most other European countries but comes in around double that of\u00a0North America. At the time of writing it is at around \u20ac1.30 per litre but this depends on the oil price. Taxis are expensive in Germany and you will quickly run up at \u20ac10 bill even for a very short trip. Uber<\/a> does not have a\u00a0presence in Germany: It was banned\u00a0after a court ruled it violated transport laws.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\nUtilities<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/utilities-300x200.jpg\")
<\/a>Utility costs are relatively high, driven partially by the decision by the ruling government to gradually withdraw from nuclear electricity generation<\/a> by 2022, following the Fukoshima disaster in 2011. Renewables are poised to take the place of nuclear but are a less reliable as a consistent source of power, which plays havoc with wholesale gas and electricity prices.\u00a0What does all this mean? You should consider paying around \u20ac2.50 per square metre if you live in an apartment. This includes heating, hot water, gas or electricity (usually you will not have both), trash collection, snow removal for communal walkways on the apartment block's land, as well as janitorial and\u00a0landscaping services. Phone line and fast Internet connection together will cost around \u20ac30 per month. For a full package including cable TV expect to pay around \u20ac15 extra on top of this. In reality these days with the era of\u00a0Netflix and Amazon Prime, you don't need it unless you want to use it to learn German.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\nSpending your Disposable Income<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nSo what about the average cost of living in Germany for all discretionary items?\u00a0Meals in restaurants are generally quite good value, although are more expensive than southern European countries, except for Italy which remains an expensive southern outpost for restaurants. I find the cost of meals in independent restaurants to be lower than the U.K., and similar to the U.S. but the quality is usually higher i.e. fresher ingredients. An (optional)\u00a0tip of around 10% is the norm.\u00a0A fast food meal in a major chain or\u00a0a\u00a0noodle bar or kebab shop will cost around \u20ac7.00 to \u20ac8.00. Work on something similar for a sandwich, small salad and drink from the supermarket or bakery at\u00a0lunch time. A bit more for a sit-down meal.\r\n\r\nThe price of drinks is extremely good value, especially domestically produced products such as wine<\/a> produced in the south-west of the country and beer from the main brewing area of Franconia<\/a> and Bavaria<\/a>. Budget\u00a0on average to spend around \u20ac60 for a 2-course meal for two including wine in an average restaurant. Drinks in a bar are around\u00a0\u20ac3.50 to \u20ac4.00 for a\u00a0half litre draft beer and around \u20ac5.00 to \u20ac6.00 for an\u00a00.2 litre glass of good quality wine. Whites will usually be German, reds generally Italian or Spanish.\u00a0A coffee will cost around \u20ac3.00 in a local coffee shop or major chain.\r\n\r\n![\"disposable](\"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/cost-of-living-disp-income-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n\r\nCinema tickets will cost around \u20ac15.00. Gym membership, depending on what you are looking for, ranges from \u20ac25 for a bargain basement gym with lots of Russian and Turkish guys who look like gangsters, to around \u20ac75 for a premium chain such as Fitness First or David.\r\n\r\nFor those who want a bit more luxury, a cleaner will set you back about \u20ac12 per hour, as will a babysitter. A 3 or 4* hotel, including breakfast, for a weekend city-break will be\u00a0anything between \u20ac80 - \u20ac125 per night, depending on location and time of year.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\nSo what does all of this mean?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nAs I have shown, whilst the cost of living really depends a lot on your individual lifestyle, some things cost the same no matter what. You can economise on accommodation requirements and eat out less if you're on a budget, you can easily get by without a car if you live in a major city. Groceries can be purchased at a lower cost\u00a0if you're happy to shop at discount supermarkets and not buy stuff which is more difficult to find in Germany. Clothes can be as cheap or as expensive as you want them to be.\r\n\r\nA single person who is making EUR 2,000 per month net of taxes and social security contributions can easily afford a comfortable life here, although that said, rent will typically be your\u00a0largest monthly outgoing<\/strong>.\u00a0This could be around 40-50% of your income if you live in Munich, compared to 20-25% if you live in Leipzig. My one single biggest takeaway would be:\r\n\r\n[clickToTweet tweet=\"Consider rent over & above all other costs when you get a job offer or move to a different city\" quote=\"Consider the cost of rent over and above everything else when you get a job offer or are considering which city to move to\" theme=\"style4\"]\r\n\r\nEverything else except for utilities you can more or less adjust to live within your means. You can for sure survive on less than this if you are happy to share accommodation or cut back on holidays, meals out and other non-essential items.\r\n\r\nNumbeo<\/a> is a great site to get a rough idea of what individual items cost and goes into more detail than I do here in terms of the range of items it compares. It also has a very cool feature which allows you to compare one city against the other. I ran the numbers for my home town in Germany and whilst I would challenge some of what it spat out, it certainly gives a good approximate snapshot (I found that reality is a little more expensive. It could just be that it's a bit out-of-date as I'm not sure how often they update such a huge database). Expatistan<\/a> is another similar site doing more or less the same thing. If you want to calculate net vs. gross salary<\/a>, the\u00a0simple calculator in the link form Der Spiegel will do this (in German).\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nIf you missed it at the top of the article, don't forget to grab the FREE DOWNLOAD of some basic stats of what you can expect to pay for housing, utilities, transport and some common things people typically spend their disposable income on. Just click on the button below!\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n[purchase_link id=\"26106\" text=\"DOWNLOAD NOW!\" style=\"button\" color=\"dark-gray\"][purchase_link id=\"26106\" style=\"button\" color=\"gray\" text=\"DOWNLOAD NOW\"][purchase_link id=\"26106\" style=\"button\" color=\"gray\" text=\"DOWNLOAD NOW\"]Save<\/span>Save<\/span>Save<\/span>Save<\/span><\/p>\r\nSave<\/span>Save<\/span>\r\n\r\nSave<\/span>Save<\/span>Save<\/span>Save<\/span>\r\n\r\nSave<\/span>Save<\/span>","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[100],"class_list":["post-544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-life-in-germany","tag-cost-of-living-in-germany"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=544"}],"version-history":[{"count":49,"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49198,"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544\/revisions\/49198"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47794"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- \n
- Single households – \u20ac1,629 per month<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Single parents – \u20ac1,929<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Co-habiting couples without children – \u20ac3,047<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Co-habiting couples with children (number of children not specified) – \u20ac3,483<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
This makes Germany a relatively inexpensive place to live by Western European standards. Your main expenditure is likely to be accommodation, which tends to be slightly more costly in Germany than in neighbouring countries.<\/p>\n
Major urban centres are likely to have a higher cost of living but will also generally have more employment opportunities. So what you lose through higher living costs you (hopefully) gain back through a higher paying job.<\/p>\n
The rank of essential items is going to be pretty much the same for everyone, so let\u2019s start with the most important and most costly first:<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”30px||30px||true|false”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/y3h_gqQf7ZI” _builder_version=”4.6.0″ width=”75%” width_tablet=”85%” width_phone=”95%” width_last_edited=”on|phone” module_alignment=”center” box_shadow_style=”preset2″][\/et_pb_video][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Accommodation” _builder_version=”4.5.7″ text_orientation=”justified” z_index_tablet=”500″ text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px”]<\/p>\n
Accommodation<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
Your apartment in Germany will almost definitely be the largest influencing factor on your cost of living in Germany.<\/p>\n
Housing costs are very dependent upon which area of Germany you choose to live in, and your standards in terms of accommodation. Most people in Germany live in apartments.<\/p>\n
If you live in a major metropolitan area, this will definitely have the biggest impact on your living costs. The pressure on housing is usually quite high.<\/p>\n
Because of demand and supply you may find housing to be fairly expensive.
For this comparison we\u2019re considering rentals rather than purchasing a property and getting a mortgage<\/a>.<\/p>\nThe most expensive city in Germany for rents is Munich<\/a>, followed closely by Frankfurt<\/a>, and then come the other major cities where the economy is strong, such as Hamburg, Stuttgart, Cologne and D\u00fcsseldorf.<\/p>\n
Berlin<\/a>, which despite being the capital, had very cheap rents in the 2000s, has now almost caught up with the first-tier German cities mentioned previously.<\/p>\n
While housing may seem expensive to some people, the quality of housing is generally high.<\/p>\n
Expect to pay around \u20ac17-\u20ac20 per square metre in cities like Frankfurt and Munich for a well-maintained (but not brand new) apartment in a better-than-average neighbourhood.<\/p>\n
This drops to \u20ac14-\u20ac15 in the other major metropolitan areas listed, with Berlin coming in at around \u20ac12-\u20ac13 (unless you like avocado toast and quinoa burgers and want to live in a hipster neighbourhood, then add \u20ac2-\u20ac3 on top of this figure!).<\/p>\n
If you are living in a smaller city or a more rural location, the cost of living in Germany becomes much more manageable. Housing costs drop considerably and you should reckon on anything between \u20ac6 to \u20ac8 per square metre, depending on the quality of accommodation.<\/p>\n
Leipzig<\/a> is the best value of the larger German cities, with rents averaging around \u20ac8-\u20ac9 per square metre. It\u2019s also somewhat cheaper when it comes to other goods and services across the board.<\/p>\n
This is because it experienced a huge population exodus in the 1990s. However it has now the main up-and-coming city in Germany with lots of inward investment.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Groceries” _builder_version=”4.6.0″ text_orientation=”justified” z_index_tablet=”500″ text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px”]<\/p>\n
Groceries<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
Next on the list of basic necessities comes grocery shopping.<\/a><\/p>\n
Standard groceries are generally very cheap in Germany compared to most other European countries. Discounters such as Aldi and Lidl have made the food retail market in Germany a very cutthroat business.<\/p>\n
Only the Netherlands and a handful of Southern and Eastern European countries have lower average prices for a standard shopping basket.<\/p>\n
With this said, certain speciality items or exotic foodstuffs might prove more expensive than in, for example the UK. This is because major supermarket chains tend to stock fewer items (think Aldi), which means having to shop at specialist stores.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re single, live alone, and eat out maybe once or twice per week as well as lunch at work, you shouldn\u2019t need more than \u20ac50 per week for groceries. You can slum it on \u20ac30 if you\u2019re on a really tight budget.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Transportation” _builder_version=”4.5.7″ text_orientation=”justified” z_index_tablet=”500″ text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px”]<\/p>\n
Transportation<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
Public transportation<\/a> is of average cost compared to the rest of Europe. It costs between \u20ac60 and \u20ac90 per month for an all-inclusive monthly ticket in the main city zone that you are living in.<\/p>\n
Running a car in Germany is slightly more expensive than most European countries, mainly down to the cost of insurance and maintenance. Car mechanics are quite expensive. The cost of fuel is in line with most other European countries but comes in around double that of North America.<\/p>\n
At the time of writing (Aug 2020) it is at around \u20ac1.20 per litre (or $5.45 per gallon for Americans) but this depends on the oil price and the dollar of course.<\/p>\n
Taxis are very expensive in Germany and you will quickly run up a \u20ac10 bill even for a very short trip. Uber\u00a0has a limited presence in Germany thanks to a very strong taxi lobby.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Utilities” _builder_version=”4.6.0″ text_orientation=”justified” z_index_tablet=”500″ text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px”]<\/p>\n
Utilities<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
Utility costs are relatively high, driven partially by the decision by Merkel\u2019s coalition government to withdraw from nuclear electricity generation<\/a> by 2022, following the Fukoshima disaster in 2011.<\/p>\n
Subsidies and green energy taxes bump up the price of electricity, making Germany one of the priciest countries in Europe for power..<\/p>\n
What does all this mean?<\/p>\n
You should consider paying around \u20ac2.50 per square metre on utilities<\/a> if you live in an apartment<\/strong>. This includes heating, hot water, gas or electricity (usually you will not have both), trash collection, snow removal for communal walkways on the apartment block\u2019s land, as well as janitorial and landscaping services.<\/p>\n
A phone line and fast Internet connection together will cost around \u20ac30 per month. For a full package including cable TV expect to pay around \u20ac15 extra on top of this. In reality though, why would you need it. Get a VPN<\/a>, and enjoy US or UK Netflix and Amazon Prime, and then you don\u2019t need German TV other than the terrestrial channels perhaps for a means to learn German<\/a>.<\/p>\n
You can spend as much or as little as you like on German mobile phone or SIM packages<\/a>, depending on what you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Spending disposable income” _builder_version=”4.5.7″ text_orientation=”justified” z_index_tablet=”500″ text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px”]<\/p>\n
Spending your disposable income<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
So what about all those little things that make life enjoyable? Well, the cost of living in Germany may pleasantly surprise you for these!<\/p>\n
Meals in restaurants are generally quite good value, although more expensive than southern and eastern European countries (except Italy).<\/p>\n
I find the cost of meals in independent restaurants to be lower than the U.K., and similar to the U.S. \u2013 but the quality is usually significantly higher and the ingredients fresher.<\/p>\n
An (optional) tip of around 5-10% is the norm<\/a>.<\/p>\n
A fast food meal in a major chain, noodle bar or kebab shop will cost around \u20ac8.00 to \u20ac9.00. Work on something similar for a sandwich, small salad and drink from the supermarket or bakery at lunch time. A bit more for a sit-down meal.<\/p>\n
The price of drinks is extremely low, especially domestically produced products such as wine<\/a> produced in the south-west of the country and beer from the main brewing area of Franconia and Bavaria.<\/p>\n
Budget on average to spend around \u20ac70 for a 2-course meal for two including wine in a good \u2013 but not posh \u2013 restaurant.<\/p>\n
Drinks in a bar are around \u20ac4.00 for a half litre draft beer and around \u20ac5.00 to \u20ac6.00 for an 0.2 litre glass of good quality wine. Whites will usually be German, reds generally Italian or Spanish. A coffee will cost around \u20ac3.00 in a local coffee shop or major chain.<\/p>\n
Cinema tickets will cost around \u20ac15.00.<\/p>\n
Gym membership, depending on what you are looking for, ranges from \u20ac25 for a bargain basement gym with lots of Russian and Turkish guys who look like gangsters, to around \u20ac75 for a premium chain such as Fitness First or David.<\/p>\n
For those who want a bit more luxury, a cleaner will set you back about \u20ac12-\u20ac15 per hour in major cities, as will a babysitter.<\/p>\n
A three or four star hotel, including breakfast, for a weekend city-break will be anything between \u20ac80 \u2013 \u20ac125 per night, depending on location and time of year.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Conclusion” _builder_version=”4.8.2″ text_orientation=”justified” z_index_tablet=”500″ text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px”]<\/p>\n
So what does all of this mean?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
Whilst the cost of living really depends a lot on your individual lifestyle, some things cost the same no matter what.<\/p>\n
You can economise on accommodation requirements<\/a> and eat out less if you\u2019re on a budget. You can easily get by without a car if you live in a major city.<\/p>\n
Groceries can be purchased at a lower cost if you\u2019re happy to shop at discount supermarkets and not buy stuff which is more difficult to find in Germany.<\/p>\n
Clothes can be as cheap or as expensive as you want them to be.<\/p>\n
A single person who is making EUR 2,000 per month net of taxes and social security contributions<\/a> can easily afford a comfortable life here, although that said, rent will typically be your largest monthly outgoing. This could be around 45-50% of your income if you live in Munich, compared to 25-30% if you live in Leipzig.<\/p>\n
Consider the cost of rent over and above everything else when you get a job offer or are considering which city to move to.<\/p>\n
Numbeo<\/a> is a great cost of living calculator, offering cost of living comparisons by country. It can help you to get a rough idea of what individual items cost and goes into more detail than I do here in terms of the range of items it compares.<\/p>\n
It also has a very cool feature which allows you to compare the cost of living index of one city against the other.<\/p>\n
Expatistan<\/a> is another similar site doing more or less the same thing.<\/p>\n
If you want to calculate net vs. gross salary, my video on the LWG YouTube channel<\/a> will explain clearly how to do this.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”30px||30px||true|false”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/-wk8jv-KcFI” _builder_version=”4.0.6″ width=”75%” width_tablet=”85%” width_phone=”95%” width_last_edited=”on|phone” module_alignment=”center” box_shadow_style=”preset2″][\/et_pb_video][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.5.7″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#f8f8f8″ width=”80%” width_tablet=”75%” width_phone=”100%” width_last_edited=”on|tablet” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”2vw||2vw||false|false” border_radii=”on|15px|15px|15px|15px” border_width_all=”1px” global_module=”47539″ saved_tabs=”all”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.5.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”|auto|0px|auto|false|false” custom_padding=”1vw||0vw||false|false”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.5.7″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.5.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”1vw||1vw||true|false”]<\/p>\n
Looking for helpful content on another topic?<\/h4>\n
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Here at Live Work Germany, we get asked about cost of living and salary expectations a LOT. Unfortunately, they\u2019re really hard questions to answer, because\u2026 well, everyone has different expectations: Germany is relatively inexpensive by European standards, even though some basics like food and housing cost more. A student, living in rented accomodation and spending […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47794,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"\u00a0\r\n
What Is The Average Cost Of Living In Germany?<\/h2>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nThis is one of the most frequently asked questions on expat forums for Germany, and I've seen different variations of it several times on Quora<\/a> too. The problem is it is such a vague and woolly question when formulated in such a way. It\u00a0depends where you are coming from, what type of job you do, and how expensive a lifestyle you lead.\r\n
[purchase_link id=\"26106\" text=\"DOWNLOAD NOW!\" style=\"button\" color=\"dark-gray\"]<\/p>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nWhat is the average cost of living in Germany is one of those questions which is very difficult to answer well <\/strong>because everyone has different expectations. A student will survive on much less than a senior executive. Nonetheless, folks obviously want an answer and so I will attempt to do this the best I can. Whilst\u00a0it is\u00a0a subjective question, there are some important elements which can be universally applied.\r\n\r\nMajor urban centres are likely to have a higher cost of living but will also generally have more employment opportunities<\/strong> and therefore the opportunity to maximise the potential salary you can expect to earn. So what you lose through higher living costs you (hopefully) gain back through a higher paying job. The rank of essential items is pretty much the same for everyone, so let's start with the most important:\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n
Accommodation<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n
<\/a>Let's start with the most essential of necessities - shelter. This is the single\u00a0largest outgoing for most people\u00a0and therefore what is most likely to predetermine how the average cost of living in Germany will compare to where you currently live.\u00a0Housing costs are very dependent upon which area of Germany you will be living in and what your standards and expectations are in terms of accommodation. Most people in Germany live in apartments and if you live in a major metropolitan area, the pressure on housing is usually quite high. Because of demand and supply you may find housing to be fairly expensive, depending on where you have come from. For this comparison I am considering rentals rather than purchasing a property and getting a mortgage.\r\n\r\nThe most expensive city in Germany for rents\u00a0is Munich<\/a>, followed closely by Frankfurt<\/a>, and then come the other major cities where the economy is strong, such as Hamburg, Stuttgart, Cologne and D\u00fcsseldorf. Berlin<\/a>, which despite being the capital, had very cheap rents in the 2000s but has now almost caught up with the first-tier German cities mentioned previously.\r\n\r\nWhilst housing may seem expensive to some people, the quality of housing generally is very high. Expect to pay around \u20ac15 per square metre in cities like Frankfurt and Munich for a well-maintained (but not brand new) apartment in a better-than-average neighbourhood. This drops to\u00a0\u20ac10-\u20ac12 in the other major metropolitan areas listed, with Berlin coming in at around \u20ac8-\u20ac10.\r\n\r\nIf you are living in a smaller city or a more rural location, these housing costs drop considerably and you should reckon on anything between \u20ac6 to \u20ac8 euro per square metre, depending on the quality of accommodation. Leipzig<\/a> is the best value of the larger German cities with rents on average at around \u20ac6-\u20ac7 per square metre and other general expenses also coming in lower than the average cost of living in Germany. This is because it experienced a huge population exodus in the 1990s, however it has now recovered from the economic slump after reunification and is now the main up-and-coming city in Germany with inward investment from Porsche, DHL and Amazon.\r\n\r\nIf you'd prefer to watch the VIDEO instead, then here you go :-)\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=y3h_gqQf7ZI\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\nGroceries<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n
<\/a>Next on the list of basic necessities come food and water. Standard\u00a0groceries are generally very cheap<\/a> in Germany compared to most other European countries. The proliferation of discounters such as Aldi and Lidl have made the food retail market\u00a0in Germany a very cutthroat business. Only the Netherlands\u00a0and a handful of Southern and Eastern European countries have lower average prices for a standard shopping basket.\r\n\r\nSpecific grocery items which may not be readily available in every German supermarket tend to cost more than they do back in the UK, mainly because major supermarket chains tend to stock fewer items, which means having to shop at specialist stores. A good example are\u00a0items for Asian cooking such as curry, bean sprouts, specialist sauces, and more exotic vegetables.\r\n\r\nIf you are single, live alone, and eat out maybe once or twice per week as well as lunch at work, you shouldn't need\u00a0more than \u20ac40 per week for\u00a0groceries. You can slum it on \u20ac25 if you're on a really tight budget.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\nTransportation<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n
<\/a>Public transportation is of average cost compared to the rest of Europe and you will pay between \u20ac60 and \u20ac90 per month for an all-inclusive monthly ticket for the main city zone that you are living in. Running a car in Germany is slightly more expensive than most European countries, mainly down to the cost of insurance and maintenance. Car mechanics are quite expensive. The cost of petrol \/ diesel is in line with most other European countries but comes in around double that of\u00a0North America. At the time of writing it is at around \u20ac1.30 per litre but this depends on the oil price. Taxis are expensive in Germany and you will quickly run up at \u20ac10 bill even for a very short trip. Uber<\/a> does not have a\u00a0presence in Germany: It was banned\u00a0after a court ruled it violated transport laws.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\nUtilities<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n
<\/a>Utility costs are relatively high, driven partially by the decision by the ruling government to gradually withdraw from nuclear electricity generation<\/a> by 2022, following the Fukoshima disaster in 2011. Renewables are poised to take the place of nuclear but are a less reliable as a consistent source of power, which plays havoc with wholesale gas and electricity prices.\u00a0What does all this mean? You should consider paying around \u20ac2.50 per square metre if you live in an apartment. This includes heating, hot water, gas or electricity (usually you will not have both), trash collection, snow removal for communal walkways on the apartment block's land, as well as janitorial and\u00a0landscaping services. Phone line and fast Internet connection together will cost around \u20ac30 per month. For a full package including cable TV expect to pay around \u20ac15 extra on top of this. In reality these days with the era of\u00a0Netflix and Amazon Prime, you don't need it unless you want to use it to learn German.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\nSpending your Disposable Income<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nSo what about the average cost of living in Germany for all discretionary items?\u00a0Meals in restaurants are generally quite good value, although are more expensive than southern European countries, except for Italy which remains an expensive southern outpost for restaurants. I find the cost of meals in independent restaurants to be lower than the U.K., and similar to the U.S. but the quality is usually higher i.e. fresher ingredients. An (optional)\u00a0tip of around 10% is the norm.\u00a0A fast food meal in a major chain or\u00a0a\u00a0noodle bar or kebab shop will cost around \u20ac7.00 to \u20ac8.00. Work on something similar for a sandwich, small salad and drink from the supermarket or bakery at\u00a0lunch time. A bit more for a sit-down meal.\r\n\r\nThe price of drinks is extremely good value, especially domestically produced products such as wine<\/a> produced in the south-west of the country and beer from the main brewing area of Franconia<\/a> and Bavaria<\/a>. Budget\u00a0on average to spend around \u20ac60 for a 2-course meal for two including wine in an average restaurant. Drinks in a bar are around\u00a0\u20ac3.50 to \u20ac4.00 for a\u00a0half litre draft beer and around \u20ac5.00 to \u20ac6.00 for an\u00a00.2 litre glass of good quality wine. Whites will usually be German, reds generally Italian or Spanish.\u00a0A coffee will cost around \u20ac3.00 in a local coffee shop or major chain.\r\n\r\n
<\/a>\r\n\r\nCinema tickets will cost around \u20ac15.00. Gym membership, depending on what you are looking for, ranges from \u20ac25 for a bargain basement gym with lots of Russian and Turkish guys who look like gangsters, to around \u20ac75 for a premium chain such as Fitness First or David.\r\n\r\nFor those who want a bit more luxury, a cleaner will set you back about \u20ac12 per hour, as will a babysitter. A 3 or 4* hotel, including breakfast, for a weekend city-break will be\u00a0anything between \u20ac80 - \u20ac125 per night, depending on location and time of year.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\nSo what does all of this mean?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nAs I have shown, whilst the cost of living really depends a lot on your individual lifestyle, some things cost the same no matter what. You can economise on accommodation requirements and eat out less if you're on a budget, you can easily get by without a car if you live in a major city. Groceries can be purchased at a lower cost\u00a0if you're happy to shop at discount supermarkets and not buy stuff which is more difficult to find in Germany. Clothes can be as cheap or as expensive as you want them to be.\r\n\r\nA single person who is making EUR 2,000 per month net of taxes and social security contributions can easily afford a comfortable life here, although that said, rent will typically be your\u00a0largest monthly outgoing<\/strong>.\u00a0This could be around 40-50% of your income if you live in Munich, compared to 20-25% if you live in Leipzig. My one single biggest takeaway would be:\r\n\r\n[clickToTweet tweet=\"Consider rent over & above all other costs when you get a job offer or move to a different city\" quote=\"Consider the cost of rent over and above everything else when you get a job offer or are considering which city to move to\" theme=\"style4\"]\r\n\r\nEverything else except for utilities you can more or less adjust to live within your means. You can for sure survive on less than this if you are happy to share accommodation or cut back on holidays, meals out and other non-essential items.\r\n\r\nNumbeo<\/a> is a great site to get a rough idea of what individual items cost and goes into more detail than I do here in terms of the range of items it compares. It also has a very cool feature which allows you to compare one city against the other. I ran the numbers for my home town in Germany and whilst I would challenge some of what it spat out, it certainly gives a good approximate snapshot (I found that reality is a little more expensive. It could just be that it's a bit out-of-date as I'm not sure how often they update such a huge database). Expatistan<\/a> is another similar site doing more or less the same thing. If you want to calculate net vs. gross salary<\/a>, the\u00a0simple calculator in the link form Der Spiegel will do this (in German).\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nIf you missed it at the top of the article, don't forget to grab the FREE DOWNLOAD of some basic stats of what you can expect to pay for housing, utilities, transport and some common things people typically spend their disposable income on. Just click on the button below!\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n
[purchase_link id=\"26106\" text=\"DOWNLOAD NOW!\" style=\"button\" color=\"dark-gray\"][purchase_link id=\"26106\" style=\"button\" color=\"gray\" text=\"DOWNLOAD NOW\"][purchase_link id=\"26106\" style=\"button\" color=\"gray\" text=\"DOWNLOAD NOW\"]Save<\/span>Save<\/span>Save<\/span>Save<\/span><\/p>\r\nSave<\/span>Save<\/span>\r\n\r\nSave<\/span>Save<\/span>Save<\/span>Save<\/span>\r\n\r\nSave<\/span>Save<\/span>","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[100],"class_list":["post-544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-life-in-germany","tag-cost-of-living-in-germany"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=544"}],"version-history":[{"count":49,"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49198,"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544\/revisions\/49198"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47794"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Single parents – \u20ac1,929<\/strong><\/li>\n