Cost of Living in Germany

Germany is known for its well-developed infrastructure, labour market, economy and established traditions. It’s one of the most preferred places for living among immigrants, especially for skilled workers.

The cost of living in Germany is not low but is certainly not expensive if you’re employed full time there and have decent spending habits. The daily expenses for food, clothes, accommodation and entertainment are very close to the average of other EU countries. An average of 800 Euro is enough to cover some basic expenses, without affording luxurious stuff.

Bank account

There are two options for opening a bank account if you have a German address. You have the option to open one before you’re an official resident, too. The non-resident account is for people who are planning on moving to Germany, have moved recently or are employed there but don’t yet have an official address. 

For registered residents, the two options are a Standard and a Current accounts. With a Current account, you can receive your salary and pay your bills. With a Standard one, you have two possible options either instant access or fixed deposit. 

What you need to open a German bank account as an expat:

• Valid passport
• A recent passport size photo
• Proof of address
• You may need proof of income/employment
• Proof that you are a student if opening a student account
• Not necessarily but you may need to show SCHUFA credit rating

Accommodation cost in Germany

The cost of living for students is close to what is required for adults. An average of 850 Euro will be enough to cover basic expenses depending on which city you choose to live in and study. Smaller cities are respectively more affordable than the bigger ones.

200 – 370 Euro is the average cost of student accommodation in Germany, which most affects the price is the size and location of the property. The positive side of studying in Germany is that students may benefit from a reduction in prices for various utilities. With a student status, a person can get cheaper tickets to theatres, physical activity centres or free public transport in some areas.

Check out the complete list of the benefits of being a student in Germany.

Check out your options and research the good cities to live in Germany, then compare prices so you can choose the best place for you.

Cost of utility bills

Knowing how much these monthly expenses will cost you when you move to Germany is crucial to organising your finances ahead of time. So, we’ve prepared a list of the costs for general bills you will have:

Transportation expenses

Transportation is an integral part of living in any big city. It’s an expense you cannot skip or cut on. Here are the main types of transport expenses you will have when living in Germany:

Cost of necessities

Surprisingly for many, Berlin turns out to be a lot more affordable for a living than London, for example. A good comparison can be made when you compare the expenses of living in the capital cities of both countries. According to Numbeo – the most sophisticated tool for this purpose, a meal in an inexpensive restaurant in Berlin cost an average of 50% less than in London.

Food costs in Germany

Food costs add up to being one of the biggest monthly expenditures for every household. The more people in the family, the larger the cost, so here is a breakdown of the main food products and their average prices in Germany.

Attire and personal care

Additionally, here are several other expenses:

You can check out Numbeo’s statistics for the average cost of living in Germany. The data is as close to the actual as possible. There may be some data, which is not 100% accurate due to the extremely dynamic changes in prices for each item from the category.

Takeaways

But how much would it cost to move to Germany from the UK? There isn’t any fixed price for a removals service that covers your relocation to Germany. At Fantastic Removals, we determine the cost of moving from the UK to Germany based on several factors. All of them are unique for each particular move and depend entirely on the preferences of the customer.

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