Cost of Living in Germany
Expats will find that the cost of living in Germany is generally high, but near average for western European countries. Obviously, living in major cities is substantially more expensive than in more rural areas.
Accommodation prices range from about €300 to €1000 per month, depending on neighbourhood and accommodation type (flat-share, apartment, house etc.) Private healthcare is also quite expensive, as are school fees for international schools. Non-essential items such as clothing and cellular phones aren’t cheap either.
Germany pays high taxes which will expend a major part of one's income. Incomes are often high which can offset some of the added expenditures. The rate of income tax increases progressively from 0% to 45%. A solidarity surcharge (5.5% of income tax) also has to be paid. No income tax is charged on the basic allowance (€7,834 for singles, €15,668 for married couples). Germany has treaties in place with many countries to avoid double taxation of expats. Value-added tax (VAT) is 19%, with reduced rates on some foods and transport services.
By way of illustrating the cost of items, a 1 litre bottle of water will be about €0.90 and coffee at a café is around €2.20. A mid-range meal should cost less than €20 and a movie ticket is about €7. See Word Travels for currency exchange rates.
| Accommodation (monthly rent in good area) | |
| Furnished 2 bedroom house | €950.00 |
| Furnished 2 bedroom apartment |
€700.00 |
| Room in shared apartment | €300.00 |
| Food and Drink | |
| 1 litre milk | €1.10 |
| 500g cheese | €3.60 |
| 12 eggs | €3.50 |
| Bread (white) | €1.90 |
| Sugar | €1.00 |
| 500g ground coffee | €5.20 |
| Tea bags (25) | €2.00 |
| 1 litre Coca-Cola | €0.90 |
| 1kg beef filet | €12.00 |
| 1kg minced beef | €6.20 |
| 1kg chicken (whole) | €3.30 |
| 1 can beer | €1.00 |
| 1 bottle wine | €3.00 |
| Cigarettes (20) | €4.90 |
| Household | |
| Bath soap | €1.20 |
| 200ml shampoo | €2.50 |
| Deodorant | €2.40 |
| Toothpaste | €1.50 |
| 2.5kg laundry detergent | €4.10 |
| 500ml dishwashing liquid | €2.40 |
| Utilities | |
| Telephone line (monthly rental) | €31.00 |
| Mobile/cell phone | €64.00 |
| Monthly electricity (100sq.m apartment) | €117.00 |
| Eating Out & Entertainment | |
| Three-course restaurant meal | €36.00 |
| Fast-food meal | €5.60 |
| Coffee in a café | €2.20 |
| Beer in a bar | €3.00 |
| Taxi/km | €0.75 |
| City bus | €1.60 |
| Internet café (30min) | €1.40 |
| Health | |
| Consultation - private doctor/GP | €28.40 |
| Aspirin (100 tablets) | €11.75 |
| Antibiotics (12) | €5.75 |
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