Living in Germany: cost of living, rents and the salary you need

Updated 2 October 2026

How much do you need to earn to live in Germany? Here are rents in the main cities, the minimum wage, healthcare, residence permits and moving costs, with the official source of every figure. For your own case, the calculator starts from your real budget, in your city, and moves it to Germany.

Work out my budget in Germany

Example: the same life, elsewhere

A single person living in London in a one-bedroom home, with the average spending of a similar household, spends about £3,350 a month. To keep the same life in Berlin, they would need about €1,380 net a month locally (−65%), i.e. 0.8 times the Mindestlohn.

For a couple with two children in a two-bedroom home (state school), it would take about €2,600 net a month in Berlin, i.e. 1.5 times the Mindestlohn.

Calculated on 2 October 2026 with the official averages of London and the destination’s prices. Yours depends on your city, home and habits: the calculator works it out in a few minutes, no sign-up.

Rents in Germany

City	Studio	1 bedroom	2 bedrooms	3-bedroom house
Berlin	€310	€490	€710	€1,040
Hamburg	€360	€580	€830	€1,210
Munich	€490	€780	€1,130	€1,650
Cologne	€370	€590	€850	€1,240
Frankfurt am Main	€410	€650	€950	€1,380
Düsseldorf	€360	€580	€840	€1,220
Stuttgart	€400	€640	€930	€1,360
Leipzig	€260	€420	€610	€890
Dortmund	€260	€420	€610	€890
Bremen	€310	€500	€720	€1,050
Essen	€270	€440	€630	€930
Dresden	€280	€450	€650	€950

Monthly rent in EUR, outside the most sought-after areas. Studio 28 m², 1 bedroom 45 m², 2 bedrooms 65 m², house 95 m² where rent is known per m². Destatis, 2022 census: average rent per m² in each municipality, adjusted to what tenants who moved in since 2019 pay (2022 microcensus), including building charges, updated with the Eurostat rent index (August 2026).

Wages

The Mindestlohn is €1,720 net a month (€2,410 gross).

Median wage: €54,100 gross a year.

Healthcare

It is compulsory: a public fund (deducted from salary) or private insurance, depending on your situation.

In the example above: with a job, public health insurance is deducted from your salary: nothing more to pay.

Visa and residence permit

The different permits (EU Blue Card, skilled worker…) and their conditions, on the official portal. Not needed for Europeans.

Cost: €180 per person (€90 per child).

National visa and residence permit.

There is no visa to live on income from abroad: you need a local job, unless your nationality is exempt.

Moving in and everyday life

Deposit: 3 months’ rent excluding charges
Agency fees: No fees for the tenant
School: Free state school
Electricity: €0.39 per kWh
Getting around without a car: Deutschlandticket: €60 a month per adult
Home cleaning: €20 an hour

Frequently asked questions

What salary do you need to live in Berlin?

For a single person keeping the same life as in London: about €1,380 net a month, i.e. 0.8 times the Mindestlohn.

How much is rent in Berlin?

About €490 a month for a one-bedroom home and €710 for a two-bedroom home, according to Destatis, 2022 census.

Do you need a residence permit to live in Germany?

The different permits (EU Blue Card, skilled worker…) and their conditions, on the official portal. Not needed for Europeans. Cost: €180 per person (€90 per child).