Budgets and tariffs are indicative. München and Berlin cost much more than eastern cities — adjust figures to your university.

Daily life roadmap

First week (setup) → Weekly routine → Optimisation (ticket, shopping, Müll)

Student checklist — daily life

  • Week 1: SIM/eSIM, transport ticket, discount store map, banking app.
  • Every week: meal prep, correct recycling, check Nebenkosten.
  • Every month: review subscriptions, compare Strom.
  • Buffer: €200–300 for pharmacy, repairs, last-minute train.

Indicative monthly budget (2026)

ItemBerlin / MünchenHamburg / KölnLeipzig / Dresden
Rent (Warm room)€550–900€500–800€350–550
Groceries + Mensa€200–320€180–280€150–230
Transport€30–60 (ticket)€30–55€20–45
Phone€10–25€10–20€10–20
GKV insuranceapprox. €120approx. €120approx. €120
Leisure€60–120€50–100€40–80
Indicative total€970–1,450€870–1,280€690–1,045

Transport

  • Deutschlandticket: monthly regional pass (current price on bundesregierung.de).
  • Semesterticket: included in Semesterbeitrag — often covers the whole region.
  • DB: Deutsche Bahn — book IC/ICE early; BahnCard discounts.
  • Bike: many cities are bike-friendly; lights mandatory at night.

Shopping and cooking

  • Aldi, Lidl, Penny, Netto — Low prices.
  • Rewe, Edeka — More variety, higher prices.
  • University Mensa — Subsidised meals with student card.
  • PFAND: bottle deposit — do not throw away; redeem at machines.

Mülltrennung and building rules

  • Separate: paper, plastic, glass, bio, residual — rules vary by Land.
  • Ruhezeiten: often 22:00–06:00 — respect in WGs.
  • Sunday: shops closed (except petrol stations, essential bars).

Phone

OperatorNote
Telekom, Vodafone, O2Wide network
Aldi Talk, CongstarCheap prepaid
eSIMUseful before Anmeldung

Laundry — quick guide

  1. Programmes: Kochwäsche, Buntwäsche, Feinwäsche.
  2. Book a slot if the building laundry has a calendar.
  3. Dry on a rack — tumble dryers rare in WGs.

Safety and emergencies

  • 112 — EU emergency number.
  • 110 — Police.
  • 116 117 — Out-of-hours doctor (non-emergency).
Noise

Evening and Sunday quiet hours (Ruhezeit) in flats — neighbours may call police.

Quick reference

Orderly life, regulated shop hours, quiet Sundays in many Länder. Excellent public transport in cities; countryside needs planning.

  • Semester ticket: core student mobility
  • Car rarely needed in university cities
  • Recycling separation mandatory in buildings
  • Shops closed Sunday (except Spätis/stations)

Transport

Deutsche Bahn for travel; local VBB/MVV/BVG. Bike + S-Bahn typical. Car sharing (Share Now) for weekends.

  • Deutschlandticket optional
  • Second-hand bike

Climate and what to pack

Humid dark winter; waterproof jacket and grippy shoes. Short pleasant summer — do not underestimate grey November.

  • Hat and gloves Dec–Feb
  • Sturdy umbrella year-round

Phone and internet

SIM and internet

Prepaid Aldi Talk, Telekom, O2. 24-month contracts common but avoidable. Fibre in flat: ask Vermieter.

  • eSIM available
  • Post still used by offices

Food and groceries

Good for students

Light breakfast, main lunch. Turkish/Asian markets for Italian ingredients. Etiquette: quiet in library and on trains.

Habits and settling in

Punctuality and written appointments. Waste separation. German helps a lot outside English-speaking campus bubbles.

  • Pfand on bottles — return at machines
  • Cash still king in small bars
Deep dive (optional)

Go deeper

Useful numbers

ServiceNumber / note
Single EU emergency112 (police, fire, ambulance)
Police (emergency)110 when a crime is in progress or there is acute danger
Non-urgent medical on-call116117 (unified out-of-hours service; fee may apply)
Crisis listening line (Telefonseelsorge)0800 111 0 111 or 0800 111 0 222 (verify current routing on telefonseelsorge.de)
Consumer adviceverbraucherzentrale.de

Post & pharmacy

Deutsche Post / DHL

Tracked mail and branch services.

Pharmacy

Prescription medicines; duty pharmacies rotate—116117 can help locate out-of-hours care.

Go deeper

Driving licence & ID

Exchange rules, international permits, and minimum ages differ widely. Confirm with the national or state motoring authority in Germany before driving; rental desks usually require licence plus passport or national ID.

Mobile plans & SIM

Compare prepaid vs contract; you will usually need ID and sometimes proof of address. Ask about number portability, fair-use data caps, and EU/international roaming if you travel outside Germany.

Groceries & food

Mix discount supermarkets with local markets and food-rescue apps where they operate. Check Sunday opening rules and bag/bottle deposit schemes in Germany—they affect weekly cost.

Official government portal · Official energy efficiency hub

Trusted sources we used for this content

Public sources such as Eurostat, EU institutions, the Federal Government, Make it in Germany, BAMF, the Federal Foreign Office, BZSt, BMF / ELSTER, the Federal Ministry of Health, DAAD, and German federal laws online. Figures change—not legal or tax advice.