Every guide to the cost of living in Germany seems to quote a different number, usually without a year or a source. Here we do it differently. We use the figures published by the Federal Statistical Office and the ministries, say which year they come from, and tell you plainly where no official number exists. Rents in particular change too fast, and vary too much by district, for a table of "average prices" to be honest.
What does the average German household spend?
The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) runs a large household survey, the Einkommens- und Verbrauchsstichprobe, every five years. Its 2023 results, published in December 2025, show that the average household spent about €3,030 a month on consumption, up from €2,700 in the 2018 survey. The survey covered roughly 54,000 households, and the first results have been updated since.
Housing is the biggest item: housing, energy and routine maintenance together came to about €1,137 a month, or 37.5% of consumption. The press release rounds this to 38%. Destatis counts rent including service charges, plus energy and minor repairs.
Two other points are useful to a newcomer. Single-person households spent 42.6% of their budget on housing, against 34.4% for households of four. And households with less than €1,300 net a month spent 64% of their consumption, about €780, on food and housing combined. These are averages for the whole country and mix owners and tenants, so a tenant in a large city will often be above them.
What are the fixed costs you cannot avoid?
Some costs are set by law or by official scale, and you can plan around them.
- Health insurance. In the statutory system the general rate is 14.6% of income subject to contributions in 2026, plus an additional contribution that each fund sets (2.9% on average in 2026). Employees share the total with their employer. Contributions are calculated on income up to €5,812.50 a month. Details in health insurance in Germany for expats.
- Broadcasting contribution. €18.36 a month per home, or €55.08 a quarter, in 2026. See Rundfunkbeitrag.
- Rent deposit. Up to three months' net rent, payable in three instalments (§ 551 BGB), then refunded under the lease terms. Our renting in Germany guide explains it.
- Agent fee. Zero when the landlord hired the agent, and no more than two months' net rent plus VAT when you commissioned the search.
- Property transfer tax if you buy. Set by each Land: 6% in Berlin, 5.5% in Hamburg and Bremen. See buying property in Germany.
- Car tax. Calculated on engine size and CO2, and collected by direct debit. See driving in Germany.
Putting a budget together for your own case, with a salary, a partner, children and a city, means combining several of these rules. Moovy can help you list the compulsory items and show where to find the official figure for each. It does not give personalised financial advice.
How much is the minimum wage, and what does a mini-job pay?
The statutory minimum wage is €13.90 gross an hour since 1 January 2026 and €14.60 from 1 January 2027, set by the federal regulation published by the labour ministry. Collective agreements often pay more. A Minijob, a low-paid job, can bring in up to €603 a month in 2026 and €633 in 2027, a limit that follows the minimum wage. The employer pays flat-rate contributions and you normally pay a small pension share, but a mini-job does not give you health cover of your own. Our article on working in Germany explains more.
Wages are gross figures. Income tax rises progressively from 14%: in 2026, the first €12,348 of taxable income is free of tax, according to the 2026 tariff (§ 32a EStG). Your net pay also depends on your tax class and on the social contributions deducted by your employer, which is why your payslip, not a headline salary, is the figure to budget with.
Which parts of the cost of living in Germany vary by city and Land?
Several costs depend on where you live, which is why a national average cannot replace a local check:
- Rent. Look at the local Mietspiegel, the municipal rent guide, and find out whether your city is in a rent-brake area.
- Childcare. Berlin makes nursery care free, with a €23 monthly charge for lunch. Other Länder and cities set their own fees, often by income.
- Local taxes. Municipalities set the Hebesatz for property tax and may levy dog tax or second-home tax. In Berlin, a second home is taxed at 20% of the net rent since 2025.
- Church tax. 8% of income tax in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, 9% elsewhere, but only if you belong to a church that levies it.
- Schools. State schools are free; French and international schools charge fees decided by each school.
What are the common mistakes when budgeting the cost of living in Germany?
- Using a "monthly cost" from a blog without a year or a source. Prices change.
- Forgetting the employee's share of social contributions. Your gross pay is not your net pay.
- Forgetting the one-off costs: deposit, agent, moving, translations, notary if you buy.
- Counting on a free Sunday supermarket run. In several Länder shops are closed, which affects your planning more than your budget.
- Ignoring the heating bill. Service charges are advances. The statement comes later, and it can bring a refund or a bill.
How can you check a figure yourself?
The Federal Statistical Office publishes its tables free of charge, and the ministries publish the rates that apply each year. For rents, go to your municipality's website for the Mietspiegel and to the Land's regulation on the rent brake. For health insurance, the Federal Ministry of Health publishes the annual rates. If you see a number without a date and a source, treat it as a guess.
How do you read the figures on average household spending in Germany?
The 2023 survey measures what households actually spent on consumption, not what they earn. The jump from €2,700 in 2018 to €3,030 in 2023 is in euros of each year, so part of it reflects higher prices rather than a better standard of living. The survey lumps together owners, who pay no rent, and tenants, so the housing share looks lower than a tenant's real share. In the lowest income group, housing alone took 46.4% of consumption. When you compare average household spending in Germany with your home country, compare like with like: tenants with tenants, and the same family size.
What is the cost of living in Germany for a single person or a family?
The answer starts with who is in the household. Destatis shows that a single person spends a bigger share of the budget on housing (42.6%) than a family of four (34.4%), because the cost of a home is shared among more people. The national average does not tell you the rent of a one-bedroom flat in Munich or Leipzig. For that, use the local rent guide (Mietspiegel) and a few real listings, and keep the first six months of rent in mind: the deposit and, perhaps, an agent's fee come on top.
A family should add childcare (free in Berlin, often income-based elsewhere), school supplies, lunch and the cost of the school type chosen. See schools in Germany.
How do you build your own monthly budget?
A practical sequence:
- Start with the fixed items you know: rent plus service charges, health insurance contribution, the broadcasting contribution, phone and internet.
- Add the legal obligations tied to your situation: car insurance and car tax if you drive, property tax in the service charges.
- Estimate the variable items from a few weeks of real spending.
- Convert gross pay to net, using your tax class and the contribution rates. The Federal Ministry of Finance publishes an official wage tax calculator at bmf-steuerrechner.de, which covers the tax part only, not social contributions.
- Leave a margin for the annual service-charge statement, which can bring a bill.
Our guide to renting in Germany covers the first step in detail, and working in Germany covers contracts, pay and mini-jobs.