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Estimate your monthly living expenses across 15 German cities. Compare rent, food, transport, and insurance against your Ausbildung stipend.
Most popular among trainees — affordable, social, flexible.
Your expected monthly Ausbildung salary. Auto-filled from your sector — feel free to adjust.
For a typical Ausbildung trainee living in Berlin
You may need a part-time job (up to 20h/week is allowed during Ausbildung) or family support to close this gap.
A realistic monthly budget for living in Germany as a international student, apprentice, or worker — broken down by city. The calculator factors in housing (WG, studio, dorm), insurance (TK, AOK, Mawista), food, transport (Deutschlandticket €58/month), phone plan, and discretionary spending. Numbers are calibrated to actual 2026 prices in 30 German cities, from Munich (most expensive) to Chemnitz (cheapest), so you can compare cities before choosing where to study or train.
Use it to set a Sperrkonto target (the 2026 minimum is €11,904/year, but many cities cost more), to negotiate Ausbildung salary expectations (most Ausbildung pays €900 to €1,300 a month — fine in Leipzig, tight in Frankfurt), and to plan whether you need a side job. The calculator also estimates one-time setup costs (deposit, first month rent, household items) that newcomers usually forget — typically €2,500 to €4,500 over and above the Sperrkonto deposit.
In cheaper cities like Leipzig or Dresden, yes — €11,904 a year ÷ 12 = €992 a month, enough for student-level living. In Munich or Frankfurt you will need a side job. Minijobs up to €538/month are tax-free and visa-compliant for both Ausbildung trainees and students.
They reflect 2026 medians on ImmoScout24 and WG-Gesucht for each city. Actual rent varies by ±20% depending on neighborhood, apartment age, and whether you find a private landlord versus a property-management company.
Yes. Public insurance (TK, AOK) for students is around €120/month; for Ausbildung trainees it is deducted from salary. Private travel insurance (Mawista, Care Concept) for the visa application stage is €30 to €60/month.