How to cut living costs in Germany

7 saving tips

Living in Germany as a foreigner is an exciting but challenging experience. Depending on where you come from, the living cost in Germany may come as a surprise to you. From this article, you will learn how to save in Germany, so if you’re looking to cut your living expenses, it would be useful to you.

Our company, Nexus-Europe GmbH, assists foreigners with starting and developing their own business in Germany and moving to Germany through business. Over 20 years of operation we have helped more than 7000 customers.

How to save in Germany: 7 tips

Now, let’s see some tips on how to cut your living costs in Germany.

1. First of all, accommodation. In big cities, it’s hard to find an affordable place to live. Relatively easy is to find a furnished place, however it is significantly more expensive. So you’ll need to invest a lot of time in looking for affordable housing, prepare for an interview and have all necessary documents ready just like when looking for a job. As an alternative, you might want to consider the option of sharing an apartment with somebody. This is one of the options that many people choose when thinking how to save in Germany.

2. Electricity. You can save money by choosing a provider who has the most beneficial offer. Same goes for internet providers etc. You’ll find that it is one of the saving tips that Germans themselves make use of to lower living costs in Germany. First you need to compare the offers. Next, check if the provider has special offers for new clients. Often, there are good discounts for new clients, so sometimes it makes sense to cancel your current contract when it expires and sign a new one on better terms. You can compare providers and their offers on the portal Check 24.

3. Food. Supermarkets, and not only discounters, offer specials every week and may have discounts up to 40%. So, if you pay attention, you may be able to significantly save on grocery shopping when.

4. Public transport tickets. For example, there is the 49-euro-ticket that allows unlimited travel for just 49 euros per month. It is valid throughout Germany on all types of local public transport. Please note however that it can’t be used for long-distance transport, such as ICE trains etc. There are also other plans available that you might find beneficial if you’re looking into how to save in Germany. Riding a bike is also quite popular and a good way to save on transportation and lower your living cost in Germany.

5. Church tax. The church tax is usually 9% of wage and income tax. It is paid by the members of the Evangelical or Catholic Church as well as members of Jewish religious communities. If you are not a firm believer, by leaving the church or religious community, you may save on paying the church tax.

6.  Tax return. On average, you can get tax return of around 1,000 euro in Germany. You can submit a tax return yearly and it can be done either through a tax adviser or by yourself using a special software.

7. Be careful with subscriptions. This is another tip that would also be useful to optimize cost of life in other countries. Many providers, such as internet, electricity providers, fitness clubs etc. automatically renew subscriptions after your current one expires. After that it usually isn’t possible to cancel them for at least another year. And if you first bought it with a special offer or a discount, the new subscription period will most probably be at a full price.

Our company, Nexus-Europe GmbH, assists foreigners with establishing their own successful business in Germany and moving to Germany.