Costs of Moving To Germany from The US: Guide
Germany is an economic leader in Europe; besides, it’s one of the most culturally diverse countries on the continent. No wonder you are considering leaving the States for the better. People from Germany constantly move to the US, and at the same time, US citizens relocate to Germany. But what does it cost to move from the US to Germany?
The average minimum cost of moving to Germany from the USA is 3,640 USD (without shipping), and the average maximum of 9,670 USD, including shipping your items.
Changing a place of residence is never free. Moving needs time, effort, and, of course, money. Read below the cost breakdown for moving to Germany from the US.
Main mosts of moving to Germany from the US
When moving to Germany from the USA, you will have various expenses among different categories. Indeed, these numbers will vary for all of us; however, the main items on your list will remain the same. Below you can see the complete list of what you can’t avoid when moving to Germany.
- Visa: 110 – 140 USD
- Flight: 600 USD (depends)
- Security deposit for the apartment plus rent for the next two months: 1,600 – 5,000 USD
- Emergency savings: 1,000 – 2,000 USD
- Health insurance: 150 USD
- Mandatory monthly costs without rent: 630 USD + health insurance
- In case of shipping items: +1,000 USD
Minimum: 3,640 USD (without shipping)
Maximum: 9,670 USD
Residence permits
A residence permit is the first expense you should keep in mind when moving to Germany for the long term. US citizens don’t need a visa to enter Germany, nor do they need to have a job offer before entering Germany.
However, they need to apply for a residence permit at the German embassy in the US or at the Foreigners’ Office in Germany.
In general, a residence permit in Germany can only be issued for a specific purpose:
- Education/Training
- Employment
- Family Reunification
The cost of a residence permit is 110 USD / EU Blue Card – 140 USD
US citizens may also apply for an EU Blue Card, which costs 140 USD. For this residence permit, you need to find a suitable job upon arrival. Another requirement is the minimum salary of 56,400 USD per year or 43,992 USD – for STEM professions (2022).
Knowing how to get a German residence visa and work permit will likely be crucial to settling down successfully in the country.
When applying for a German visa, there are various things to take care of, and you will need to meet certain German visa requirements, including proof of income and health insurance. Additionally, you will need to have at least some basic German language skills.
The main requirements to get a work residence permit in Germany are:
1. Financial proof of your ability to cover your expenses in Germany, such as bank statements and tax documents.
2. Confirmation letter from your employer that you have an employment offer
Depending on your situation and reason for moving, requirements might vary. For example, if you are joining a spouse or family member, you don’t need both two mentioned above.
If you want to come to Germany for business purposes, you will need some other documents to provide.
Once you’ve received your residence permit, you can renew it every year until five years into the future, after you’ll be able to apply for a Permanent Residence Permit.
The city you are moving to
Your costs might drastically vary depending on the city you move to in Germany. The reason for this is regional differences in the economy and, therefore, in the costs of living, including housing, goods, food, entertainment, transportation, etc.
If your future base will be in the south or southwest of Germany, be ready to spend significantly more than in the east or northwest.
The most expensive cities in Germany are Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Bonn, and Heidelberg. Not all of them are the biggest cities, but they still have very high prices and standards of living.
Apart from this, the country has many reasonably cheaper cities than those mentioned above, including Leipzig, Dresden, Bochum, Magdeburg, Bamberg, Rostock, and Kiel.
Read our article on the best German cities to live in as a foreigner.
How much should you save up to move to Germany?
When moving abroad, you’ve got a couple of crucial expenses. Some of them are fixed costs some can vary.
Some fixed costs will be:
1. Your flight: 1,000 USD, depending on the time of year, where exactly you’re flying from, and how much luggage you want to bring.
2. Security deposit for the apartment (usually 3 months rent) plus rent for the next two months: 1,000*5 USD
3. Emergency savings: 1,000 – 2,000 USD just in case some unexpected costs
4. Insurances for the current and next month:
- Health insurance: 150 USD*2
- Liability insurance (inc. for an apartment) for a year: 50 USD
- Car insurance for a year: 500 USD (if you plan to have one)
5. Other expenses:
- Gym membership: 30-70 USD
- Public transportation card: 70-80 USD
Total maximum: 9,000 USD
Total minimum: 4,050 USD (if choosing a shared apartment)
Read this guide on German salaries to learn how much money you can make here.
The variable costs for the first month would be:
- Household expenses: 500 USD
- Groceries and eating out: 300 – 400 USD
- Miscellaneous: 100 USD
- Utilities and internet: 100 – 300 USD
- Personal care items: 50 – 100 USD
- Clothing & shoes: 100 – 200 USD
- Entertainment: 100 – 300 USD
- Phone bill (internet): 30 USD
- The total average is 1,300 USD for the first month; 630 USD from them is mandatory.
- Total maximum: 1,900 USD
With the household costs, you never know ahead what you need to buy in a new country, what is missed in your new apartment, kitchen equipment, and other important living items.
So the minimum will be 500 USD, but you almost 100% will need more unless you are moving into the shared apartment, where you will get everything ready.
Conclusion: you will need to save up a maximum of 10,900 USD and a minimum of 4,680 USD to move to Germany from the US and pay for the first two months.
Shipping your furniture to Germany
Transporting belongings is the biggest concern people have when moving to Germany from the US. It can be pretty expensive if done in the wrong way. You have several ways to transport your items.
Sea freight shipping
The first and less expensive way is sea freight shipping, although it’s the most time-consuming way to transport your belongings. Sea shipping takes around 43-47 days to reach Germany. The average price for a 20 ft container is 286 USD and for a 40 ft container is 330 USD.
If you need to send several large items to Germany, such as furniture or a car, sea freight is the best solution.
Depending on the shipment route, you could be waiting for up to 2 months for your items to arrive. You will also need to consider transporting your items to and from ports, both departing and upon arrival in Germany – which can be rather costly and inconvenient.
If you decide to transport your car, calculate at least 850 USD additionally.
Air freight shipping
The second and the most expensive one is air freight, which can be up to 18 times more expensive than the ocean freight.
It takes just 2 to 4 business days for your stuff to arrive. However, the price can be a reasonable factor inshore the ocean above the air. The good deal will be considered around 1,000 USD for the small container.
Similar to sea freight, air freight allows you to easily transport some large, bulky items to Germany. It tends to be too expensive because it’s charged by weight and volume. Again, you will also need to think about the transportation of your items to and from airports.
Parcel
And the third one is the classic parcel. Yes, you can also easily send a box to Germany if your belongings are small in volume and weight. Just be sure it’s packed well, and you have someone in Germany who can actually receive it.
Before you decide to send your parcel, make sure to research about German customs; particularly when it comes to shipping goods, there are some restrictions.
Also, make sure you invest in a new sturdy, double-walled (or even triple-walled) cardboard box and pillow items with plenty of internal packaging to avoid any damage occurring while in transit.
Costs for the parcel are growing with the weight:
- 1 lb – 33 USD
- 5 lbs – 73 USD
- 10 lbs – 87 USD
It’s only a good option if you don’t have much to transport. Express parcel shipping will take 3 to 4 business days, and Economy shipping between 5 and 10 business days.
Should you do it?
A drawback of moving large items to Germany, such as furniture and cars, is that you might have additional costs for customs. The second disadvantage is transportation to and from the port/airport.
Most importantly, you will need to decide whether it’s worth it, or if you will be better off leaving or selling it in the US. You might spend 5,000 USD to transport the goods, but your working contract is only for 2 years.
So you will need either to take it with you back home or sell everything in Germany. In my opinion, a better option is to sell your belongings or rent out your apartment with all the furniture and things you don’t need in Germany.
Moreover, you will be able to find cheap furniture in Germany; there are many furniture stores and online second-hand shops, and some have really good value and price proportion!
Your monthly expenses in Germany
It would be hard to get by for less than 1,000 USD a month as an adult in Germany. You will need at least 1,500 USD – 2,000 USD per month to be able to rent an apartment instead of a room.
Students can usually cover living costs for around 850 USD – 1,000 USD a month. A family must have at least 3,000 USD in disposable income.
Moving to Germany can be beneficial for people from the US. You will pay for some things significantly less and some considerably more. In general, your monthly expenses must go down if you know what you are doing and ways to save money.
If we compare Berlin and New York eating out and buying beer is half as expensive in Berlin as in New York, you’ll also save more than 50% buying groceries in Berlin instead of New York.
Moreover, you will save on transportation too. Public transportation is excellent in all German cities, even at night. Thus, you don’t really need a car to get around.
Housing in Germany
First, let’s look at accommodation. Most people in Germany live in apartments. Demand for housing in the most popular cities is high, and so are the prices.
Average prices for rent in Frankfurt, Germany:
- 1 bedroom apartment – 700 – 1,000 USD
- 2 bedroom apartment – 1,000 – 1,400 USD
- 3 bedroom apartment – 1,200 – 1,800 USD
- 4 bedroom apartment – 1,500 – 3,000 USD
You need to calculate additional utility costs, which are around 100-250 USD monthly.
As you can see, rent prices vary depending on the location, condition, and how new and modern the apartment is. Therefore, you can be lucky and get a house for a relatively low price, or you will be overpaying.
Keep in mind that in Germany, you would need to pay a security deposit together with your first-month rent. In many cases, that could be 3,000 – 5,000 USD.
In the case of a shared apartment, the deposit isn’t always necessary, but if required, you will pay 1 or 2 monthly rents and the first-month rent as well. The cost breakdown would be monthly rent of 400 USD, and a deposit of 2*400 USD.
Shared apartments are very common in Germany. Not only students but also working adults live together to save money. You will have your own room and share the kitchen, living room, and bathrooms with your flatmates.
It doesn’t only help to save some money from the beginning but also to socialize and build some friendships with locals.
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