Live in Germany

Lifestyle

Germany is a true multicultural country with over 16 million Turks, Greeks, Italians, Poles, Russians, Spaniards and other ethnic groups contributing to the cultural mix in the country today. In fact, the travel guide Lonely Planet several years ago listed Germany second in its rankings of best countries in the world to visit, primarily because of its diversity and ability to change.

The London-based Legatum Institute ranked Germany fourteenth out of 142 countries on Legatum’s Prosperity Index (2013), which considers economy, entrepreneurship and opportunity, governance, education, health, safety and security, personal freedom and social capital categories.

Germany’s cultural stew also greatly influences modern German cuisine. Yes, you can still have roast pork with dumplings and bratwurst with sauerkraut, but German cuisine is more than that. The differences between the states strongly influence regional variation. For example, the North of Germany, which borders the North Sea, is known for fresh fish. In Berlin, stew and currywurst with a side of potatoes is a typical meal. The southwest of the country, which borders France, borrows from its neighbor. Typical dishes are flammkuchen (a tart) and schupfnudeln (finger-shaped potato dumplings). The southern regions are known for a variety of pastry dishes, such as dumplings, pretzels and weisswurst (Bavarian veal sausage). The German cuisine also is defined by the richness of its ethnic contributions, including Greek, Turkish and Italian cooking. German chefs from ethnic backgrounds are now winning prestigious cooking awards.

Of course, beer and Germany have been in a symbiotic relationship for centuries. Germans have beenbrewing ales for at least three thousand years and lagers for five centuries, although the blond lager that is quaffed most throughout the world has been around for just 150 years. Germany is world-famous for its annual Oktoberfest, held each year in Munich. For 16 days beginning in late September, beer drinkers from around the globe descend on the city to enjoy the Gemütlichkeit, or good cheer, that comes from many rounds of great German beer. The most popular beer in Germany is Pils or pilsner beer, but a wide variety of regional specialties are available to match any taste.

German wine also is making its mark around the world. Wine growers in 13 regions in the country formed the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates to ensure a high standard of quality for German wines. White wine accounts for about two-thirds of all wine produced.

Germans also love to celebrate and have plenty of opportunity to do so. Besides Oktoberfest, there are many other events to attend throughout the year, such as Christopher Street Day in Cologne, the Carnival of the Cultures in Berlin, Fastnacht in Mainz and Carnival in Cologne.

Cost of Living

Like anywhere in the world you may move, your cost of living in Germany will depend upon the type of lifestyle you want to have. Even in the least expensive countries your cost of living may be similar to what you left in the U.S. if you want to maintain a similar lifestyle.

Satisfaction with living standards is high in Germany. The country ranks eighth globally on the Satisfaction with Standard of Living measure and sixth on Access to Food and Shelter, as reported by the Legatum Institute (2012).

Below is Euromonitor International’s 2011 comparison of costs for selected food items sold in the U.S. and Germany (Based on U.S. dollars at the 2011 exchange rate).

The overall cost of living in Germany’s major cities generally is moderate. None of the cities was included in Mercer’s 2012 Cost of Living survey of the top 50 most expensive cities in the world.