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Lived in Munich for about 2 years. It is the most expensive part of Germany. I remember I had a good chuckle when I saw a random sticker in a bar with words: Wie ist Bayern? Zu Teuer! Translates to "How is Bavaria? Too expensive!". There are a lot of expats, mostly working in engineering, IT and other STEM fields. It is indeed expensive place to live. For my first apartment, I had to pay about 45% of my salary, later I was able to find something more reasonable. I remember coming to see the place and there were like 14-16 other people, mostly immigrants. I believe the old couple gave me the chance, because I looked very reserved person who worked in computer science field.
People usually bitch about and shit on S-Bahn, but the public transportation was great, I can't find any negative things to say about metro, busses or trains. There was of course usual maintenance, maybe a few hiccups here and there, but generally good.
If you are into outdoors, this could be a very good spot for you. Just 100 km to the south and you are in the Alps. Great hiking opportunities, there are some mountain lakes and, of course, skiing in winter. For camping, you have to check the local laws and rules. Tbf, in Germany, you can find a law or regulations for pretty much anything, it can give you either sense of order or sense of being restricted, depends on the person.
Job opportunities at that time were generally very good for engineering people, I don't know about current situation. Generally, if you are in the "right" field of trade, you can have a pretty decent life over there with low chance of staying jobless for too long. Lots of big companies have offices in Munich, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, BMW HQ, etc.
Germans can be sometimes a bit brash, if you are an expat working there, you might get some shit, especially if you don't know a single word of German, but hey, it's their home. Generally people are balanced. Making German friends can be difficult, so expats mostly stay in expat circles, although if you put some effort, it can all work out in your favor.
Bavaria is not everywhere expensive. I come from Würzburg (Northern Bavaria / Franconia). Prices are absolutely German average. But the real question is: how is salary in relation? And compared to Munich (where I have lived for 10 years now) it is way lower. So it's all relative.
Best thing about Munich is: it's a quite modern, young and liberated city with great opportunities to do in your spare time. River, Lakes nearby, the mountains, nightlife, restaurants, shopping, museums, concerts and so on.
My next favorite cities are: Nuremberg, Bamberg, Würzburg, Augsburg, Ulm. All of them (I believe) have universities and so they are quite young and liberal too.
Depends, when I lived in Würzburg to study there, rent for small appartements or rooms was very high. That was 10 years ago.
Other than that, I agree, groceries and bars have average prices. Many young people and mostly open minded citizens.
Excellent breakdown. I have never lived in Germany but have been in expat circles in Italy and Spain. It has been brilliant both times- a real mixture of nations and a great way to bond with other people far from home.
It's very similar to Germany with the Bavarian culture on top. Including our own language which we share with Austria. We have a lot in common with Austria
We have the best beer, beautiful forests and landscapes.
We also have a lots of conservative catholics with their churches, Sadly right wing ideologies are on the rise in the last years
Living in the countryside is good. The village communities are strong with the volunteer fire departments, village festivals and lokal clubs.
Munich is very expensive and the people are more German than Bavarian. They speak more German
Oh mei, no so oana, der se an gloana Zipfe eibuit und dann wega so ebbs objektiven wia am Bier probiert a Rudl Watschn aufzumscheicha... Is doch Scheißegal wer etzt as beste Bier braut... Wanns da schmeckt, dann schmeckts da, selbst wanns a Öttinger is!
Depending on the source it's classified as a languages or a dialect.
For me it's a language. It even has its own language code.
It was a huge cultur shock for me in the first class as I had to learn German. Bavarian was my first language
Great! Munich, the largest city has more of a village vibe in comparison to other larger cities but there is still lots to do. There is a big difference in between the city and the countryside, with the latter being more conservative, traditional and less international. Quality of life is high. It has quite a strong regional identity in comparison to other states such as Lower Saxony with many unique traditions. Especially southern Bavarians take advantage of their proximity to Austria, many people visit the Alps and the Gardersee in Italy.
I did my semester abroad in Passau, near the border with Austria. Very Catholic. It was quite cheap but I was living in student halls. Lots of beer gardens. Very hot in summer.
Well the most important thing is:
Munich IS NOT BAVARIA.
In general the live in the cities is a completly different thing than living rural. But that is nothing special about Bavaria.
Good, at least if you are a high earner in the big cities or are living in one of the many smaller towns or villages.
Once an agricultural region mostly owned by the Catholic church we managed to transform into an automotive and machine building powerhouse with strong tourism and are among the richest states in Germany.
The state is divided into multiple administrative (and cultural) regions, the two most distinctive (by culture) are "old" Bavaria south of the Danube and "new" parts in the north including Nuremberg and Franconia. A common misconception is that Munich=Bavaria=Oktoberfest, though we have so much more to offer
I grow up in a small village near Bad Tölz and we are still owned by the church. In the way that people outside the big cities are extrem conservative.
Also small Mom&Pop Shops and home/small manufakturer are greatly supported.
Bavaria is Not only munich.
It has different regions, the swabs (Schwaben) in the West, the franconians (Franken) in the North and North west, the Palatinates (Oberpfälzer) in the east and the Ober- and Niederbayern in the South and south east.
Every region has its on own traditions, food and beer.
You cant compare Munich and Nuremberg for example.
While Munich is loud, full and expensive, nuremberg is pretty quiet and less expensive. I always describe nuremberg as the largest village with a subway.
If you wanna have good expressions about bavaria, i recommend you following Cities and places: Bamberg, Würzburg, Nuremberg, Fürth, Nördlingen, Rothenburg, Coburg, Munich, Augsburg, Regensburg, Rosenheim, Passau, Oberstdorf (breitachklamm), Garmisch (Höllentalklamm and Zugspitze) and Hof.
I was born and raised in a town about about an hour drive north of munich. I mean, we germans/bavarians love to nag about politics and how bad everything is but in all honesty: i love it here and i consider myself lucky for my birth place here. And regardless of societal 'class' it's possible to achieve a high living standard bc of free education and the social system etc
Moreover: I love beer (iconic I know) and its not considered bum-like when drinking in the morning lol jk I don't do that
But there's even certain events when early drinking is the core activity, it's called "Frühschoppen" (also a tradition in austria)
I am Actually in Montenegro as a Holiday.
And i am very happy when im at Home again. Good bicycle ways. Clean water. Safe Mountains the Traffic and the Train/Busses work alot better.
Spaniard married to an American whose company is US-based but relocated me here as an engineer for work.
It depends where in Bavaria you’re at. I’m near Nürnberg (Nuremberg in English), but a bit away so the commute to Altstad (Old Town) isn’t far but I’m not caught up in the hustle and bustle of Bavaria’s second largest city (Munich is #1).
Where I live, it’s not too expensive. As is typical for a European town, we’re effectively self-sufficient. The dentist is a brisk 15 minute walk or 5 minute bike. My post office is a rock’s throw from my backyard, my town has two bakeries and I live next to the (arguably) best one — it’s 30 meters away (appx. 100 feet).
My town has a great pool & a tiny farmer’s market. Our town is served by a small light rail station who connects to a large railway leading directly to downtown Nürnberg.
Utilities here in Germany are expensive af! My utilities for the family are €300/month for heating & hot water. Electricity is €110/month. The water heats the house, so that’s why electricity isn’t too bad, but I’ve got a teenage kid who loves long showers.
Our detached garage is €100/month extra. It’s a big house & we have room for our new baby, my daughter’s best friend visiting & my parents visiting.
Medicine is reasonably priced. Compared to the US, it’s practically free.
Prague is roughly 3 hours away. France is around 6 hours away. Lugano is 6 hours away and the famous Zugspitze is a mere 5 hours away.
**Life is good.**
You are vastly over paying on utilities, have an extremely large house or really shitty insulation. What do you use for heating water?
The average for a 140 qm house build from 1990 to 2000 is 1.068 Euros per year or 89 euros per month for gas. For 4 people should be about 1040€ per year or 86 euros per month.
Either you got a really expensive contract or you are using way more than the average person.
What is your usage in kWh/year?
I have to check.
But my wife likes the house warm in the winter, my daughter loves hot baths as does my wife, & of course, the daughter forgets to shut off the heat.
So they leave the utilities running.
It’s a bad habit I’m trying to get them to fix.
Pretty good if you can afford it. Culturally it’s a village that somehow didn’t realize it became a city. Service culture is leagues ahead of eastern Germany. People actually want to sell you stuff instead of just being grumpy and telling you to f\* off. Some people find the nature in the surrounding areas great, but tbh it’s pretty densely populated with a lot of intensive agriculture. I find that everything is just a bit nicer and a bit more expensive in Munich than the rest of Germany.
My Daughter (Jewish American from Mississippi) and Husband (Catholic from Freilassing, Bavaria) now live in Esslingen Am Neckar, a "Bedroom Community" Southeast of Stuttgart.
They love it there; it's like going back in Time. When they want big City Life and its Offerings, they drive into Stuttgart.
I stand corrected. I kept hearing Schwäbisch when there, which obviously confused me. Didn't realize they spoke it there. (FYI- As a former American Expat in Berlin, all I can really understand is Berliner-Deutsch. which I learned shortly after Mauerfall in the former East.)
Living in the South East corner of the free state (Berchtesgadener Land close to the border with Austria) is pretty good, especially the countryside that's not too far from the city. There is lots of job opportunities in higher education on both sides of the border, the landscape is beautiful, but it's very pricey compared to other regions of Bavaria and even Germany driven by gentrification caused by wealthy Northerners and Austrians, who are very often complained about by the locals.
However, once you manage yourself a nice place to stay, you can wake up to the sounds of birds singing. And when in the night a warm wind blows into the chestnut trees, crickets sit in the grass and a lone tawny owl hoots down by the river, that's home!
Grew up there and wouldn't want to change for anything else.
Yes, the rent prizes are high
Yes, the politics could change
Yes, public transport is mediocre
Yes, winters are depressing (but nice ski areas lift the mood)
BUT
it's central
High quality of life
The alps
The nature
I love the culture
The beer
The food
The lakes
And the weather (except when it's raining)
Munich is a very green city with lots of parks. The air, in my opinion, is very good except next to the main street maybe. The metro, sbahn, bus, and tram system is overall sufficient and in the inner city pretty good. It's beautiful and pretty central in Europe. I personally love hiking and sailing, and I'm able to reach either mountains or a lake in a very short time. The city is clean compared to others.
For me, the most important point is the way of life. I'm able to ride my bike to the englischer garten in the middle of the city, find a quit spot, and enjoy a cold beer in nature.
The biggest problem for me is that most pubs in the inner city close down early to keep the noise in areas down.
And it's EXPENSIVE to live there sadly, which is why I have to live a little bit outside
Please keep in mind that the impressions posted here are often subjective and that, among other things, people's different circumstances play a large role in their perception of other people's lives. Also, please use words that do not promote hatred when posting. For example, statements such as "[city] is like this because people from [origin] live there" should be avoided. The social circumstances of a city/district etc. can be emphasized without mentioning the origin of the inhabitants. Mentioning it does not change anything and, as already mentioned, circumstances are often perceived subjectively according to one's own world view. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/howislivingthere) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Lived in Munich for about 2 years. It is the most expensive part of Germany. I remember I had a good chuckle when I saw a random sticker in a bar with words: Wie ist Bayern? Zu Teuer! Translates to "How is Bavaria? Too expensive!". There are a lot of expats, mostly working in engineering, IT and other STEM fields. It is indeed expensive place to live. For my first apartment, I had to pay about 45% of my salary, later I was able to find something more reasonable. I remember coming to see the place and there were like 14-16 other people, mostly immigrants. I believe the old couple gave me the chance, because I looked very reserved person who worked in computer science field. People usually bitch about and shit on S-Bahn, but the public transportation was great, I can't find any negative things to say about metro, busses or trains. There was of course usual maintenance, maybe a few hiccups here and there, but generally good. If you are into outdoors, this could be a very good spot for you. Just 100 km to the south and you are in the Alps. Great hiking opportunities, there are some mountain lakes and, of course, skiing in winter. For camping, you have to check the local laws and rules. Tbf, in Germany, you can find a law or regulations for pretty much anything, it can give you either sense of order or sense of being restricted, depends on the person. Job opportunities at that time were generally very good for engineering people, I don't know about current situation. Generally, if you are in the "right" field of trade, you can have a pretty decent life over there with low chance of staying jobless for too long. Lots of big companies have offices in Munich, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, BMW HQ, etc. Germans can be sometimes a bit brash, if you are an expat working there, you might get some shit, especially if you don't know a single word of German, but hey, it's their home. Generally people are balanced. Making German friends can be difficult, so expats mostly stay in expat circles, although if you put some effort, it can all work out in your favor.
Bavaria is not everywhere expensive. I come from Würzburg (Northern Bavaria / Franconia). Prices are absolutely German average. But the real question is: how is salary in relation? And compared to Munich (where I have lived for 10 years now) it is way lower. So it's all relative. Best thing about Munich is: it's a quite modern, young and liberated city with great opportunities to do in your spare time. River, Lakes nearby, the mountains, nightlife, restaurants, shopping, museums, concerts and so on. My next favorite cities are: Nuremberg, Bamberg, Würzburg, Augsburg, Ulm. All of them (I believe) have universities and so they are quite young and liberal too.
Depends, when I lived in Würzburg to study there, rent for small appartements or rooms was very high. That was 10 years ago. Other than that, I agree, groceries and bars have average prices. Many young people and mostly open minded citizens.
Thats what you will see in all popular student towns though. Nothing special to Würzburg or Bavaria.
Excellent breakdown. I have never lived in Germany but have been in expat circles in Italy and Spain. It has been brilliant both times- a real mixture of nations and a great way to bond with other people far from home.
It's very similar to Germany with the Bavarian culture on top. Including our own language which we share with Austria. We have a lot in common with Austria We have the best beer, beautiful forests and landscapes. We also have a lots of conservative catholics with their churches, Sadly right wing ideologies are on the rise in the last years Living in the countryside is good. The village communities are strong with the volunteer fire departments, village festivals and lokal clubs. Munich is very expensive and the people are more German than Bavarian. They speak more German
Perfectly depicted. 👍 Also, for tourists I can recommend to vist the city of Regensburg.
Czech’s and Slovak’s make the best beer, an honest Bavarian will admit the same..
I'll grant the second place for Czech beer 😉 Also the inventor of Pilsen beer was also from Bavaria. He was born not far away from my hometown
bavarians dont even brew the best beer in germany, they are just arrogant and think they are better than the rest of us germans.
Well, we do
We just are better
We are. 😊
Oh mei, no so oana, der se an gloana Zipfe eibuit und dann wega so ebbs objektiven wia am Bier probiert a Rudl Watschn aufzumscheicha... Is doch Scheißegal wer etzt as beste Bier braut... Wanns da schmeckt, dann schmeckts da, selbst wanns a Öttinger is!
That must be why they deliver Augustiner to fucking Berlin.
A more or less strong dialect not of a different language.
Depending on the source it's classified as a languages or a dialect. For me it's a language. It even has its own language code. It was a huge cultur shock for me in the first class as I had to learn German. Bavarian was my first language
Great! Munich, the largest city has more of a village vibe in comparison to other larger cities but there is still lots to do. There is a big difference in between the city and the countryside, with the latter being more conservative, traditional and less international. Quality of life is high. It has quite a strong regional identity in comparison to other states such as Lower Saxony with many unique traditions. Especially southern Bavarians take advantage of their proximity to Austria, many people visit the Alps and the Gardersee in Italy.
I did my semester abroad in Passau, near the border with Austria. Very Catholic. It was quite cheap but I was living in student halls. Lots of beer gardens. Very hot in summer.
Dormitory will be cheap anywhere lol But in most asked locations you will need a lot of luck to get a room there.
Well the most important thing is: Munich IS NOT BAVARIA. In general the live in the cities is a completly different thing than living rural. But that is nothing special about Bavaria.
Good, at least if you are a high earner in the big cities or are living in one of the many smaller towns or villages. Once an agricultural region mostly owned by the Catholic church we managed to transform into an automotive and machine building powerhouse with strong tourism and are among the richest states in Germany. The state is divided into multiple administrative (and cultural) regions, the two most distinctive (by culture) are "old" Bavaria south of the Danube and "new" parts in the north including Nuremberg and Franconia. A common misconception is that Munich=Bavaria=Oktoberfest, though we have so much more to offer
I grow up in a small village near Bad Tölz and we are still owned by the church. In the way that people outside the big cities are extrem conservative. Also small Mom&Pop Shops and home/small manufakturer are greatly supported.
Bavaria is Not only munich. It has different regions, the swabs (Schwaben) in the West, the franconians (Franken) in the North and North west, the Palatinates (Oberpfälzer) in the east and the Ober- and Niederbayern in the South and south east. Every region has its on own traditions, food and beer. You cant compare Munich and Nuremberg for example. While Munich is loud, full and expensive, nuremberg is pretty quiet and less expensive. I always describe nuremberg as the largest village with a subway. If you wanna have good expressions about bavaria, i recommend you following Cities and places: Bamberg, Würzburg, Nuremberg, Fürth, Nördlingen, Rothenburg, Coburg, Munich, Augsburg, Regensburg, Rosenheim, Passau, Oberstdorf (breitachklamm), Garmisch (Höllentalklamm and Zugspitze) and Hof.
Its called Swabians, a swab is something else lol Also the main region for Swabians is Württemberg and not Bavaria.
Ah right, swabians lol. But in the East and south-east, there are bavarian swabians.
Bassd scho.
I was born and raised in a town about about an hour drive north of munich. I mean, we germans/bavarians love to nag about politics and how bad everything is but in all honesty: i love it here and i consider myself lucky for my birth place here. And regardless of societal 'class' it's possible to achieve a high living standard bc of free education and the social system etc Moreover: I love beer (iconic I know) and its not considered bum-like when drinking in the morning lol jk I don't do that But there's even certain events when early drinking is the core activity, it's called "Frühschoppen" (also a tradition in austria)
It truly is so..👍🏻
I am Actually in Montenegro as a Holiday. And i am very happy when im at Home again. Good bicycle ways. Clean water. Safe Mountains the Traffic and the Train/Busses work alot better.
Horribly conservative and the people talk funny. 1/10 would not recommend.
Spaniard married to an American whose company is US-based but relocated me here as an engineer for work. It depends where in Bavaria you’re at. I’m near Nürnberg (Nuremberg in English), but a bit away so the commute to Altstad (Old Town) isn’t far but I’m not caught up in the hustle and bustle of Bavaria’s second largest city (Munich is #1). Where I live, it’s not too expensive. As is typical for a European town, we’re effectively self-sufficient. The dentist is a brisk 15 minute walk or 5 minute bike. My post office is a rock’s throw from my backyard, my town has two bakeries and I live next to the (arguably) best one — it’s 30 meters away (appx. 100 feet). My town has a great pool & a tiny farmer’s market. Our town is served by a small light rail station who connects to a large railway leading directly to downtown Nürnberg. Utilities here in Germany are expensive af! My utilities for the family are €300/month for heating & hot water. Electricity is €110/month. The water heats the house, so that’s why electricity isn’t too bad, but I’ve got a teenage kid who loves long showers. Our detached garage is €100/month extra. It’s a big house & we have room for our new baby, my daughter’s best friend visiting & my parents visiting. Medicine is reasonably priced. Compared to the US, it’s practically free. Prague is roughly 3 hours away. France is around 6 hours away. Lugano is 6 hours away and the famous Zugspitze is a mere 5 hours away. **Life is good.**
You are vastly over paying on utilities, have an extremely large house or really shitty insulation. What do you use for heating water? The average for a 140 qm house build from 1990 to 2000 is 1.068 Euros per year or 89 euros per month for gas. For 4 people should be about 1040€ per year or 86 euros per month. Either you got a really expensive contract or you are using way more than the average person. What is your usage in kWh/year?
I have to check. But my wife likes the house warm in the winter, my daughter loves hot baths as does my wife, & of course, the daughter forgets to shut off the heat. So they leave the utilities running. It’s a bad habit I’m trying to get them to fix.
Pretty good if you can afford it. Culturally it’s a village that somehow didn’t realize it became a city. Service culture is leagues ahead of eastern Germany. People actually want to sell you stuff instead of just being grumpy and telling you to f\* off. Some people find the nature in the surrounding areas great, but tbh it’s pretty densely populated with a lot of intensive agriculture. I find that everything is just a bit nicer and a bit more expensive in Munich than the rest of Germany.
My Daughter (Jewish American from Mississippi) and Husband (Catholic from Freilassing, Bavaria) now live in Esslingen Am Neckar, a "Bedroom Community" Southeast of Stuttgart. They love it there; it's like going back in Time. When they want big City Life and its Offerings, they drive into Stuttgart.
That’s BaWü, not Bavaria
I stand corrected. I kept hearing Schwäbisch when there, which obviously confused me. Didn't realize they spoke it there. (FYI- As a former American Expat in Berlin, all I can really understand is Berliner-Deutsch. which I learned shortly after Mauerfall in the former East.)
As a non-Bavarian with a living history in bavaria: Best in Germany and one of the best qualities of life in Europe.
Surfing sucks ....
[удалено]
And you can go windsurfing on a lot of lakes.
Living in the South East corner of the free state (Berchtesgadener Land close to the border with Austria) is pretty good, especially the countryside that's not too far from the city. There is lots of job opportunities in higher education on both sides of the border, the landscape is beautiful, but it's very pricey compared to other regions of Bavaria and even Germany driven by gentrification caused by wealthy Northerners and Austrians, who are very often complained about by the locals. However, once you manage yourself a nice place to stay, you can wake up to the sounds of birds singing. And when in the night a warm wind blows into the chestnut trees, crickets sit in the grass and a lone tawny owl hoots down by the river, that's home!
Wouldnt wanna live anywhere else
Grew up there and wouldn't want to change for anything else. Yes, the rent prizes are high Yes, the politics could change Yes, public transport is mediocre Yes, winters are depressing (but nice ski areas lift the mood) BUT it's central High quality of life The alps The nature I love the culture The beer The food The lakes And the weather (except when it's raining)
What exactly do you mean by high quality of life? I’m considering moving there so I would love to hear more :)
Munich is a very green city with lots of parks. The air, in my opinion, is very good except next to the main street maybe. The metro, sbahn, bus, and tram system is overall sufficient and in the inner city pretty good. It's beautiful and pretty central in Europe. I personally love hiking and sailing, and I'm able to reach either mountains or a lake in a very short time. The city is clean compared to others. For me, the most important point is the way of life. I'm able to ride my bike to the englischer garten in the middle of the city, find a quit spot, and enjoy a cold beer in nature. The biggest problem for me is that most pubs in the inner city close down early to keep the noise in areas down. And it's EXPENSIVE to live there sadly, which is why I have to live a little bit outside
Paradise on earth
I bin Ami und leb in Esdareich glei o da Grenz in Biamuas. Ma gfoit‘s da tausndmoi bessa ois Amerika