Living in Berlin
Germany's capital: international, creative and full of startups, with a tight rental market. Plenty of jobs work in English, though not most.
Example monthly budget in Berlin: €1,661 for one employed adult in 50 m². Uses Q2 2026 asking cold rents plus planning allowances. Replace the assumptions with your own costs. Warm rent includes an assumed €3/m² for running costs and heating. Other costs use the same budget allowances in every city. Source: Kiel Institut für Weltwirtschaft auf Basis der VALUE Marktdatenbank.
Berlin is the most international city in Germany. In tech, startups and the creative scene you'll find teams that work in English, and you can get through a lot of daily life without German. Elsewhere, check each advert's language requirement. The trade-off is housing: the rental market is tight, so have your application documents ready before you start viewing.
Neighbourhoods internationals look at
- Prenzlauer Berg: leafy streets, cafés, popular with families
- Neukölln and Kreuzberg: mixed, lively, plenty of nightlife
- Friedrichshain: young, busy, with walks along the Spree
- Charlottenburg: quieter, classic west Berlin
Getting started
- 1Find a place to live, even a temporary one, and get the landlord's Wohnungsgeberbestätigung: you can't register without it.
- 2Book your Anmeldung early, then sort health insurance and a bank account. Your tax ID arrives by post a few weeks after you register.
- 3Get a Deutschlandticket or a BVG ticket for the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses.