Best Cities in Germany for Expats [2024] - Live In Germany

Expats find Germans tough, but once they get to know them, they are very sweet, friendly and cool, so if you plan to visit Germany for work or holiday, let us share with you that Germany is a great place to live or work. Germany is a progressive country, and the economy of Germany is very strong, so if you want to start a business or look for a job in Germany, you must search for opportunities in Germany. If you have a skill and a well-designed resume, you will find great opportunities for you. It is a great place if you want to grow your family there. 

Best cities in Germany are very popular for their exciting activities, whereas small towns in Germany are popular for their calmness and relaxing environment. When people move to Germany, they tend to live in Best cities or apartments, but with time or after having kids, they prefer to have their houses in small towns or remote areas. In this article, we will discuss the Best cities in Germany for foreigners and expats.

List of Best Cities in Germany

There are several cities in Germany where different people love to live according to their needs and priorities. Finding a city out of many great places to live or work in Germany might be challenging. Before you travel to Germany, think about your requirements, preferences, and needs, and do great research to find out which German city is the most suitable for you to live in. We have mentioned some Best cities for expats moving to Germany. Here is the list of Best cities where you can live being new to Germany.

• Berlin
• Munich
• Hamburg
• Bremen
• Frankfurt
• Cologne
• Stuttgart
• Dortmund

Every city is different from others in terms of its features, benefits, uniqueness, and other factors which make it important for foreigners. Let us discuss each German city one by one.

Berlin

It is one of Germany’s largest and best cities, and everyone enjoys living in Berlin. Berlin is Germany’s capital and is considered the cheapest city in Germany. No matter if you want to dine in a restaurant, want to visit a club, need to go for a walk with your spouse, or want to play with your children in a park, you will find it worth living in due to various factors as mentioned below;

• The large population of Berlin consists of the international community, so you will find it easy to settle in Berlin.
• Berlin has a very large international airport named Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER).
• Berlin is a good option for food lovers traveling to Germany to live or work.
• If you need to learn how to speak German, Berlin is a great place to live.
• You will find many job opportunities if you are looking for a job in Berlin. You need to have some technical skills on your hands.
• Berlin is a great city for research and development. Companies choose to conduct research for their products. If you have scientific knowledge, you will find a lot of opportunities, and you will grow in your career soon.
• Berlin does not only welcome scientists and technologists, but it also welcomes people who are great artists. An artist visa is only available in Berlin.
• It is ideal city to start a business with so many startups and coworking spaces.
• Public transportation is very good in Berlin.
• It is an affordable city in Germany, as the prices are very low in Berlin.
• It is an amazing place because expats travel from Turkey, the United States, and Vietnam.

Factors That Will Bother You So Do Not Stay in Berlin

Well, there is not only good news. As Berlin is full of startups and new ventures, there is little job security for expats and foreigners. Startups never have a very good balance between work and life. Employees must work long hours so think carefully if you are moving to Berlin with your family.

Munich

Munich is the third largest city in Germany and the capital of Bavaria. It is also a great place to live for expats traveling to Germany. Just like Berlin, it is a great city that offers a lot of excitement to newcomers and starters. You should live in Munich because of these benefits.

• There are a lot of expats living in Munich. Almost one-third of the population of Munich consists of foreigners and expats from all over the world.
• If you do not have a car, you will enjoy public transportation in Munich.
• The subject city has a great airport option for expats who want to travel via air often.
• People love to have work-life balance in Munich, so you will find it exciting to live in Munich.
• If you are looking for a job in Munich, you will find many opportunities there. In Munich, large groups and employers like BMW, Allianz AG, and Siemens exist. It is the hub for publishing and music, so if you want your career in media, Munich is the right city for you.
• If you love nature, you would love to live in Munich because it has comparatively more sunshine. The Isar River in Munich is where you can enjoy outdoor activities and nature with your family and friends.
• It is a very famous city in Germany because of its high quality of life.

Why Should You Not Live in Munich?

If you cannot afford an expensive living, there are better options than Munich. Munich is a great city, but the cost of living is also high in Munich. It is the top German city but one of the most expensive cities in Germany, so consider the budget and your income if you plan to live in Munich. If you are looking for an apartment or a flat in Munich, you will not find them at economical rates.

Hamburg

Hamburg is the second largest and most calm city in Germany. It is a beautiful city and the center of attraction for visitors and tourists from across the globe. You can find several sports professionals living in Hamburg. It is a place where there is no compromise on the quality of life, environment, safety, and health. Choose Hamburg to live or work because of the multiple benefits.

• Expats travel from around the world to find various job opportunities in Hamburg. It is good for those who are experts in finance, banking, marketing, and communication.
• It also has a lot of trade opportunities and logistics options for people looking for jobs because of the port. The port in Hamburg is the third largest port in Europe.
• Several internationals move to Hamburg every year.
• Hamburg has a great public transportation system in Germany.
• Hamburg is not a hectic place to live in Germany, so you will find a lot of excitement.
• If you are a person who loves to explore the culture and is fond of historical places, then Hamburg is the right option for you because of such places as given below;
• Historic district in Altona
• Kunsthalle Hamburg Museum of Fine Arts in the Stadthausbrücke Street

• Miniature Wunderland

• Hamburg is a great place for food lovers.

• Hamburg has an international airport for people living in Germany.
• If you love nature, have a boat trip on the River Elbe.
• If you enjoy the rain, Hamburg is the best option as it rains a lot there, so pack an umbrella with your stuff before moving to Hamburg.
• Hamburg is a great city for you to live in if you are social and want to have new friends. You will find it easy to settle in Hamburg.

Why Should You Avoid Living in Hamburg?

As we already mentioned, remember to put an umbrella in your stuff while packing to travel to Hamburg. When you reach Hamburg, you will see that every Hamburger has an umbrella. If you do not love rain, do not choose Hamburg, as the roads of Hamburg are always slippery because of rain. Hamburg is located in the lower place of Germany, so if climate, environment, and weather bother you, decide something other than Hamburg.

Bremen

Bremen is the German city with the largest Airbus facility for people living there. It does everything from scratch to engineering to assembly to final output. If you have relevant skills, you can easily fit into a job opportunity in Bremen. This is a great city for expats looking for a job because it has a great Mercedes factory with many job opportunities. Bremen is famous for;

• Several various job options for expats from every corner of the world.
• If you want to work in food or drink companies, you can find Kraft Foods, Beck’s Brewery, and Kellogg’s in Bremen.
• You can improve your cooking skills after getting a job in Bremen’s food and beverage companies.
• It is the most affordable city to live in Germany.
• Bremen is the safest city in Germany, especially for women, so you can choose it if you are moving to Germany with your family.
• You can easily communicate with others as most people speak English in Bremen.
• It is the calmest city because of no crowds throughout the year.

Why You Should Not Live in Bremen?

Let’s discuss another side of Bremen. It is a great place to live for foreigners, but people need help to make new friends in Bremen. Many people in Bremen are smokers, so if you are tobacco allergic, you will find it challenging to live in Bremen.

Frankfurt

It is the fifth largest city in Germany. Many companies have headquarters in Frankfurt, like the European Central Bank, Deutsche Bank, and Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Frankfurt is considered the global hub, so people use this city as a base to explore the world. If you want to choose Frankfurt, you can enjoy the benefits given below during your stay in Frankfurt.

• It has a large international airport for foreigners and expats where you can get flight tickets at very economical and reasonable prices.
• A large population of Frankfurt is based on foreigners and expats. According to the study, 51% of the population in Frankfurt are foreigners.
• Frankfurt is very cheap if you want to live in communal houses.
• People living in Frankfurt love to travel from one place to another because of its amazing and simple public transportation. Anyone can use public transportation easily.
• If you want to grow your banking or financial sector career, Frankfurt is the best option for you.
• Frankfurt is full of educational institutions where students get education from across the globe.
• You will find good and well-paid job opportunities in Frankfurt.

Why Should You Not Choose Frankfurt to Live?

Undoubtedly, Frankfurt is a great place to live. But, if your income is not good enough and your budget is low, you cannot afford family apartments. If you travel to Germany with your family, Frankfurt is costly. The cost of living in Frankfurt is extremely high. Another reason is friendliness and socializing. If you are social and live to make many friends, there are better choices than Frankfurt. Expats living in Frankfurt find it difficult to make new friends and have little or no social circle. Do not live in Frankfurt if you do not speak German. You need to understand German to settle in Frankfurt easily.

Cologne

It is the fourth largest city in Germany which is located on the beautiful Rhine River. It has beautiful restaurants, parks, institutes, and universities that play a vital role in making it home to foreigners from Asia, Europe, and America. Choose Cologne due to the following factors;

• Cologne is the right city for you if you want to work in TV, music, or publishing.
• Being a student in Cologne, you will get a student ticket which enables you to travel for free.
• If you like historical places, you will enjoy visiting the historic landmarks in Cologne. These places include ancient Roman ruins, churches, and cathedrals.
• There are a lot of job opportunities in Cologne. You can join insurance companies and other organizations like Lufthansa and Ford Europe.
• Expats enjoy a great event that happens in Cologne every year. During the Cologne Carnival, people dance and sing songs in bars and pubs.
• Cologne is the cultural hub of Germany.
• It has the oldest university in Europe, named The University of Cologne.
• People living in Cologne will experience the clouds throughout the day and night. There is sunshine for only a few hours of the day.

Reasons to Avoid Choosing Cologne

Well, here is the most important point to discuss, which is the cost of living. People belonging to the lower income class cannot stay in Cologne as it is expensive to find accommodation in this city. Expats need to pay the additional fees to the agents. Another reason is the crowds during peak season when tourists are very active. The weather in Cologne is also very unpredictable, both in summer and winter.

Stuttgart

It is the city of technology, so if you are interested in a tech-related career, Stuttgart is the best city. There are a lot of academic and research-based organizations in this city. People research and make inventions, as Stuttgart is famous for patent registration. The city is also famous for engineers and IT people, so they find Best employers out there. Stuttgart is the best city due to below factors;

• If you love beauty, you would love to live in Stuttgart because of the vineyards, valleys, parks, and hilly areas. You will enjoy your time outside in the fresh air of this beautiful place.
• Stuttgart is strongly associated with the automobile industry.
• You will feel and have a very good time because of the diversity in Stuttgart.

Do Not Choose Stuttgart If the Below Reason Bother You

It is an expensive city compared to the other cities in Germany, so think carefully about your budget before you choose Stuttgart to live or work. People find making new friends in Stuttgart difficult due to the lack of a friendly environment there. People do not feel welcome, so they find it difficult to settle in the city happily.

Dortmund

In the past, Dortmund was famous for its steel and coal businesses, but recently, it expanded and brought industries such as biomedical, science, engineering, technology, IT, and robotics. You can choose Dortmund for your stay in Germany for several reasons.

• The first technology center in Germany in Dortmund is named Technologiepark Dortmund.
• During your stay in Dortmund, you can make a lot of industry leaders, your friends or acquaintances and be able to make yourself a part of industry breakthroughs.
• Dortmund is also a good option for tourism as its tourism industry is growing rapidly.
• The public transportation is excellent in Dortmund.
• The living cost for singles and families is very reasonable and affordable.

Cons of Living in Dortmund

The climate of Dortmund is very wet. There are very few green places which do not attract tourists and visitors. The city is full of industries, so you will find little work-life balance in Dortmund.

How To Choose One Best City For You and Your Family in Germany?

Well, you are the only one who knows your needs exactly. You can make the best decision for you and your family according to your needs, requirements of your family, budget, family situation, preferences, circumstances, lifestyle, and background. Your friends and other people can recommend you, but you need to select the best city while focusing on the different factors. No matter if food or safety is your prime priority, no matter if you need to focus on leisure and climate of the chosen city, no matter if politics, health, or environment is of core concern for you, no matter if you are looking for your social circle or job, no matter if you require a city with a lot of foreigners, no matter if you need to feel welcomed and friendliness is more important for you, you can choose a city based on any of the reasons that are the most important for you. Here are some important factors you must consider while moving to a Best city in Germany with your family.

• Transportation system
• Food options
• Access to the airport
• Spendings and budget
• Safe for the family
• Environment friendly
• City of foreigners

These are the important factors you must consider if you are planning to live in one of the Best cities in Germany with your family. Let’s discuss each factor in detail.

Transportation System

Germany is famous for its public transportation system. If you do not have a car, you must use public transport to travel from one place to another. So, you must check whether your chosen city has good public transport. If the city does not have reasonable public transportation, then you will face difficulty daily when you need to go anywhere, either alone or with family.

Food Options

If you or your family love to try new dishes, you must look for a city with a variety of food restaurants and different food streets. Do check the quality of the food and pricing so you may avoid any issues later on. If you are a food lover but do not know German, choose a city where most English restaurants offer food for foreigners worldwide.

Access to The Airport

Being a foreigner or an expat to Germany, you must travel often. If you are moving to Germany for business, you will travel frequently for business matters, dealings, and meetings. Choose a city with easy airport access to enjoy air travel without problems or inconveniences.

Spendings and Budget

Consider your budget and income sources before choosing a city to live in Germany. There are a lot of cities where family living is quite expensive, while other cities offer economical options for rent, food, travel, and everything else. If your budget allows you, enjoy living in Germany’s top, most well-developed, and Best cities.

Safe for The Family

If you are moving to Germany with your family, then the safety and security of your family, especially the kids, would be your prime concern. Do check if the city is safe for your children.

Environment Friendly

Environmentally friendly cities are very popular in Germany now. People tend to live in cities which are family-friendly and environment-friendly. This is the most important factor you must consider while planning to live in Germany. If you have kids or are planning to start your family, you must carefully decide the city to live in Germany. Choose a city where you can find a lot of outdoor activities for your children.

City of Foreigners

Only some people know German when moving to Germany. If you also do not have German language skills, you should decide a city where a lot of foreigners and expats are living. Select a city of foreigners and internationals, so you may face less language barrier and can start your life in Germany easily. Your international community will also help you to learn German easily. You can make good friends easily. If you select a city with more English-speaking people, you will find English-speaking restaurants and international schools in your chosen city too. This is a great respect to consider when deciding a city in Germany. International schools are compulsory for expats who have kids of school age. Kids can learn language skills and settle into the new culture easily with the help of their international fellows and friends.

Final Thoughts

So, this is it. You know all about the Best cities in Germany. Remember to check if travelling within and outside the city or country is easy. Find a city according to your needs and consider all aspects of life, like food, travel, environment, safety, and other factors mentioned earlier. There is a ranking for the best and worst cities of Germany according to the International survey conducted in 2020, but in this blog, we do not rank cities in Germany as every city has different benefits for expats. Choose a city that attracts you the most. You can decide on any of the cities mentioned above, but your focus must be on your needs and circumstances when deciding the Best city for you and your family. Take good time to think and finalize a city that fits you. Whatever city you decide, make it part of your learning and explore new places. We hope you find the best option for your family and enjoy living in the great city of Germany. Stay happy with your chosen city. Cheers!

Source:
Image by bedneyimages on Freepik Image by pvproductions on Freepik Image by wirestock on Freepik Image by frimufilms on Freepik Photo by Eric Weber on Unsplash Photo by Prerna Bhardwaj on Unsplash Photo by Lemon Pepper Pictures . on Unsplash Photo by Alex Plesovskich on Unsplash