Compass
The guide
Munich
Germany · Europe
Germany's engineering heartland: cars, aerospace, industrial software and two of the country's strongest technical universities in one city.
Who this suits, and who it doesn’t
Suits you if you want engineering or applied science next to the companies that employ it, and will learn German properly. Look elsewhere if your budget is tight — Berlin or a smaller university city gives you the same free tuition at a fraction of the rent.
The catch, and the way in
The catch
The most expensive city in Germany to live in, and German is expected in far more of the work than in Berlin.
The way in
The same no-tuition public system as the rest of Germany, and the technical universities run a wide set of English-taught master's degrees; bachelor's teaching is mostly in German.
Living there
What living here is actually like
Orderly, prosperous and close to the Alps — mountains and lakes are an hour out, and people organise their weekends around them. It is quieter and more traditional than Berlin: things close, rules are followed, and the social door opens slowly but stays open. Transport works and cycling is normal, so you will not need a car.
How the money works
Tuition is not the problem here; rent is, and Munich's is the highest in the country, so applying for student halls and shared flats months ahead is the difference between arriving and scrambling. The blocked account showing a year of living costs is still the visa gate, and it bites harder here because the city sits above the national assumption behind that figure. Health insurance is mandatory and fixed.Described in shape rather than figures on purpose: rents and salaries move every year and we cannot keep numbers true, but what is expensive and what quietly eats income stays true for far longer.
The language you actually need
Engineering master's programmes and international corporate teams run in English, but Munich's employers expect German sooner than Berlin's and internships almost always do. Assume B2 to work here, and more of daily life needs it than in the capital.
The work that clusters here
Fields with a real market in this city
Engineering · Computer Science · Natural Sciences · Business & Economics