Munich City Guide

Everything you need to know before relocating to Munich

Beer, Baroque architecture, and bicycles may be a few of the reasons you’re considering relocating to Munich. Of course, it could be the bratwurst or the vibrant and growing technology industry that the city hosts that floats your boat. Whatever the reason, living and working in Munich can open career opportunities and give you an exciting chance to experience life in Deutschland.

Housing in Munich

Munich’s popularity means that buying a property in Germany’s third largest city can be very costly, setting you back upwards of €500,000. If you want to add in a pool, you may be looking at handing over more than one million euros. Once you have your property price, there’s estate agent fees, property transfer tax and notary fees which roughly equate to a further 10% to budget for.  For this reason, most people in Munich prefer to rent a property, or maybe even to build one.

UK’s visa requirements for working in Munich

If you’re a British citizen, you won’t need a visa to work in Munich. You can enter Munich and stay for up to 90 days and, once there, apply for residency from the local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde). For more information on the visa requirements for working in Munich, visit the German Foreign Office.

The cost of living in Munich

The typical cost of living for a family of four in Munich tends to be around €2,650 per month, excluding rent. For a single person, living costs are around €770 per month.

Despite Munich being quite an expensive part of Germany to reside in, it’s still around 33.3% cheaper to rent in Munich than it is to rent in London.

Dining out for two will cost you around €60, but a McDonalds or equivalent fast food meal will only set you back around €8.50. A draught beer will cost around €4.

A loaf of bread is typically around €1.65 and a litre of milk priced just over €1.

Salaries in Munich

The average salary in Munich is €49,153[i], although, for tech employees in Germany, the average salary is a substantially higher €64,000[ii]. However, salaries vary according to role, experience and the company recruiting. For example, Junior Developers can command around €53k, whilst 6 years’ experience could earn you an extra €17k.  

Commuting and Public Transport in and around Munich    

In Munich, you’ll find it easy to get about with plenty of transport options. There’s a U-Bahn (an underground), an S-Bahn (over ground rail), tram or bus routes to take you where you need to go. However, if public transport isn’t your thing, it’s easy to get around by car or by bike too. If you want the convenience of having a car, without the overheads of owning one, there are even several car sharing services.  

The Education system in Munich

Children in Munich start Kindergarten at the age of 3.

Then, after Kindergarten, the children go to Grundschule (Primary School) for the next 4 years. The child’s performance at their primary school determines whether they get to choose a ‘Gymnasium’ or whether they have to do a trial for a couple of days to see if the Gymnasium will accept them.

Not all students go to a Gymnasium though. Around a quarter of students attend a Realschule, which provides a less academic focus. After that, they will usually go on to start an apprenticeship or attend a vocational course.

On the other hand, they may choose to attend a Mittelschule (which used to be called a Hauptschuhle). This prepares students for an apprenticeship, teaching basic skills including one foreign language.

The school day starts at between 7.30 and 8.15 and finishes at 1.30pm, leaving working parents the challenge of finding wrap-around care.

Private Schools

There are a variety of private primary and secondary schools in Munich that seek to offer traditional German, bi-lingual and multicultural education. More information on Munich schooling can be found here.

Global technology companies in Munich

Munich is definitively the economic heartland of Germany, with many global organisations choosing to lay down roots in the area. IBM’s Watson IoT Global Headquarters were opened in 2015, and companies such as Proglove, Konx, Deventure, Intechcore and Block360 have all chosen to base their headquarters in Munich, the Bavarian capital.

Things to do in Munich in your spare time 

There are plenty of things to do on your days off when you’re working in Munich. If you’re a keen surfer, you could head to the Englischer Garten opposite Brüderstrasse and, if you’re brave of heart (or an extremely good surfer), you could take your turn jumping off the river bank to catch a wave. Or if you prefer more passive entertainment, you could just sit and watch.

Another must-do in Munich is to attend a quintessential German Beer Hall. The famous Hofbrähaus dates back to the C16th and has a live brass band as well. However, you’ll need a seat to get served and it gets pretty busy on Friday and Saturday nights!

For a more laid-back evening, you can head to West Park for a BBQ or a spit-roasted fish from a hut by the lake, an outdoor cinema, or a wander through the Japanese garden. Or, to cool off, you can take a dip at the Art Nouveau building Müllersches Volksbad on the banks of the Isar for a very under €5. There’s a sauna indoors, but German rules apply – bathing suits have to be left at the door!

View our Munich job opportunities or 20 reasons to live and work in Munich, find out more about living and working in Hamburg, Stuttgart, Berlin, Frankfurt, read our 10 reasons Semiconductor professionals should choose Germany.

Drop me a line at vicky.fellows@ic-resources.com.

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