Stuttgart City Guide

Stuttgart is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and is fast becoming a mecca for tech start-ups and entrepreneurs. Filled with fascinating attractions, a world-class ballet and diverse leisure opportunities, Stuttgart isn’t short of appeal.  

The capital city of the South-western state of Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart has over 600,000 inhabitants. Most famously known for its automobile industry, it’s also home to many high-profile tech companies that are always on the lookout for new talent. So, if you’re thinking a move to Stuttgart could be on the horizon, or simply wondering whether living and working in Stuttgart is right for you, we have all the information you need right here.

Housing in Stuttgart

Stuttgart is a city of many faces. Whether you desire the convenience and busyness of Stuttgart Mitte or are looking for a more family-friendly neighbourhood in Stuttgart Süd, you’ll find it here.

Stuttgart Mitte is a lively city centre area packed with shops, offices and plenty of rental properties if you’re willing to pay the price. Parking can be a challenge, but there are lots of public transport options and, as most things are so close, it makes complete sense to ditch the car.

Stuttgart West is more densely populated, with accommodation interspersed with cafes and restaurants, some decent schools and a great public transport system. Stuttgart West’s streets are lined with trees, but it is one of the more expensive areas to buy or rent in.

Stuttgart Ost is hilly and quiet and offers a great selection of housing including more extravagant apartments and larger homes and villas.

Then, of course, there are the suburbs. Made up of areas such as Bad Cannstatt – a picturesque neighbourhood with cobbled roads, half-timbered houses and beer festivals, and Degerloch which offers more spacious family homes and plenty of outdoor spaces for children to play.

The cost of housing in Stuttgart does vary depending on where you’re looking to buy or rent.

For a fully furnished studio in Stuttgart, you’ll need to find around €846 per month, but for a furnished-1 bedroom apartment, you’ll be looking at a budget of around €1,278 per month. If you’re willing to take on a longer commute, you’ll find more cost-effective accommodation further from the city centre.

Buying an apartment in the centre of Stuttgart will set you back around €8636.50 per square meter, but if you move out towards the suburbs, you’re looking at a more reasonable average cost of €6516 per square meter. 

UK’s visa requirements for working in Stuttgart   

If you’re not an EU citizen, you’ll need a visa to live and work in Stuttgart. For short visits of less than 90 days, you may be able to stay visa-free, but if you plan to work, you’ll need a visa however long you’ll be staying. If you’ve already got a job lined up, your new employer may be able to help you secure a work permit and visa. For more information, check up to date migration and residence requirements here.

The cost of living in Stuttgart

Life in Stuttgart is cheaper than in Hamburg and even marginally cheaper than life in Munich.

Stuttgart is 14% less expensive to live in than London, and rent is almost 50% lower than in London so moving to Stuttgart could be a financially savvy decision.

A meal for two in a mid-range restaurant will set you back around €60. Whereas a Mcdonalds will cost around €9. Half a litre of local beer will cost around €4, the same as a 33cl bottle of imported beer.

At the supermarket, a litre of milk will cost €1.13, a loaf of fresh bread will cost €1.89 and a Kg of rice will cost €2.32.

Salaries in Stuttgart

The average Stuttgart salary is €3,900 per month but salaries do vary hugely from 990 to €17,400.

Working in the technology industry in Stuttgart, the average salary is €3920 per month but the actual amount you get to take home will largely depend on what role you do. A Software Engineer can expect a salary of around €3640 per month, whilst a UX designer can command a salary of €3040 per month. A solutions architect’s salary typically sits at around €5110 per month, whilst an ERP Analyst’s salary is around €4040 each month.

On average, those working in the tech industry in Stuttgart tend to welcome a 9% pay rise per annum.

Commuting and Public Transport in and around Stuttgart

The Stadtbahn, a light rail system, is the easiest way to get around Stuttgart. It has a 257 Km network that covers most of Stuttgart and even reaches towns as far out as Remseck am Neckar, Ostfildern and Gerlingen. A train runs every ten minutes, making the Stadtbahn a quick and easy way to get around.

With plenty of traffic and poor cycle paths in the centre, cycling is more of a hobby in Stuttgart. You can choose to drive but parking in central Stuttgart isn’t always easy and will cost around €1.50 per hour for the privilege.

The Education system in Stuttgart   

In Stuttgart, the education system is very similar to elsewhere in Germany - children start Kindergarten at the age of 3. Then, after Kindergarten, children go to a primary school called Grundschule (Primary School) until the age of 7. Then, they can either attend a ‘Gymnasium’ (or Realschule for those less academically focussed). Around 25% of students will attend Realschule. Gymnasium and Realschule are the equivalent to the UK secondary school from a student age perspective and see the students right through to leaving school.

There are 4 International Schools in Stuttgart. These are fee-paying schools that tend to teach primarily in English but there is one that is German/French. These schools tend to cost between €2,500 and €25,000 per year.

Stuttgart’s technology sector

Stuttgart is one of the leading IT and technology hubs in Germany with the highest number of employees in the high-tech sector in Europe. It is both home to the Headquarters of Vektor Informatik GmbH and one of Microsoft’s 8 German sites.

The University of Stuttgart is also attracting more tech students with their High-Performance Computing Centre which houses a supercomputer, Hawk, which is the fastest computer system for industrial production in the world. And with Stuttgart’s ability to support research in science and industry, tech businesses are already flocking to Stuttgart.

Life in Stuttgart outside of work

Stuttgart is well known for its cars and, if that’s part of the appeal, you’ve got opportunities like Mercedes Benz World and Porsche World. Mercedes-Benz world offers 16,500 square meters packed full of over 1,500 motoring exhibits. There’s also the Mercedes-Benz arena – home to sporting events and Stuttgart’s premier football team VfB.

To get acquainted with the quintessential German lifestyle you could take a trip to Neckar park – a funfair complete with beer halls and bratwurst, or take a trip to Stuttgart Christmas market – guaranteed to get you in the festive mood.

If bratwurst isn’t your thing, don’t worry because at the MarketHalle you can find foods from every corner of the globe. With Arabic, Spanish, Indian and Mediterranean foods, your toughest decision will be what to choose!

 On a sunny day, head to Höhenpark Killesberg to enjoy some green space and get a stunning 360-degree view across the city from the 42 metre-high tower in the centre of the park. The helix design and swaying motion mean that the climb to the top may not be quite as easy as it looks!

If you want to see more of Stuttgart, there’s the Fernsehturm Stuttgart – the world’s first television tower. You can take a trip to see right across Stuttgart and the Black Forest. It was also the first project in the world of this nature to use reinforced concrete.

If, at sundown you fancy something a little more up-tempo, there’s the ‘party mile’; Theodor-Heuss-Strasse is lined with bars and pubs and overflowing with good German beer. Whether you’re a party animal or whether you’re a petrol head at heart, a family man looking for somewhere to settle or you’re looking for a medium-term stay as you work your way around Europe, there’s plenty for you in Stuttgart.  

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