Munich salaries vs. cost of living

I'm moving to Munich and my company has offered me a permanent contract with a yearly gross salary of €52,000 plus €2,000 relocation, and the possibility to earn extra money doing overtime and shift working.

I'd know if this is a suitable wage for a 4 years experienced network engineer, Cisco certified and most importantly, if I can afford to live comfortably in Munich, considering the fact that I have to pay for everything (accommodation, food, travel expenses back home).

Thanks in advance

Maurizio

Don't think you'll have any problems but be prepared to lose 40-45% of that to the german government.

Couldn't lend us a tenner could you?

You should be able to survive on that if you don't have too fancy ideas regarding accommodation. But BT is right, deductions are HIGH.

52000 is imho rather generous for a network engineer with only 4 years experience. I dont think you will have any problems at all "surviving" in Munich.

At that salary you will be doing rather better than most people in Munich. Any other jobs going at your employer?

Related topics:

German salaries - how much is enough?

Is 80k a reasonable German salary?

German Salaries vs Quality of Life

German / American Salary Comparison

hi maurizio, you'll probably take home about €2.2k per month.

if you want a two-room (i.e. one-bedroom) flat, then you will be paying about €700-800 a month for it. if you get a flat share (or a one-room flat), then you pay about two-thirds of that. so it's down to how you want to live. but it should be enough to live on pretty comfortably, as long as you don't go crazy.

cheers
Topsy

Naw, more like €2,600 take home. And that is quite a good salary for the job and level of work experience. You could live comfortably on that in Munich maurizio, but as the others said, it is an expensive city.

€2.2 k per month is correct if you're single. 2600 Euro would be for 57k salary (also if single).

I'd take the offer if I were you. Don't forget that you'll be taxed immediately on the relocation, so count on really getting only half of that ... That hapenned to me.

Good luck!

I was first taxed by the Company on relocation but got it all back. There is a tax law that supports this and states that if you are a foreigner (non-german) then relocation is not taxable as long as it is supported by actual bills. I even got the tax back on my German classes.

Ill see if I can dig it up.

Dunno what you guys are up to, but from personal experience, with €52000, take home pay was €2600, after health insurance.

Maybe some God Tax in there??

Maybe we are both right, MM - I think the health insurance probably makes a big difference.

When I calculated k€2.1-2.2 I was basing that on freiwillig gesetzlich insurance. I think private works out cheaper, so you would take home more.

Could be Topsy, but a diff of €500? Question is why don't you change to private then? I am paying around €250 as far as I remember.

I'm paying about 500k€ for the krankenkasse.
Looks like it could be time to switch ;-)
Cheers
Topsy

At 53k Euro salary, you can add 150Euro of income if you don't pay the church tax. I am catholic, and I was appauled that the german government took 150Euro/month of my salary for the church. If you 'reneg' on your religion (the germans call it 'stepping out of the church'), it would be hard to get married in a catholic church (could be another religion depending which church tax you pay) in Germany ... but it has no effect on your status back home.

My employer asked me what my religion was. I found it odd, and a little intrusive, but gave it anyway. Turns out it was used to inform the governement how to church-tax me ... just leave the space blank

mdanubio,

Devils Alternative corresponds to what I notices working at a global corporation ner Munich.

My job was to check filed relo claims making sure the - *original* - receipts were correctly matched with categories which the German tax office would acknowledge.
Categories admissible as far as taxes go would be to my knowledge - stemming from the year 2001 – expenditures for:

Finding accommodations, including travelling to Munich and looking at places
to rent, prior to moving here.

Agents’ fees for finding you a place.

Loss when selling your car/furniture/house prior to moving and or
cost on moving/storing furniture/car here.

Phonecalls.

Language classes for you, (wife and children if any)

Your best bet is to collect all and every receipts for *any* cost incurred during the entire relocation process, and present it to a tax advisor (German: Steuerberater), who then will
make sure you get it back / get a taxreak for this.

Considering this, 2000 for relo refunds is not much.

Cheers
Margret

Sheesh you amatuers! If you people are paying 50% tax then maybe, just maybe you need to find a better tax advisor, have a serious talkin to with your bank for giving you such horrible investment advice and get off your ass and do something about it.

Hey Everybody,
I'm new here, been reading these pages for about a week now, and got 'hooked'

Anyway so here my question:
Ive just finished my Masters degree and have now been offered a job in Starnberg, close to Munich. Starting Monthly gross salary is €2,300 for the first 6 months (probezeit) and then I should get a raise according to them

My Wife would move with me and she speaks no German atm so my salery would need to support us both, at least for the beginning until she may find a job.
Now looking at the cost of living, apartments etc, this does not seem to be enough to live there for 2 people, at least not comfortable. Am I correct?

Would appreciate any advice!

//scac

Topics merged by admin

Hmmm, well my husband and I are living off even less (though not much), since we're PhD students. We live in the north of Munich though, which I hear is a lot cheaper. Seeing as you've just gotten your masters, you should be used to living like a student.

If you're going to do it, it's definitely doable, but you might want to look closer into town for a place to live.

€2,300 gross is quite low

Masters? no? what area is that for?

For info, you can get an apartment in Starnberg, say 50-60 sqm for about €600 or thereabouts. You implied that you speak German, so have a looksee at Immowelt for some ideas of what is available.

2300€ after or before tax?
Well, if it is before tax that is really too little, especiall for a master degree.
They try to screw you then, just imagine you have to deduct nearly half of it for tax and social insurances.
What about Bonus ar special payments like Christmas salary or things like that?
How many hours do you work?

That would be before tax i figure. They told me loads of other benefits but dont know them precisley yet.

Yes 2300 does seem low, and they are backing it up with telling me that I would recieve loads of training sicne I'm new in the area (IT / Consulting) and would get a raise after my 'probezeit' (6 months)

Well im negotiating right now with them, as this offer does not seem enough to get me to move there, but then again I would really like to go to munich so I might jsut fall for it in the next days

@ scac 2300 gross ain't a lot. But I like your attitude, try it and see
You have a 6-month trial period which of course works both ways: if you don't like it you can just pack up and leave.

Wow, c'mon, this guy is moving with his non-German speaking wife. That means giving up whatever else they have at home. Personally, if I was relatively settled, I'd want at least a half-ways chance to make it before I decided to move. Of course, if you are living in a shoe box and each own 2 spoons, then that's another matter.

Find out exactly what training will be given. Is this "on-the-job training" or is it training with useful certificates attached to them? How much would these courses cost for you to take on your own?

Starnberg isn't cheap, neither is anywhere north of there on the S-bahn line, so I would think carefully before doing it. To give you an idea of how low I think the amount is, I was making only 500 Euros less than what they are offering you doing blue collar work 7 years ago.

at that rate of pay expect to pay about €350 for taxes (taking into a/c that you are in group 2 if you are married).

I found a handy link, http://www.suedeutsche.de/jobkarriere/erfo...d/app/263/9254/

regards,
P.

Yea Showem...definitely get the training perks nailed down, as well as what they mean in euros and cents if you pass the probey. I understand what @Jeeves is saying re: your good attitude, but keep in mind what you'll need if you DONT pass the probey or if you absolutely hate the work/company. You'll need cash for living expenses and/or return fare for you and the Mrs. in your pocket. You wont be able to set it aside on 2300 pre tax, pre insurance, pre etc.

Whatever they offer you make sure that it is in writing and included in your employment contract. From experience, the best time to negotiate anything with a German employer is before you join them so make sure you get the best deal and nail down all the promises in the contract.

I have been offered 45k euros gross pa. This would be a local contract. though i have been told overtime would be extra. i have 5 years work experience, i am an MBA by qualification. is this a fair salary? will i be able to live comfortably in Munich. would i be able to save some for a rainy day

would appreciate your comments on the above.

thanks
arshoo

Topics merged by admin

I was researching salaries last year... would say if just a regular German contract, that this is pretty much around the going rate..

enough to enjoy the city, but wouldn't say you'll save much...

Here's a handy gross/net calculator from SZ's website...

Gross/Net Calculator

As Shaggy said, anything from 40-45K seems to be the going rate for marketing professionals with an MBA. You do have five years experience though and maybe that should way a little more into the equation?

It's OK. For a single person should be a decent lifestyle but you wouldn't be able to save much.

Check on the fringe benefits though:

Monthly MVV pass / canteen or luncheon vouchers / Savings Plan / company pension etc etc etc

glad i'm not in marketing.

edit: what i mean by that, is i would have thought that an MBA qualified marketing manager would be earining something well north of 50k, not that i really know what the market is paying at the moment, it just seems to me that you may be selling yourself short by 5-10k

I wondered that too... How much would the same job pay without the MBA?

Maybe OG but of course the salary market has contracted over the last few years.
I WOULD try and up it a bit but basicly take the 45K now and then jump for a better paid job when the job and salary market improves.

Thanks for the very useful info. from all of you till now. Will DEFINITELY try and work on a better deal now. and OG will try and update my skill set to get better deals in the future .

Hello, I just signed a contract for $76,000 Euros and a paid car, this is before taxes.

Will I be able to live well in Munich on this? Please let me know..it seems low to me, but I live in San Francisco at the moment, which is an expensive place... is Munich that much more?

Topics merged by admin

It depends if you live alone or your bringing your family. The best thing to do is have the company pay for a relocation company to take care of the many things that need taken care of. My housing is not that expensive because the relocation company found a nice place for us.

You had better get over to AZ or NM a get a driver's license as you will pay big money for one in Germany. Germany does not recognize the Calf. license. I think you can use it for 6 months to a year. And even though your getting a car will pay 1% tax on the value of the car per month. 30k = 300 per month. If you get a "company" car, than your restricted on how it can be used. Who pays for gas?

If you bring children and you pay German taxes and on a German payroll, your entiled to Kindergeld. About 157 or so per month pr child is paid to you by the German Govt.

The company is setting me up with 500 euro car allowance and a Fuelcard?

I have a California license...I guess I will have to get a german license next year then
how much do they run? are they easy to get?

don't forget that allowances are taxable benefits. a car is taxed quite heavily: [1% of list price + (1% of list x 0.03 x km from home to work.)] x tax and insurance rates.

as for US driving licences: not all US licences can be exchanged in Germany without another test. Maybe some Californians here can say if theirs was ok.

[quote=katja,Feb 3 2005, 04:41 AM]I just signed a contract for $76,000 Euros

Topics merged by admin

and it depends on what lifestyle you are used to.

76,000 in Euros or bucks is a lot of money to some people. If you are used to living in a large townhouse, driving two cars and eating out everynight, 76,000 euros is not that much in Munich. For the average person living in an average apartment you can live fairly nicely on 76,000, especially if you are single or in a two-income family.

A german license can cost about 3K and the test is not easy. Take my advice and go to AZ and exchange your license.

I get 699 allowance plus fuel. I rent a car from Sixt which makes sense for me. I don't have to get the car insured or registration. Anything wrong with the car, it's replaced. Comes with navigation. If the car breaks down or lock out, Sixt sends someone.

I mentioned the 1% tax but to me, having no worries is better.

the €699 will be taxed though, so in effect you only have about €350 (if you are single) to spend on a car, oder?

No the 699 is expensed so it is not taxed. 1% value of the car is taxed which is about 300. But overall it is a much better deal for me than if I were to buy a car and the headaches that come with it.

no, $76,000 Euros isn't enough to live on in Munich. stay where you are. damn yuppies.

jealous, by any chance, Elfenstar?

Not a bad wage for a 24/25 year old, and I would say plenty to live on too. In fact more than plenty. In fact I'm staggered that anybody who can earn that much is daft enough to have to ask if it's enough...anyway, there you go...

Yeah and they STILL suspected it might not be enough, thats what enabled me to spot the troll for what it was. Hell its twice what I earn, nearly 3 times what I used to earn, and I havent exactly been starving in the gutters.

It's only a quarter, in fact an eighth, of what I earn, but I hate people boasting about their incomes online...