Best Cities in Germany for Expats [2024] - Navigate Germany

Germany is a great place to live or work, so this article is specifically written for expat looking for the best cities in Germany that are popular for their exciting activities. However, small towns are popular for their calmness.

List of Best Cities in Germany

Everyone has different needs and priorities to live in a specific city in Germany. Finding a best city according to your requirements might be challenging, so here is the list of best cities for expats in Germany.

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

Berlin

Berlin is Germany’s capital and one of the largest cities where you can dine in a restaurant, visit a club, go for a walk, or play with your children in a park. Here are the important factors;

• Affordable city due to low prices.
• Availability of artist visa.
• Best food options for food lovers.
• Expats travel from Turkey, the United States, and Vietnam.
• Easy to settle due to the large population of the international community.
• Focus on research and development.
• Good Public transportation.
• Large international airport (Berlin Brandenburg Airport BER)
• Language learning options.
• Many job opportunities if you have technical skills and scientific knowledge.
• Startups and coworking spaces to start a business. 

Cons of Staying in Berlin

Berlin is full of new ventures due to which job security is an issue. Startups have no work life balance and ask their employees to work for long hours.

Bremen

Bremen has the largest Airbus facility. They do everything from scratch to final output so people with technical skills find a lot of opportunities. Bremen is famous for;

• Easy communication as people speak English.
• Famous food or drink companies, like Kraft Foods, Beck’s Brewery, and Kellogg’s.
• Improve your cooking skills after getting a job in a food and beverage company.
• Most affordable, calm, and safe city.
• Several job options.

Reasons of Not Living in Bremen

People need help to make new friends in Bremen. There are a lot of smokers, so it is not a good place for people who are tobacco allergic.

Cologne

Fourth largest city located on the Rhine River is Cologne. It is famous for beautiful restaurants, parks, institutes, and universities. Life in Cologne is good because of;

• A lot of job opportunities in insurance companies and organizations like Lufthansa and Ford Europe.
• Event of Cologne Carnival.
• Clouds throughout the day and night and sunshine for a few hours.
• Cultural hub of Germany.
• Historic landmarks like ancient Roman ruins, churches, and cathedrals. 
• Oldest university in Europe, named The University of Cologne.
• Student ticket for free travel.
• TV, music, or publishing industry.

Reasons to Avoid Cologne

People with lower income cannot stay in Cologne due to expensive accommodation. Agents also charge additional fees. The city is crowded during peak season when tourists are active. The weather is also very unpredictable, both in summer and winter.

Dortmund

It is famous for its steel and coal industry and they have recently had biomedical, science, engineering, technology, IT, and robotics industries. Choose Dortmund for several reasons.

• Affordable.
• Excellent public transportation.
• First technology center named Technologiepark Dortmund.
• Good for tourism.
• Make friendships with industry leaders.

Cons of Living in Dortmund

The climate is very wet and there are green places that do not attract tourists. Work-life balance is limited because it is an industrial city.

Frankfurt

It is the fifth largest city and has a lot of headquarters like the European Central Bank, Deutsche Bank, and Frankfurt Stock Exchange. It is a global hub that offer a lot; 

• Best educational institutions.
• Economical prices.
• Good public transportation.
• Good job options in banking or financial sector careers.
• Large international airport
• 51% of the population are foreigners.

Why Should You Not Live in Frankfurt?

Family apartments are expensive so you need a good budget to live there with your family. If you are social, Frankfurt is not for you. Understanding German is necessary to settle in Frankfurt.

Hamburg

Hamburg is the second largest and beautiful city in Germany. Several sports professionals are living in Hamburg as there is no compromise on the quality of life, environment, safety, and health. Here are the other benefits.

• A lot of trade opportunities and logistics options because of the third largest port. 
• Best for rain lovers as it rains a lot there.
• City for culture and nature lovers due to boat trip on the River Elbe, historic district in Altona, Kunsthalle Hamburg Museum of Fine Arts in the Stadthausbrücke Street, and Miniatur Wunderland 
• Easy to live due to several internationals.
• Great public transportation system.
• Great place for food lovers.
• Great city for social people who want to make new friends.
• International airport.
• Various job opportunities for experts in finance, banking, marketing, and communication.

Avoid Living in Hamburg

Umbrella is compulsory in Germany so if you are not a rain lover, do not choose Hamburg. Roads are always slippery and the climate will always bother you as it is located in the lower place of Germany.

Munich

Munich is the third largest city and the capital of Bavaria. Being expats, you will find it an exciting German city due to several benefits.

• A lot of job opportunities as large groups like BMW, Allianz AG, and Siemens are there.
• Best public transportation.
• City for nature lovers because of more sunshine and Isar River.
• Easy to settle due to the one-third population of the international community.
• Great airport option.
• Good work-life balance.
• Hub for publishing and music.
• High quality of life.

Reasons to Not Live in Munich

The cost of living in Munich is comparatively high, so consider your budget before you plan to live there. Finding an apartment or a flat in Munich at an economical rate is also challenging.

Stuttgart

The city of technology, that is full of options if you want to grow in a tech-related career. People research and make inventions in a lot of academic and research-based organizations in this city due to which it is also famous for patent registration. Stuttgart is best due to;

• Beautiful city because of vineyards, valleys, parks, and hilly areas.
• Diversity.
• Strongly associated with the automobile industry.

Bothering Reason

It is an expensive city and people living there are not very social and friendly. They do not feel welcome due to which settling there is challenging.

Factors to Consider When  Choosing a City to Stay in Germany

Decide carefully when selecting a city to live in Germany. Consider budget, family situation, preferences, circumstances, lifestyle, and background and factors like;

• Access to the airport
• City of foreigners (to avoid language barrier)
• Environment friendly (climate, outdoor activities for kids, family friendliness)
• Food (quality, pricing, variety)
• Health care facilities
• Job options
• Spendings and budget
• Safety (especially kids and females family members)
• Transportation system

Conclusion

When selecting a city, check if traveling within and outside the city or country is easy or not and focus on all factors like food, environment, safety, budget, and health care. Choose a city that attracts you the most and fulfill your needs and requirements.