Before the move · Cost of living
Is life in Germany more expensive than in Spain or Greece?
In short
Yes. In 2025, consumer prices in Germany were about 18% higher than in Spain and about 24% higher than in Greece. The gap in net earnings is larger: earning the national average, a single person kept €36,535 net a year in Germany in 2025, €27,041 in Spain and €21,498 in Greece. In Switzerland, prices were about 58% higher than in Germany.
Sources: Eurostat, price levels 2025, Eurostat, net earnings 2025
higher consumer prices in Germany than in Spain, 2025. Compared with Greece, it is 24%.
Price level of household final consumption expenditure, EU = 100: Germany 108.3, Spain 91.6, Greece 87.4, Switzerland 171.3. The percentages are calculated from these index values.
Source: Eurostat, price levels 2025, retrieved on 26 October 2026.
Where the difference lies
| Category | DE | ES | GR | CH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumption overall | 108.3 | 91.6 | 87.4 | 171.3 |
| Food and non-alcoholic beverages | 102.4 | 95.3 | 105.3 | 155.9 |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas | 113.9 | 98.1 | 76.6 | 213.1 |
| Transport | 110.0 | 88.1 | 89.3 | 126.5 |
| Information and communication | 122.6 | 97.4 | 126.9 | 167.0 |
| Restaurants and accommodation | 108.4 | 85.4 | 86.1 | 163.1 |
Food costs about 3% less in Germany than in Greece and about 7% more than in Spain. The biggest gap is in housing: Germany is about 16% above Spain and about 49% above Greece, Switzerland about 87% above Germany. Eurostat compares prices, not incomes.
What is left net
| Country | Gross | Net |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 58,008 | 36,535 |
| Spain | 35,076 | 27,041 |
| Greece | 29,652 | 21,498 |
Net earnings are about 35% higher in Germany than in Spain and about 70% higher than in Greece, prices about 18% and 24%. The comparison applies to average earnings across all sectors. Calculate your own salary with the comparison calculator: gross, net, rent and purchasing power of your city and the destination side by side.
And the rent?
Rent depends more on the city than on the country. In Munich, a two-room flat costs about €1,050 to €1,470 a month before utilities on a new lease. The line-by-line calculation is on the station Net pay and rent.
More questions
Is Germany more expensive than Spain?
Yes, by about 18% overall (Eurostat, price levels 2025). For housing it is about 16%, for restaurants about 27%, for food about 7%.
Is Germany more expensive than Greece?
By about 24% overall. Food is about 3% cheaper in Germany than in Greece, housing about 49% more expensive (Eurostat, price levels 2025).
How expensive is Switzerland compared with Germany?
In 2025, consumer prices in Switzerland were about 58% higher than in Germany, for housing about 87% (Eurostat). A calculation with net pay, rent and health insurance for Zurich is on the page Switzerland.
Three views of this station
IT professional
“Will I have more left with this offer than today?”
What helps: Put gross, net, rent and purchasing power of both cities side by side in the comparison calculator.
Partner
“What will everyday life cost us?”
What helps: Calculate by category: food prices are close, the gap is largest for housing.
Company
“How do applicants compare our offer with one in Madrid or Athens?”
What helps: By net pay after rent, not by gross.
How we work
- After the first conversation
- Your net-income breakdown is on the table: in writing, with a source and date on every figure, in your mother tongue.
- For you
- Your net income for your destination, in writing and verifiable, before you sign.
Not in our hands: Prices and rents. We show the figures, we cannot change them.
Related
- What is left of an IT salary in Germany once the rent is paid?
- How much does an IT professional earn in Germany?
- How does moving to Switzerland as an IT professional work?
How does moving to Germany as an IT professional work?
Calculate your own path
With your city and your salary: comparison calculator. Talk your path through with us: write to us. Who we are: home page.
Sources
- Eurostat, table prc_ppp_ind_1: price level indices 2025 (EU27 = 100), household final consumption expenditure and categories, updated 9 July 2026, retrieved on 26 October 2026.
- Eurostat, table earn_nt_net: annual gross and net earnings 2025, single person without children earning 100 % of the average earning, updated 19 October 2026, retrieved on 26 October 2026.
- Eurostat, news item of 18 June 2026, Household consumption price levels across the EU in 2025: price levels not adjusted for differences in income or wage levels, retrieved on 26 October 2026.
- Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR), release of 10 June 2026: asking rents for re-lets in 2025, Munich €21.01 per m², advertised flats, retrieved on 26 October 2026.
- IseeIT comparison calculator, Munich example, €65,000 gross, age 30, two rooms, calculated on 26 October 2026, retrieved on 26 October 2026.