Life expenses - Money issues


The German government has determined a certain existence-minimum of ca. 650 € for all foreign students coming to Germany regardless of the aimed degree. You must either sign a pre-contract assuring your income or show the warranty of your parents or a bank account with the full sum covering the intended duration of study.

This limit, if i may say it openly, is the real minimum. If you are intending to start a PhD study, never sign a contract below 1300 €. Here is why...

The rents are moderate except some cities like Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Freiburg, Heidelberg etc. In Munich it is very common to pay more than 600 € alone for the rent (inc. heating and electricity costs) of a 30 sqm room.

Here is a useful link where you can check the actual rankings:
http://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/1885/umfrage/mietpreise-in-den-groessten-staedten-deutschlands/

Other expenses like transportation and general living costs will also depend on your choice of city. The so called university cities, are in general budget-friendlier than the big cities.

As a PhD student you will be travelling a lot for project meetings and conferences. Most of the time, you will have to pay for the travel expenses first and then apply for a reimbursement.The paperwork may take time, therefore it would be nice to sign a contract which will give you the opportunity to save some money too...

If you will not be renting a furnished apartment, which is very difficult to find you will have to buy some basic furniture. For me, it was rather surprising to discover that none of the flats i visited on my search had a kitchen installed. So it is very common that you will get a regular room with tiles and a drain on the walls as kitchen and have to bring/build/buy your own furniture and appliances. Therefore i would recommend that you have some start-up capital :) as well.

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