Germany on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Yes, Germany works on a budget: about €95 per person per day covers a hostel or shared room, a city transport pass, cheap meals and a museum. Early-booked trains and many free memorials make it easier than its reputation suggests.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | €40 | €80 | €160 |
| Food & drink | €30 | €50 | €95 |
| Sights & tickets | €12 | €25 | €45 |
| Local transport | €15 | €30 | €60 |
| Per person, per day | €97 | €185 | €360 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Germany day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Visit the Reichstag dome in Berlin (book online)
- Walk the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse and the East Side Gallery
- See the Topography of Terror documentation centre
- Watch the Eisbach surfers in Munich's Englischer Garten
- Enter Cologne Cathedral
- Walk Heidelberg's Philosophers' Walk for the view of the castle
Cheap eats
- Currywurst or döner kebab, about €4-7
- Bakery breakfast of Brezel and coffee, about €4-6
- Weisswurst at Munich's Viktualienmarkt, about €8-10
- Nürnberger Rostbratwürste on a roll from a stand, about €4-5
- Beer-garden meal with your own picnic food alongside a drink, allowed in traditional Bavarian beer gardens
Where to sleep for less
Hostels and simple hotels around Berlin Friedrichshain and near Munich Hauptbahnhof are the best budget bases, with dorm beds from about €25-45 and budget doubles at about €70-120. Prices jump during trade fairs and Oktoberfest.
Getting around cheaply
City day tickets cost about €9-11 in Berlin and Munich. Berlin BER airport is about 30 minutes by FEX or S-Bahn (ABC ticket); Munich airport is linked by the S1 and S8. Early Sparpreis tickets and FlixBus are the cheapest long-distance options.
A sample budget day
- Morning: Reichstag dome and Brandenburg Gate, free
- Lunch: döner in Kreuzberg, about €6
- Afternoon: Berlin Wall Memorial and East Side Gallery on an AB day ticket, about €11
- Evening: dinner in Friedrichshain and a beer, about €20
- Total: about €95 per person including a shared room
More ways to save
- Ask for 'Leitungswasser' (tap water); some restaurants serve it free, many charge.
- Shop at Aldi or Lidl for picnic food and drinks.
- Avoid Munich during Oktoberfest unless you are going to it.
- Choose city passes only if you will visit several paid museums.
- Travel on regional trains with a day ticket rather than ICE for short hops.
- Carry some cash; smaller cafés and bakeries may not accept cards.
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Common questions
Can you visit Germany on a budget?
Yes, at about €95 a day with hostels, day transport tickets and cheap food such as döner and bakeries.
What is the cheapest way to travel between German cities?
Early-booked Sparpreis train tickets, FlixBus, or regional trains with a day ticket such as the Bayern-Ticket.
Are there free things to do in Berlin?
Many: the Reichstag dome, the Berlin Wall Memorial, the East Side Gallery and the Holocaust Memorial are all free.