cities in Germany
Germany is not uniformly free. Tuition is set by each state, and by some universities individually — so the city you choose decides whether you pay nothing or several thousand euros a year.
The single most repeated claim about Germany is that public university is free for everyone. It was, and in much of the country it still is — but not everywhere, and the exceptions are growing.
Baden-Württemberg — the state containing Heidelberg, Stuttgart, Freiburg and Karlsruhe — has charged non-EU students €1,500 per semester since 2017. TUM in Munich began charging its own non-EU fees in winter 2024/25. Berlin charges no tuition at its public universities at all.
That is a spread of zero to roughly €12,000 a year, decided by geography and by which institution you attend — not by your grades. Tap a pin to open a city.
costs more / mid-range / costs less compare these cities to each other, not to anywhere else. They are our reading of the spread across Germany, not a published index — the sourced money figures are on the costs page.
What actually changes when you change city in Germany.
Whether tuition exists
Baden-Württemberg charges non-EU students €1,500 a semester. Berlin charges nothing. Bavaria charges nothing generally — but TUM charges its own fees.
The semester contribution
Every university charges a Semesterbeitrag regardless of state — typically €150–€400 a semester. It is not tuition, and it often includes a public transport pass.
The blocked account
The financial proof is national and identical everywhere: a blocked account funded for a year, released to you monthly.
Rent
Munich is the most expensive city in Germany. Berlin is cheaper but tightening fast. Student dormitories cost a fraction of the private market — apply very early.