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These are the German cities where you spend the most of your salary on rent

Countless studies have been done on the most expensive cities in Germany for rents. But, given stark differences in salaries across the country, a new report provides more interesting insights.

These are the German cities where you spend the most of your salary on rent
Photo: DPA

According to the study published by the Hans Böckler Foundation on Thursday, the former West German capital Bonn gives the worst value for money when you compare income to rent – 30.3 percent of earnings go straight to the landlord in the city on the Rhine.

In fact, the results don't shed a good light on the Rhine region in general. Neuss and Cologne, two other towns nestled on the banks of the famous river, offering the second and third worst rent-to-income ratio.

The report looked at the 77 largest cities in Germany, using data from 2014.

Despite Munich having the highest rents in the country – residents of the Bavarian capital pay on average €10.25 per square metre of their apartment – high salaries meant that people were “only” giving 28.3 percent of their wage to the landlord.

Graphic by Statista

Berlin offered a slightly better deal than Munich, with rent taking up 27.2% of net income. Berlin's rental price of €7.69 per square metre is close to the national average of €7.41.

Other big cities like Hamburg and Frankfurt come in the middle of the pack, coming in at 28.6% and 28% respectively.

A rule of thumb in Germany is that one shouldn't spend more than a third of one's post-tax income on rent. But the study found that over 40 percent of Germans are paying over this ratio.

The sleek university town of Heidelberg was surprisingly a place where this wasn't likely to be true, as it came remarkably low in the ranking. It was rated the 2nd best city on the whole country for value for money on renting. An apartment in the south German town only cost 21.4% of average income in 2014.

Most of the other cities with the best rent-to-income ratio were in eastern Germany, with Leipzig and Chemnitz both attractive places to live from this point of view.

GERMAN TRADITIONS

What’s open and closed in Germany over the Easter weekend?

People in Germany get a four day weekend over Easter. How are shops, transport and medical services affected by the public holidays?

What's open and closed in Germany over the Easter weekend?

Easter itself falls very early this year: Easter Sunday also coincides with the clocks going forward an hour for summertime, while Easter Monday in 2024 is on April Fool’s Day.

The Easter weekend starts on Friday March 29th, however, many Germans take some days before and after the weekend to extend their holiday. 

Whether you live in Germany or are visiting, here’s what to expect:

READ ALSO: What exactly is Germany’s Green Thursday?

Gründonnerstag or Green Thursday 

Gründonnerstag or Green Thursday falls on March 28th this year. 

This isn’t an official public holiday although some companies do give this day off to staff as a gesture. 

Many people in Germany book this day off themselves as part of their annual leave to extend their Easter holiday. 

One thing you should be aware of – shops will be busy with lots of queues on this day since the following day is a holiday. 

Karfreitag or Good Friday

In Germany, Good Friday, which is on March 29th, is a public holiday or Feiertag. 

Traditionally no church bells are supposed to ring and no music should be played as this is the day Jesus was crucified. The word Kar comes from old German Kara, meaning sorrow or grief.
 
For many parts of Germany, this quiet time also means it is still illegal to dance on Good Friday. But whether anyone actually enforces this is another question.

In general, you can except the majority of workplaces to be shut as well as schools.

Supermarkets, retail stores and pharmacies also won’t be open (except for a few in areas such as train stations) so make sure you have enough groceries at home. 

Restaurants and cafes are usually open on public holidays and eager to accept customers. 

Saturday

Opening hours across the country will function as they normally do on Saturday March 30th. 

But do expect supermarkets to be super busy because they are closed on the following two days.

Ostern or Easter Sunday

Like any other Sunday in Germany, shops and supermarkets will be closed. 

People in Germany often like to spend this day with families so you should expect lots of people of all ages doing activities like a walk in the forest or park, Easter egg hunts or going to church. 

Chocolate Easter eggs are not a big tradition in Germany compared to other places like the UK, for example. But there are still plenty of chocolate bunnies around. 

READ ALSO: 10 ways to celebrate Easter in Germany like a local

An Easter hare statue outside ah ouse in Coburg, Bavaria.

An Easter hare statue outside ah ouse in Coburg, Bavaria. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Daniel Vogl

Ostermontag or Easter Monday

This falls on April 1st and is another public holiday in Germany. 

Once again, that means workplaces are closed as well as shops, post offices and supermarkets. 

What about public transport?

Public transport runs all throughout the holiday period, but on public holidays there is normally a Sunday schedule. 

Nationwide train services also run across the period (but keep in mind that there could be a strike since we’ve seen a lot of them lately). 

What about schools?

Schools in Germany will be closed on Easter Monday and Good Friday.

Pupils also get a holiday that usually lasts two weeks around Easter, known as the Osterferien. 

Schools in Bremen, Hamburg and Lower Saxony started their break on March 18th. 

Other states follow around March 23rd-25th. Schleswig-Holstein schools are the latest to start their break, which runs from April 2nd to April 19th.

READ ALSO: What days will workers in Germany get off in 2024?

Doctors, pharmacies and hospitals 

Doctors’ offices and pharmacies are usually closed on public holidays, such as Good Friday and Easter Monday.

But you could still try calling your GP firstly in case they have a message letting you know the details of the on-call doctor. 

You can also contact the non-emergency medical on-call service by calling 116 117 who can advise you if you have urgent questions about your health.

You can also head to the 116117 website to find a local surgery that offers emergency services.

In an emergency, call 112 for the fire brigade or ambulance or 110 for the police. 

Make sure you are stocked up on any medications you need before the public holidays. 

Tourist attractions

Many tourist attractions will be open as normal throughout the Easter period, including Good Friday and Easter Monday but some may operate altered opening hours. Check the attraction’s opening hours before visiting. 

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