The cost of living in Munich is the highest in Germany and is 38 percent higher than in the Vogtland district, the German Economic Institute and the Federal Institute for Research in Construction, Urbanism and Spatial Development announced.
The deciding factor is housing costs. If they are not included, the difference between the most expensive and the most affordable is much smaller - six percent, and then Stuttgart is the most expensive city and Leer the cheapest.
When housing costs are included, living in the city of Munich is 25.1 percent more expensive than the German average. They are followed by the Munich district with 16.7 percent higher costs, Frankfurt (15.9 percent) and Stuttgart (14.8 percent).
The district of Vogtland is 9.5 percent below the national average, as is Greiz. It is followed by Görlitz (9.4 percent below), as well as the city of Pirmasens and the Salzlandkreis district at 9.3 percent below average.
It is also particularly expensive in popular residential areas, for example on the edge of the Alps or Lake Constance.
The eastern federal states, on the other hand – with the exception of Berlin and its environs – tend to be significantly cheaper than the national average.
The same applies to certain areas in the center and north-west of Germany, west of Frankfurt and north and east of Bavaria.