Moving to Germany from Greece
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Greece to Germany — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Greece to Germany, you would find that Germany is 47.0% more expensive than Greece overall. A €65,700 salary in Greece would need to be roughly €81,824 in Germany to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in German. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Berlin averages 56°F vs 72°F in Athens, making it significantly cooler.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Greece to Germany.
What does your salary buy?
€65,700 → €81,824
To maintain the same standard of living in Germany
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 2.0 times more
Groceries
pay 32.2% more
Transportation
pay 30.5% more
Housing
pay 50.1% more
Childcare
pay 81.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.9% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Germany cost about 33% more than cities in Greece.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Greece to Germany, based on official data.
people moved from Greece to Germany · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Greece to Germany.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Germany performs significantly better than Greece across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Germany leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Greece generally does better on environment, though Germany leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Germany generally does better on infrastructure, though Greece leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Germany performs significantly better than Greece across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Germany performs significantly better than Greece across all family life metrics.
Data: GSIS, Greece, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Athens | Berlin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 57°/42°F (14°/6°C) | 41°/31°F (5°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/57°F (26°/14°C) | 64°/47°F (18°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/67°F (32°/20°C) | 72°/55°F (22°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) | 47°/37°F (8°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Athens | Berlin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C) | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.9°C) |
| Feb | 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C) | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.5°C) |
| Mar | 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C) | 47°/34°F (8.5°/1.3°C) |
| Apr | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C) | 56°/40°F (13.2°/4.2°C) |
| May | 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C) | 66°/48°F (18.9°/9.0°C) |
| Jun | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C) | 71°/54°F (21.6°/12.3°C) |
| Jul | 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C) | 75°/58°F (23.7°/14.3°C) |
| Aug | 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C) | 74°/57°F (23.6°/14.1°C) |
| Sep | 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C) | 66°/51°F (18.8°/10.6°C) |
| Oct | 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C) | 56°/44°F (13.4°/6.4°C) |
| Nov | 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C) | 45°/36°F (7.1°/2.2°C) |
| Dec | 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C) | 40°/31°F (4.4°/-0.4°C) |
Data:
Hellenic National Meteorological Service,
Deutscher Wetterdienst
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Greece and Germany. To live, work, or study long-term in Germany, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Germany's immigration authority.
Greece passport holder visiting Germany
Visa Free
Germany passport holder visiting Greece
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Germany than Greece?
No — Germany is on average about 25% more expensive than Greece. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Germany?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €20,456 in Germany on a €65,700 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Germany?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Germany has 45.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Germany safe for expats?
Germany performs significantly better than Greece across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Germany is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Greece.
How is healthcare in Germany compared to Greece?
Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Germany leads in health coverage index. There are 45.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Germany, compared to 63.7 in Greece. Germany scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Greece: 77).
What's the weather like in Germany compared to Greece?
The average high temperature in Berlin is 56°F, compared to 72°F in Athens. Berlin receives around 22.5 in of rainfall per year, while Athens gets 16.3 in.
What language do they speak in Germany?
The official language in Germany is German. In Greece, the official language is Greek.
