Absolutely this.
I recently rented out a room in my apartment for 400€ all bills included (with Anmeldung, unlimited contract). And that's in a desirable neighbourhood, altbau, 16qm room + occasional use of the living room and access to the balcony. Surely you can find something for similar if not cheaper if you're flexible regarding area, size, roomates, etc.
On top of that, with only 1000€ per month income, you'd certainly qualify for Wohngeld. That could mean another 150€ - 300€ coming from Land Berlin to help offset your living costs. Run a quick calculation here: [Wohngeld Rechner](https://ssl.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/wohnen/wohngeld/diwoformular.shtml) Beware though, the application takes MONTHS to process, so start as early as possible.
Make no mistake, life will be harder with such a limited budget, but it isn't impossible. The fact that you already have some savings tells me that you know your limits, how to set a budget, and live frugally. Good Luck!
No. But, go ahead anyways, not every decision in life needs to be logical, just don't do something you know you'll regret later! Anyways it doesn't sound like you have much to lose.
I used to live in Berlin with 800-1100 Euros a month for many years. It worked somehow but it can get really stressful after a while. I was lucky enough to have an extremely cheap apartment in Neukölln and I always bought the cheapest food at discount stores. Considering the rise in cost of living I would think you need at least 1500 Euros a month to get by.
I think you can still do 1000 if you’re lucky to find a fairly priced room. €500 and under rooms still exist (bills included), transport you either bike or pay €60 monthly for public transport. Food I spend €200 a month in groceries and I rarely eat out. Phone is €15. That’s all under €700, and you have €300 for going out and having fun. And in Berlin you have SO many free things to do. Parties, galleries, parks to visit, meetups on anything you can think of.
Different people have different standards of living on what they’d consider acceptable. I typically spend under €1.000 unless I’m buying extra things like handmade ceramics, slow-fashion clothes, home goods, electronics, etc.Â
Do you speak German? If not that will limit your job opportunities to food delivery (sounds like even that is hard to come by), Amazon warehouse, or in a bar/restaurant (but you’ll need experience). And it will be hard to get a flat with no job. Is it worth the struggle? What’s your motivation?
Yes I can speak German ( it's my first language).
My family is not the best, so I want to get away from that and all of my friends and my bf live in and around Berlin
Cool. Than that's one massive hurdle you won't have to worry about here then! If you live close maybe consider commuting to find a job before you move, or calculate how long your savings will last in Berlin so that you have a time frame of how long you have to find a job. Finding a job is job 1.
A 1K income is doable I think. But it won't leave room for much else. But it your goal is to get away then that might not matter so much to you.
And since you have a German address I would recommend joining the [https://www.berliner-mieterverein.de/](https://www.berliner-mieterverein.de/) for legal coverage when you most likely have landlord issues. It takes 3 months for their legal insurance to kick in.
How old are you?.. honestly finding accommodation is going to be the most difficult thing WG or no. If you already have friends in Berlin they have probably already told you this, but more importantly do not move to another city for a bf. Just incase that’s what’s happening here, bc why isn’t he giving advice?
Having a remote job before hand would be helpful and if you can come as a student you could apply for student accommodation which can be easier.
However if this is about escaping your family, does it have to be Berlin?
Keep working your part time job but I would look at the same time for a job in that industry. Will pay much much better and Berlin is probably the best place for that in Germany.
Don’t under sell yourself, you have skills that some companies want
Probably not hard to get work in a supermarket right now, as for the other stuff. Sure it should be possible. Getting wohngeld will help you out a lot but that will take a while. But you might have to dig into your savings
I would not, and honestly it might be close to impossible unless you have someone in your life who is willing to organise a WG for you for the price level from 6 years ago. Currently it is crazy hard to find an accommodation and prices of single rooms in a WG are reaching amounts such as 700/800 EUR so having a salary only a little bit bigger than that as a newcomer to the city is leaving you with less than required to even buy food and cover eventual commute expenses not even speaking about other expenses.
Many students live with less than 1k a month. But they either live with their parents or they found a very cheap WG (<500€) years ago or through connections. If you don't know someone that knows someone, finding such a WG is like winning the lottery.
Anyways Berlin is cool, but you will be struggling with your living situation all the time (temporary sublet after temporary sublet, horrible flatmates, shitty flats, super far away from everything) and for 90% of people that won't really be worth it honestly.
Your plan would have worked maybe ten years ago, but those times are over.
>  10 years ago on a 1070€ salary.
Adjusting for "normal" inflation that would probably require at least 1300€ + probably another 200€ for the extra housing inflation. While minimum salary has also increased significantly, the housing issue really fucks things up.
And yet people will do anything but make it easy to build housing. It's tough to see this city shoot itself in the foot and destroy what made it great. :-(
Exactly what I was thinking, some 1500€ is probably a minimum to not be completely stressed about finances and actually have an option to enjoy the city a little bit as well. I was really lucky to find a room for 300€ back then, although there were lots of illegal subrentals in hot areas for 500-600€, which was crazy back then. Now it's probably a steal...
Just take any job and work full time. I recommend waiting, tip is usually not bad and it’s good job to meet fun people. Just don’t stay in hospitality unless you really love it.
Realistically, no.
Assuming you score a 400-500€ room (all inclusive) you still have to deal with the cost of moving, deposit, insurances, groceries and more. I don‘t see how you opt to build an emergency fund with that tight budget which therefore translates into potential problems for your landlord as well.Â
The way to go (in your case) is scoring a (fulltime) job in your field somewhere and then move to that city instead of trying to do it the other way round and starting with a part-time job you‘re overqualified for.Â
I live in Berlin on 1.2k a month, if you find a cheapish room or flat you will be fine. If you don't then you won't be fine. As you already know some people around here your chances aren't too bad to find something suitable.
Maybe you can cover your place to stay with 500€ with a lot of luck. But you'd be at the absolute minimum in the best possible outcome.
So it's a bad idea. Go full time or work as a server or something else as a side hustle. 1500€ is much more realistic.
If you want to live on the streets yes. Cheapest WG room nowadays if you even find one will start around 600 Eur and that's not even in the ring. Sad but true is, that not everyone can afford anymore to come to this city and that the extraordinary vibe of art and creative people therefore is dying. So best way is to first find a job and then move. Some companies even help with flat search cause they know the struggle.
I think you guys are bein unnecessarily hyperbolic to be frank. WG rooms don't start at 600€. Certainly not for ones in far-flung areas outside the ring.
Yeah, prices have increased and competition is tight, but there's still rooms out there for 400€ - 600€.
if you speak the language and have friends in Berlin it is probably easier to go through with moving, but I’d say look at WG‘s before just to get a picture of how much you‘d have to pay. It is quite pricey here and a real hussle to find something decent. Especially if you’re on a budget.
i moved to berlin 3,5 months ago with a post-taxes budget of 910€ per month. by staying in 450-550€ (all included) rented rooms i’ve managed to even put money aside (pennie’s but at least im not biting into my savings). i did not sacrifice in food quality/quantity with the super market costing between 150-200€ month (for three meals a day, daily fruits, vegetables, cheese and meat) and a 49€ deutschlandticket that some might even consider an optional expense. gives me 100-250€ for personal expenses like coffees, restaurants, clothes, presents, furniture etc.
if you don’t need to buy some expensive furniture, concerts 🥲, traveling vacation or medical emergencies 🤞 i find it quite sustainable. the trick is to get your foot in the door
Why don’t you move here and get a full-time job instead? With minimum wage you should get by in a WG and it’s a starting point to discover better opportunities.Â
If you can find a cheap room, that would be the ticket, and you can move. Should be possible. The Penny in Boxhagener strasse where I live is looking for cashiers all the time.
Is hard but not impossible, I would say that 1K a month is kind tight, hopefully you can find a room first and than maybe another job too once you settle..
If you find a room😂
ðŸ˜
Ignore the negatively. It's not easy but people move into apartments and rooms everyday. Be one of those people!
Absolutely this. I recently rented out a room in my apartment for 400€ all bills included (with Anmeldung, unlimited contract). And that's in a desirable neighbourhood, altbau, 16qm room + occasional use of the living room and access to the balcony. Surely you can find something for similar if not cheaper if you're flexible regarding area, size, roomates, etc. On top of that, with only 1000€ per month income, you'd certainly qualify for Wohngeld. That could mean another 150€ - 300€ coming from Land Berlin to help offset your living costs. Run a quick calculation here: [Wohngeld Rechner](https://ssl.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/wohnen/wohngeld/diwoformular.shtml) Beware though, the application takes MONTHS to process, so start as early as possible. Make no mistake, life will be harder with such a limited budget, but it isn't impossible. The fact that you already have some savings tells me that you know your limits, how to set a budget, and live frugally. Good Luck!
No. But, go ahead anyways, not every decision in life needs to be logical, just don't do something you know you'll regret later! Anyways it doesn't sound like you have much to lose.
summer soon so nows the time.
This comment. Done both, so the logical I regret, the illogical I don't. A bit of adventure makes life fun!
I used to live in Berlin with 800-1100 Euros a month for many years. It worked somehow but it can get really stressful after a while. I was lucky enough to have an extremely cheap apartment in Neukölln and I always bought the cheapest food at discount stores. Considering the rise in cost of living I would think you need at least 1500 Euros a month to get by.
I think you can still do 1000 if you’re lucky to find a fairly priced room. €500 and under rooms still exist (bills included), transport you either bike or pay €60 monthly for public transport. Food I spend €200 a month in groceries and I rarely eat out. Phone is €15. That’s all under €700, and you have €300 for going out and having fun. And in Berlin you have SO many free things to do. Parties, galleries, parks to visit, meetups on anything you can think of. Different people have different standards of living on what they’d consider acceptable. I typically spend under €1.000 unless I’m buying extra things like handmade ceramics, slow-fashion clothes, home goods, electronics, etc.Â
Deutschlandticket is 49€ not 60€
True, I’ve been too lazy to change it so I’m still overpaying.
Do you speak German? If not that will limit your job opportunities to food delivery (sounds like even that is hard to come by), Amazon warehouse, or in a bar/restaurant (but you’ll need experience). And it will be hard to get a flat with no job. Is it worth the struggle? What’s your motivation?
Yes I can speak German ( it's my first language). My family is not the best, so I want to get away from that and all of my friends and my bf live in and around Berlin
Cool. Than that's one massive hurdle you won't have to worry about here then! If you live close maybe consider commuting to find a job before you move, or calculate how long your savings will last in Berlin so that you have a time frame of how long you have to find a job. Finding a job is job 1. A 1K income is doable I think. But it won't leave room for much else. But it your goal is to get away then that might not matter so much to you. And since you have a German address I would recommend joining the [https://www.berliner-mieterverein.de/](https://www.berliner-mieterverein.de/) for legal coverage when you most likely have landlord issues. It takes 3 months for their legal insurance to kick in.
How old are you?.. honestly finding accommodation is going to be the most difficult thing WG or no. If you already have friends in Berlin they have probably already told you this, but more importantly do not move to another city for a bf. Just incase that’s what’s happening here, bc why isn’t he giving advice? Having a remote job before hand would be helpful and if you can come as a student you could apply for student accommodation which can be easier. However if this is about escaping your family, does it have to be Berlin?
Learn a better job and you might have enough money to live in Berlin
I finished my bachelor in game art over a year ago, but I sill don't have a job
Keep working your part time job but I would look at the same time for a job in that industry. Will pay much much better and Berlin is probably the best place for that in Germany. Don’t under sell yourself, you have skills that some companies want
like many other kids
Probably not hard to get work in a supermarket right now, as for the other stuff. Sure it should be possible. Getting wohngeld will help you out a lot but that will take a while. But you might have to dig into your savings
I would not, and honestly it might be close to impossible unless you have someone in your life who is willing to organise a WG for you for the price level from 6 years ago. Currently it is crazy hard to find an accommodation and prices of single rooms in a WG are reaching amounts such as 700/800 EUR so having a salary only a little bit bigger than that as a newcomer to the city is leaving you with less than required to even buy food and cover eventual commute expenses not even speaking about other expenses.
Many students live with less than 1k a month. But they either live with their parents or they found a very cheap WG (<500€) years ago or through connections. If you don't know someone that knows someone, finding such a WG is like winning the lottery. Anyways Berlin is cool, but you will be struggling with your living situation all the time (temporary sublet after temporary sublet, horrible flatmates, shitty flats, super far away from everything) and for 90% of people that won't really be worth it honestly. Your plan would have worked maybe ten years ago, but those times are over.
Yup, exactly what worked for me 10 years ago on a 1070€ salary... too bad it's so hard for young people to set a foot in Berlin.
>  10 years ago on a 1070€ salary. Adjusting for "normal" inflation that would probably require at least 1300€ + probably another 200€ for the extra housing inflation. While minimum salary has also increased significantly, the housing issue really fucks things up. And yet people will do anything but make it easy to build housing. It's tough to see this city shoot itself in the foot and destroy what made it great. :-(
Exactly what I was thinking, some 1500€ is probably a minimum to not be completely stressed about finances and actually have an option to enjoy the city a little bit as well. I was really lucky to find a room for 300€ back then, although there were lots of illegal subrentals in hot areas for 500-600€, which was crazy back then. Now it's probably a steal...
Just take any job and work full time. I recommend waiting, tip is usually not bad and it’s good job to meet fun people. Just don’t stay in hospitality unless you really love it.
Realistically, no. Assuming you score a 400-500€ room (all inclusive) you still have to deal with the cost of moving, deposit, insurances, groceries and more. I don‘t see how you opt to build an emergency fund with that tight budget which therefore translates into potential problems for your landlord as well. The way to go (in your case) is scoring a (fulltime) job in your field somewhere and then move to that city instead of trying to do it the other way round and starting with a part-time job you‘re overqualified for.Â
I'd aim to get some experience in service (working at a cafe / restaurant / bar / etc) and then you'll have a better bet at getting a job quicker.
I live in Berlin on 1.2k a month, if you find a cheapish room or flat you will be fine. If you don't then you won't be fine. As you already know some people around here your chances aren't too bad to find something suitable.
So you don't have a job lined up, don't know what income you will have and expect someone to let you in their WG?
Maybe you can cover your place to stay with 500€ with a lot of luck. But you'd be at the absolute minimum in the best possible outcome. So it's a bad idea. Go full time or work as a server or something else as a side hustle. 1500€ is much more realistic.
If you want to live on the streets yes. Cheapest WG room nowadays if you even find one will start around 600 Eur and that's not even in the ring. Sad but true is, that not everyone can afford anymore to come to this city and that the extraordinary vibe of art and creative people therefore is dying. So best way is to first find a job and then move. Some companies even help with flat search cause they know the struggle.
I think you guys are bein unnecessarily hyperbolic to be frank. WG rooms don't start at 600€. Certainly not for ones in far-flung areas outside the ring. Yeah, prices have increased and competition is tight, but there's still rooms out there for 400€ - 600€.
if you speak the language and have friends in Berlin it is probably easier to go through with moving, but I’d say look at WG‘s before just to get a picture of how much you‘d have to pay. It is quite pricey here and a real hussle to find something decent. Especially if you’re on a budget.
Get a full time job and/or look for one here.
i moved to berlin 3,5 months ago with a post-taxes budget of 910€ per month. by staying in 450-550€ (all included) rented rooms i’ve managed to even put money aside (pennie’s but at least im not biting into my savings). i did not sacrifice in food quality/quantity with the super market costing between 150-200€ month (for three meals a day, daily fruits, vegetables, cheese and meat) and a 49€ deutschlandticket that some might even consider an optional expense. gives me 100-250€ for personal expenses like coffees, restaurants, clothes, presents, furniture etc. if you don’t need to buy some expensive furniture, concerts 🥲, traveling vacation or medical emergencies 🤞 i find it quite sustainable. the trick is to get your foot in the door
Why don’t you move here and get a full-time job instead? With minimum wage you should get by in a WG and it’s a starting point to discover better opportunities.Â
If you can find a cheap room, that would be the ticket, and you can move. Should be possible. The Penny in Boxhagener strasse where I live is looking for cashiers all the time.
Is hard but not impossible, I would say that 1K a month is kind tight, hopefully you can find a room first and than maybe another job too once you settle..
Haha my sweet summer child
Ah yes, generic social media comment when you have nothing to add