American Couple Reacts: Cost of Living in GERMANY! Housing, Food, Transport & MORE! FIRST REACTION!

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

American Couple Reacts: Cost of Living in GERMANY! Housing, Food, Transport & MORE! FIRST TIME REACTION! Hello Germany, we have missed you! We are excited to get back into our German education with this episode! We were very interested in learning about this topic. With costs of everything just about everywhere rising & rising we wanted an idea of Costs in Deutschland. This video SHOCKED US! It covers lots of expenses in Germany. We loved this video and learning more about German culture & day to day life. Please leave us a comment as we had quite a few questions at the end of this one too. Thank you SO much for watching! If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our channel, it is the BEST way to support our channel and it's FREE! Also, please click the Like button. Thank you for your support!

[@janpracht6662]

Buying Nike's here in Germany? When I travel to the US I always go to an Outlet Store before I fly back home and fill up my suitcase with new clothes. In US Dollar it is so much cheaper than in Euro, sometimes you can save up to 50% (Levi's Jeans)! For example in the Outlet Center in Lexington near Boston, you find all kind of brands, Nike, Calvin Kline, Levi's etc for incredible prices (buy two pairs of shoes and get the second for 50%, a dream for consumers!). Even German brands like Adidas I got cheaper in the US Outlet than here in Germany!

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

€1 to USD is $1.08

[@janpracht6662]

@@TheNatashaDebbieShow A Levi's 501 Jeans costs in Germany about 100 to 120 Euro, in the US Outlet about 60 US $. But the limit for the European customs is 400 €- you shouldn't overdo it with branded clothes, that can get expensive, if they catch you... 😭

[@nobodx]

you might want to check out the Channel Type Ashton (previously called The Blackforest Family) Aston did some amazing comparison videos about Germany vs USA, but some can get quite extensive (like the one about healthcare with actual figures)

[@patrykrzepka6059]

The costs in Germany are somewhat high in my opinion. I don't know how it is in America, but here our average income is around €1800, depending on the type of job. For me, it's €3000, but we also pay €1000 in taxes. So, I'm left with €2000. I pay €1200 in rent and around €300 for my car, including everything. Additionally, food costs for me, since I live with someone, are around €300. Then there are expenses for new items like clothing or perfume. So, in the end, I'm left with only peanuts from my salary. I'd be interested to hear how things are in America.

[@kilianmeier5131]

Please take into account that all prices in Germany are "tax included".

[@marydavis5234]

Newsflash, in the US ,only the cigarettes are taxed, everything else has no tax added.

[@kilianmeier5131]

@@marydavis5234 Yeah. I would get a little confused by always adding taxes to the prices. And every county/town could have different tax rates.

[@marydavis5234]

@@kilianmeier5131 Every county in the US has a different tax rate and some have an added town or city tax .I live in Vermont , the nearest place ,I can get groceries is 15 miles , there are two McDonalds, they are in different counties, each McDonald’s has a McDouble for two at 3.99, one will have a 6% tax added and the other McDonald’s in the other county ,which is not even 5 miles away from the other McDonald’s, the tax will be 8%.

[@Tguson]

@@marydavis5234 This is not what you say in the comment above. Make your mind up.

[@marydavis5234]

@@Tguson Buying groceries and McDonald’s are not the same thing.

[@y.p.2396]

Hi, I live in Berlin. Concerning housing costs: While it may seem cheap to Americans, the salaries are not as high in Germany. Furthermore, in order to get an apartment, the rent due must not exceed 33%-40% of your net income. So, in order to afford a one-bedroom flat at 1300€/month in Berlin, landlords will expect you to have a net income of at least 3000€, which is about 5000€ gross income per month (depending on your tax bracket classification). Most employees, especially ones without a degree, will not be able to afford it, leading to the current housing crisis in Berlin

[@hansmeiser32]

"While it may seem cheap to Americans..." Yes, from my point of view 1300 EUR for a one-bedroom apartment is pretty high. We pay 700 EUR (cold) for a 3-bedroom apartment here in the outskirts of Bochum. One reason I would never move to any of these cities like Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Berlin, Stuttgart etc.

[@PenzMatt]

Berlin war eine günstige Stadt zum wohnen in Westberlin. In Ostberlin sowieso. Nach der Wende wurden die staatlichen Wohnungen in Ostberlin billigst privatisiert, saniert und dann teuerst vermietet. In Bezirken wie Mitte, Friedrichshain und Prenzlauer Berg wurden die DDR Bewohner vertrieben und finanzkräftiges Klientel aus aller Welt zog ein. In Bezirken wie Friedrichshain spricht man mittlerweile Englisch und für eine 40 qm Wohnung bezahlt man 1000€ statt 150€ wie in den 1990er Jahren. Das wirklich tragische ist, dass diese Verdrängung ohne jeden Widerstand passiert ist. Ältere Menschen, Handwerker, oder Familien sieht man in der östlichen Innenstadt quasi nicht mehr. Sie wurden an den Stadtrand oder nach Brandenburg vertrieben. Die Löhne für Arbeiter und Dienstleister in Berlin sind unterdurchschnittlich, die Kosten zum Leben und die Miete überdurchschnittlich. Normalerweise müsste es zu Demonstrationen und Krawallen kommen, aber es scheint jeder nur noch mit sich und seinem über die Runden kommen beschäftigt sein.

[@wolfi7106]

​@@PenzMattMiete ist in Berlin immer noch günstig im Vergleich zu andrren Regionen in Deutschland. Dort wird aber auch besser bezahlt.

[@Quotenwagnerianer]

"Furthermore, in order to get an apartment, the rent due must not exceed 33%-40% of your net income." You should add that this is not official or mandated by law it is just what some landlords look out for, even though it is none of their business.

[@Mr.SpocksBrain]

@@wolfi7106das stimmt leider nicht

[@afjo972]

7:42 calling Dresden a „smaller less known city“ is outrageous 😂 the reason why the apartments are relatively cheap is because Dresden is in a former GDR state where tue economy lags behind a bit, salaries are lower and so are the rent prices obviously. Also, the residential buildings are mostly prefabricated high-rise buildings (Plattenbauten) which are considered to be less attractive and therefore generally cheaper. But, if she took a west German city around the same size like Nürnberg, the prices would be much higher

[@rabenfederchen]

Thank you! Dresden is such a beautiful city (apart from the AfD and Pegida “walkers”) and is anything but unknown. I just say “Elb-Florenz" (Florence on The Elbe)

[@Muck006]

@@rabenfederchen Politische Toleranz gibt's nicht mehr, oder?

[@GottunddieWelten]

Please be aware that in german apartments the living room is most of the time included in the number of rooms, while in the US you often have the living room and then you count the number of additional bedrooms. So in Germany a 1-room-apartment would really have only 1 room you would use for living AND sleeping, while in the US a 1-bedroom-apartment would have a living room and a bedroom (as far as I know). The kitchen(room) and bathroom are usually additional to the number of rooms. So 3ZKB would mean 3 Zimmer, Küche, Bad (3 rooms + Kitchen and bathroom). Small one-room-apartments sometimes have no kitchen but only a Küchenzeile (kitchenette) inside the room. A bathroom is standard in modern apartments. In really old apartments there may be no private bathroom but only a common bathroom in the staircase. Bringing and taking your own kitchen(furniture) with you is more a thing if you buy an apartment or a house. In flats for rent there is often a Einbauküche (built-in kitchen). I think 180€-200€ for grocery shopping is not accurate anymore. As a single who doesn't smoke, doesn't drink much and doesn't use many cosmetics I need 200€-250€ per month. The 49€-Ticket includes only regional busses, trains, trams and subways. You could cross the whole country with it, but it would require much time and many train changes. For Inter City (IC), Inter City Express (ICE), and Euro City (EC) you need a different ticket.

[@Rafaela_S.]

I'm at 100-150€ for groceries right now in Germany, as a single. And would argue that you could go below 75€ while still eating healthy, if you would want to. A big part is drinking, I make light tea with tap water which does cost me less than 10€ a month, if you buy water in a supermarket, you can go above 60€ just for drinking. If you biy some special drinks like coca cola or some "premium" water, you can go easily above 100€ a month. Same for food, pasta, rice and potatos are really cheap, use them to cook meals and you will save money.

[@joseppedaia3673]

@@Rafaela_S. 75€ is a stretch, but would be possible I guess. You really have to cut down on or leave out some stuff. But 200€+ per month... I really hope there is something other included than groceries itself. We're (2 people) are at 300€ per month and that doesn't only cover the cheapest of the cheap stuff, but also a good bunch of "organic food" (ask me how much I hate the english equivalent wording to "bio"...)

[@joseppedaia3673]

I'm confused by her (Erika) referring to a german apartement with the count of bedrooms. Considering the price thats, like stated, actually a 0,5 room apartement with livingroom and bedroom begin the same room. And not even twice as big ;)

[@rebelmoon9059]

​Don't think it's a stretch.. The problem with eating is... We eat or throw away way to much

[@joseppedaia3673]

@@rebelmoon9059 that's for sure! Let me rephrase: 75€ is definitely possible, I wouldn't call it the norm though

[@1889jonny]

I've lived in Germany for around 35 years, ten of those stationed here in the British army, I have no intention of ever leaving... From rent capping to healthcare, internet and food prices, I feel very lucky to be here. Many (not all) Germans have a deep-rooted sense of guilt or regret about WWII and about what their forefathers did. I have often been thanked for liberating Germany, even after pointing out that I was only born 25 years after the war ended. I think it's because (this is only my opinion) many Germans have a deep sense of history and most of that history is something to be proud of, but there's a dark chapter that will always make them feel uneasy. There's a famous saying... If you don't know where you came from, how can you know who you are? Just accept people's apologies with grace, it's ok to tell them that it wasn't them, but please don't criticize their feelings or opinions.

[@CrankCase08]

A chapter that has been deliberately darkened to fulfill a certain narrative.

[@madrooky1398]

@@CrankCase08 "a certain narrative" Oh, right, that one... 🤣

[@DalaiDrama-hp6oj]

@@CrankCase08 You are deliberately consuming BS "News". Got BS vids on your own channel also.

[@karlschneider9479]

A lot of my Irish friends here in Boston lived and worked in Germany during the 1980's and they loved it.

[@warrenheath6465]

Great to see you both back girls, missed you. As an Englishman I have great respect for German people and my view on 'the war' is that it's history like the slave trade and has nothing to do with life today. Deepest respect for those that gave their lives in any war no matter what side they were on.

[@markusmuller2951]

No respect for those who died trying to serve the Nazi cause.

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

​@@markusmuller2951Agreed

[@Splattercat82]

since may 2023 in we got the Deutschland-Ticket, that costs 49 €/month and you can travel all over germany with all regional means of transport (but not high speed trains like ICE and no taxis)

[@annastark8130]

I get a companies ticket , (with the same conditions as the 49 euro ticket) and the monthly cost is only 32 Euro.

[@willybauer5496]

Yeah, but sadly we don't all work in yr company 😭

[@mats7492]

@@annastark8130 i do too but that depends on the employer, its a voluntary benefit..

[@FrankyDee550]

Hello lovely Ladies, here a little information to show the relationship between prices and average income in Germany, here is the information from the Federal Statistical Office for 2023. The gross salary is the salary agreed with the employer, before taxes and social security contributions are deducted. The average gross salary of full-time employees in Germany in April 2023 was 4,323 euros. If you look at all employees in Germany, including all employees in part-time or marginal employment, the average salary in the same year was around 3,199 euros per month. The average net income of all employees was 2,165 euros per month. In this case the prices are not so cheap after all. Greetings from Germany.

[@hype3344]

Sry to say that but these statistics are just not thru. The average of ~4k is a dream that our gov has but not reality

[@NeverMind439]

While a lot of people would wish to have the average Salary at all. My father is glad to even come NEAR it... i think it is around 1600 to 1700? And my parents have to pay the house, the new Roof because it did rain through, a car, gasoline, Maintance (Seemingly atm our car is driving onto the 250.000km mark and it seems the the turbo makes problems)... they have less than me, who is a "Bürgergeldempfänger" because of a variety of mental health issues, to go grocerie Shopping monthly. My mother is sitting in a wheelchair after a accident and yeah...

[@bastipetri3084]

Regarding the kitchen-topic: German here When I moved into my rented apartment, the kitchen was included (provided by my landlord, about 20 years old (the kitchen, not the landlord)). Two years later, the kitchen started to slowly come apart. Since it was part of the renting-contract, I couldn´t remove/renew it without consent of my landlord. Smelling the chance to get a kitchen to my liking, I offered him to replace it on my own cost, if he removes it from the contract. His counter offer was, that I renew the kitchen to my liking, on his cost (with him consenting to the price), but it stays in the contract, meaning I can´t take it with me if I move out. We found a consent and I got "my" kitchen for wich he payed almost everything.

[@bladablitz]

To put the rental prices into perspective: the prices in Berlin and Munich are very expensive for an average income. We are talking about an average income of around 2200 euros. Of course, you have to keep in mind that throughout Europe all taxes and health insurance and pension provisions have already been deducted, so it is a net income. Unfortunately, one important factor was not taken into account: heating and hot water must also be added to these rental prices. So it´s realistic to add around 150 to 200 euros.

[@Kari_B61ex]

I lived in Germany for 6 years (British Forces) and the cost of food was excellent. We used to shop in Kaufland and Aldi/Lidl. When we lived there Aldi & Lidl hadn't yet arrived in the UK.

[@beckysam3913]

its because the government subsidise , funds, food sector, the basics, its socialism.

[@lilydawnpippard625]

This video makes me miss Germany so much.. I lived there for about 10 years when first married and both my children were born there.

[@Ghhft33]

Soooo glad your back we missed you tooooo

[@marklane58]

Thanks for mentioning the soldiers on all sides. This is one of my favorite speeches and I tear up every time. In 1934, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk wrote the words that reached out to the mothers of his former enemies. “Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives, you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore, rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours. You, the mothers, who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace after having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well” ...Much as I love this speech I just read that it is disputed as to who wrote it. History is so fickle. His Story. Can't be sure of anything. I looked into what is time and now I'm not even sure if I'm really here.

[@karenward267]

Well said about the Germans. The successive generations have shouldered the burden of the previous generation. Plus, the German government, in a desire to show the world that they are not all bad people and that they are atoning for their guilt, have saddled successive generations with survivors guilt. We,who grew up in the UK and EU, don’t hold the Germans for the “sins of their fathers.” As a Brit in the US, Germany is beautiful and the German people are very welcoming of foreigners invading their country every year. Germany is agreat country to live in based on the quality of life, healthcare, and education. The Germans have always had a great quality of life. It was a tad rough as post 1989, both Germanys have reintegrated. It was/is rough for certain groups, but they are once again, one country. Go visit and experience the culture, arts, and just everyday life in Germany. It a great, welcoming experience. Glad you did this episode.

[@grandetristesse2.060]

Nobody cares

[@grandetristesse2.060]

​@@karenward267isn't it interesting how only some countries are meant to be held accountable and is obligated to feel "guilty" even though no Nation is innocent? And most Nation either get away with it or they just don't care and will tell u that they don't care . People act like ww2 Germany was N1 villain, they forget about other countries which did worse...

[@amathans]

@@grandetristesse2.060 Many people care. You can speak for yourself, but you cannot and should not speak for everyone. Kindness costs nothing.

[@potdog1000]

of the myriad of mistakes i have made in my life the biggest one is not staying in Germany when i was posted there in the 70s, i loved it

[@aka_Tatjana]

Just a quick note regarding public transport costs. It shows that the video is about a year old. Since last year we have the "Deutschland Ticket" ("Germany Ticket") which allows you to use all local public transport everywhere in Germany for 49€ per month. For some (like me ;)) it's free because my employer sponsors the Deutschland ticket as a benefit.

[@Splattercat82]

excepted the highspeed trains like ICE and taxis

[@RichieFairlamb]

Being over 65 I can travel anywhere in the UK on a bus free of charge..

[@leDespicable]

@@RichieFairlamb Germany is not that progressive, unfortunately. Our senior citizens are stuck at home when they can't drive anymore, especially in rural areas where public transport is basically non-existent anyway.

[@Loovalee]

Love what you are saying in regards to this other video and the reactions. Thank you so much!

[@alexandrarohla1531]

I lived in Germany for 19yrs best health care in the world

[@seelenwinter6662]

but getting from year to year more worse...

[@knutjunker2019]

No, certainly not the best healthcare system in Europe, there are much better and fairer ones. But not the worst either.

[@wanderslust1781]

It was 20 years ago is getting worse and worse.

[@frankmcloughlin7076]

I live in Munich, the health system is adequate to good...that's about it..

[@leDespicable]

The funny little train you saw is what we call a "Bimmelbahn" in German, basically small - mostly diesel-driven - train on wheels with a bell. They're usually usually found in theme parks or run through towns on special occasions. We have one in the neighbouring town that runs during the annual town fair to get people from the train station to the fairground and back

[@jkb2016]

Also, the only case that legally allows passengers in a trailer while in traffic. It has to ride slow, though.

[@Roberternst72]

16:47 the background of the „sitting down costs *in some cases* more than take-away“ is due to the different V.A.T. on food (7%) and services (19%), because with sitting down and getting served etc the German tax code considers the whole deal a service.

[@keithparker5125]

There is a similar situation in the UK - take-away food is VAT exempt but food eaten in-house is subject to the addition of VAT (currently 20%)

[@Brainreaver79]

yeah but the prices nearly ever change. the burger in a mcd costs the same regardless which vat you pay. the coffee in a cafe costs the same... so the shop just makes more monrey depending which tax you pay.. but the item never gets more expensive. (at least i havent seen it yet)

[@Roberternst72]

@@Brainreaver79 Well, yes, I have only vague memories of an actual difference in one restaurant, more than ten years ago, and in one ice cream parlor, even longer ago… and even those incidents feel like misremembering images of menu prices…

[@SomeReallyUniqueName]

Note, if you buy take-away and eat it there anyway, the shop owner *will* complain. Not because they are mean, but because *they* can get in trouble for tax evasion.

[@stefanbierganns3193]

Purchasing a kitchen sounds expensive to most but you have to understand, most of us Germans love to have their own, most of the time custom styled kitchen. Also it depends what brand of kitchen tools like dishwasher, fridge, oven etc you want. If you move out of an appartment you take the kitchen with you and most of the time the kitchen fits into the new place. I did this myself some years back and no problems there. Its just another concept. Renting an appartment in Germany can either be really easy if you move to an area with low demand or hard and expensive if you go for one of the major cities over here. Munich, Cologne and Hamburg are expensive and due to not enough appartments there is a competition who gets one and who gets none. As I mentioned in the chat, public transportation got cheaper recently. We introduced the so called "Deutschland Ticket". This one comes for 49 Euros and allows you to use every public transport system everywhere in Germany incl the Regionalbahn, shorter train lines across Germany. I hope I was able to answer some of your questions. Love and Greetings from Hamburg, Germany

[@Attirbful]

I sooo agree. Whenever American react videos explain the shock at Germans moving to places without kitchens, I keep saying, how happy I was to have my own custom kitchen in my first apartment. I have lived in places/apartments in America where I had to work around the twenty year old crappy kitchens with droopy doors and broken hinges, in dingy colors, and cabinets surfaces that were not perfectly fitting my needs but that were in there, and I was less than happy….

[@stefanbierganns3193]

@@Attirbful And I can add...at times you maybe can takeover the existing kitchen in a new appartment..but I prefer my own though. And the pricetag for reasonable kitchen went down imho.

[@Attirbful]

@@stefanbierganns3193 Well, don‘t ask me in that respect, as I just had the kitchen in my parents‘ house remodeled as I am moving in and it came with a price tag of more that €17.000… Mind you, it is a tiny kitchen of less than 7 square meters and I have plenty of kitchen gadgets and needed to use every available cm of the small space. Yes, it was expensive (since the remodel also involved walls, floors, electricity and water renovations on top), but I am really happy to have everything set up ideally now for the next thirty years of my life (I hope)… And indeed. When I moved into another house previously, we bought the two kitchens that were in the house already and were happy to use those for years without having to to renovate the kitchen(s) in addition to many other renovations we had to do then. However, I would never have picked the horrible tiles, and most likely very different cabinets had I had the chance to do it myself. It was a compromise, but I am happy to have a kitchen now that is precisely as I want it…

[@stefanbierganns3193]

@@Attirbful As I said, there is a huuge range. The kitchen my wife and I have over here was around 9k back then...still works like a charme though.

[@romanakipper7713]

Plus most people (at least young people, people who are not super-rich) will simply buy a second hand one. The most I payed for a kitchen was about 500 Euros, and that was the „fqncy one“. I would not want having to live with a kitchen I consider ugly… (Still in many flats you have the option to buy it from the former tenant and/or nowadays they ARE often included, esp kn smaller flats

[@trotzdemJoel]

Thank you for your thoughtful and loving words at the beginning. Much love from Germany ❤

[@leighnisbett9691]

In the UK we have a bus pass that costs just over £60 per month and it allows you to travel on the buses as you have prepaid your fares , it also works on night buses if you have been clubbing or went out for a date night if you don't have a car . The tax is included in the price displays in the stores .

[@Schon1Kevin]

You are completely ignoring the fact that the salary in the US is 3 to 4 times as high. according to google the average nurse in the US earns slightly more than 100k a year whilst in germany it is 37k and that is if youre working as a nurse for quite some time already. if u just started its more like 26k. also the income taxes in the US are at about 24% on average while its 33% in germany. so you even get more out of the 3 times earning. the average german is spending about 50% of his income just for rent. the prices for the groceries increased by about 31% on average within the last year. Milk is about 1,09€ now. Fun fact about the "budget friendly supermarkets", the so called "discounters": trader joe's is actually aldi nord. just renamed for the US market.

[@PowerControl]

Nurses in the US have to study. In Germany it is only an „Ausblidung“. So that this is apples to oranges.

[@mindscraper1978]

Included in the german taxes are retirement, unemployment insurrance, health care, debt free higher education, lets add these to the 24% taxes to the US system, oh, and don't forget the additional costs if you have to go to the doctor or even emergency.

[@Schon1Kevin]

@@mindscraper1978 you are correct in some points, but thats irrelevant for what was said in the video: "that things are so cheap in germany". for someone in germany its definately not cheap because the average numeric income is 3 times lower with higher taxes. of course this includes health insurance but as with every insurance, for the majority of the time its a cost with nothing in return. speaking on a monthly basis of course. if you ever get seriously sick our health system is the best you can have of course. no questions asked. its just that this even lowers the net income even more and what you got for living. the average living costs in relation to the income is 13% higher in the US compared to germany whilst germany has 9% higher taxes which include all those things. so there is an average deficite of just 4% in living costs. and this doesnt include inflations, subventions and other stuff. in the end it is atleast equal aslong you dont get seriously sick in the US which can basically ruin your entire life. but math always works with averages and not an extreme. you were wrong about the retirement tho. yes, currently this system is in place but it keeps working worse and worse and at the point where my generation would benefit from it, it wont excist anymore. so its another cost with nothing in return. but thats a whole topic to talk about by its own. In the end germany is cheap for americans to visit, no questions asked. but germany is not a cheap country to live in which was implied by the statement. if you take me as an example. im a german, living in germany but working in switherland. i get paid what my coworkers in switzerland earn aswell. my salary is 120% higher than what i would earn in a german company without me having to pay the costs which are twice as high in switzerland. a döner costs about 13 franken in zürich which are 13,60. thats pretty much double the price as in germany.

[@mindscraper1978]

@@Schon1Kevin I didn't say that germany is cheap, I just said that the salary isn't that much higher and the "taxes" aren't that much lowert in the US, so living in Germany isn't that much cheaper but if we are in trouble, like illness or unemployment and retirement we kinda can rely on our insurances. And there aren't that many people who can work in another country that easily, even less if they are american.

[@RustyDust101]

Careful on Hamburg's buses. You can't pay on the buses anymore except with apple or Google or PayPal or certain prepaid cards. Edits incoming Edit 1: private health insurance is available for anyone. However the roughly 64500€ yearly salary is the Break-even-Point when choosing private healthcare insurance. Private health insurance may get you some higher quality services in hospitals or specialty doctors earlier. But even the statutory health insurance gets you basically the same care but maybe with slightly longer wait times for anything that isn't an emergency. Emergencies will a) always be covered, b) same quality as private. In rented apartments it is normal to just find the sockets and pipes. Most people rent for a long time and like to furnish their kitchens themselves to their tastes and styles. If you rent furnished you will obviously get the kitchen as well. Furnished rents are obviously a bit higher. Bathrooms are fully equipped, as most of them are integrated with the tiling. Those are too difficult to remove and keep using them a second time. So bathrooms are completely furnished with toilets, sinks, shower stalls and/or bathtubs.

[@damianmccoy6128]

It’s wonderful to have you back! We’ve missed you massively! ❤️

[@dionysiosvonhalikarnassos7792]

Omg, the Gerolsteiner at the beginning❤ I was literally taking a drink from a bottle of the very same Gerolsteiner just a few moments before😂 I love it too!

[@bigjtq9176]

In Sweden, you simply don't tip since the waitress get a fixed salary. You CAN however, today the tip isn't "personal" but put in a common pot and then shared between the staff...

[@chgr4674]

I think that’s better because the cooks also deserve part of the tips. Their work is so important for the customer to be happy. In Germany I think some restaurants also share their tips

[@jk0000079]

Same in Germany, really. There will not be any "scene" made by a waitress, if you pay the exact bill amount and not give any tip (unlike some tiktok videos from the US of A). And a tip of significantly over 10% is seen mostly as "excessive" in Germany, or more like "you really just want to brag about how rich you are". Rounding up by about 5% is "normal", if you were happy with the service *and* you can afford that *voluntary* action of paying more for something you could have gotten as well without the tip just fine.

[@Stefan23E]

Greetings from Germany! Good to have you back,guys!

[@petraschmid1986]

17:10 - Thats what we call a "Bummelzug"... it takes tourists around in the city and the driver or a pre recorded voice tells you something about the sights you drive by... its fun :D

[@mandypotts9090]

Great show full of information , interesting insights and a glimpse of the beautiful German countryside l really enjoyed this. Episode 🇩🇪👍.( it’s nice to have you back where you belong ladies 💞)

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

Thank you Mandy 😊

[@susanpearson-creativefibro]

I agree she was so much fun. I will be checking her channel out. I went to Germany on a school trip around about 1987 and stayed with my Pen friend. I remember some highlights of the trip but wish I could remember everything.

[@winterlinde5395]

Hat Spaß gemacht. Danke! 🌸

[@AP-RSI]

Great, you are back! BTW: There are 1,500 varieties of German sausages! So... try again! Until you find the right taste! 😉🙃 8:00 I don't know if the video has already included the heating and electricity costs, but I pay around €800 for a 2-room apartment with approx. 65 square meters and everything in the Karlsruhe area (approx. 15 km outside, in Baden-Württemberg / Black Forest). But that already includes electricity, heating and water costs! Oh yes, and in my case the kitchen was already installed and is included in the rent. And for Internet, incl. landline phone + mobile phone, I pay around €50 / month and have a 250GB line for Internet. 10:10 The prices she quotes when shopping are no longer correct. For example, a liter (cheapest milk from a discount store) costs €1.30! The prices have gone through the roof. And the stores she lists are normal grocery stores (Rewe, Edeka, Nahkauf) that are generally considered expensive! Discounters (Aldi, Lidl, Penny, Kaufland, etc. pp.) are usually much cheaper!

[@christineyoung7486]

I'm so happy you're back. I've been rewatching and catching up with any I might have missed. ❤❤❤

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

Thank you so much ♥️

[@DoctorNicolasGames]

The grocery prices did go up recently, so add about 25% on average to those numbers (at least if you're shopping at Rewe or Edeka)

[@irenebaxendale8367]

Hello ladies, so glad you are back 😊

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

Thank you! 🤗

[@KittenKatja]

Different countries, different laws. Our products may be cheap in comparison to your standards, but your standards include the ability to apply more than 1 coupon to the total. You see, in Germany, only 1 coupon can be applied, coupon stacking is forbidden, that's why platforms like Steam stack the coupons as one coupon, so Sales up to 90% can be found. (which is still unlawful, but who is going to report such discounts?)

[@flensburgerpilzproductions3141]

On some of the reactions and prices I hear from the US, you guys over there must earn at least 2-3 times the salary we get here. Just for comparasion - the montly expences from me and my lady (41 and 37yo, both fully employed, no children): Rent: 1200€ (5 room house, 1670sqft, small town in nothern germany) - includes heating and other stuff around the house Electricity: 110€ Phone/Internet/Mobile: 150€ for all that stuff together Car loan: 400€ Gas for vehicles: 250€ Insurance: Around 150€ (home, car, 2 motorcycles, scooter, electronics) Other insurances: around 100€ a month (accident insurance and so on) Food and stuff: 300-400€ (really depends where and what we buy) Thats what comes to mind - might have forgotten something

[@biankakoettlitz6979]

...tey earn much more in Amerika , but they work 2-3 times as much, too, or do you want to work 60hours as an usual employer ?

[@jk0000079]

From a number of YT/instagram, or tiktok posts it would seem like a software engineer employee with 10y of experience is getting anything between 3x and 5x more in the "key business areas" in the US of A, than a person with the same experience and capabilities here in Germany. Of course in the US of A they can be as well fired from day to day, have to pay their health insurance, or totally-blown-out-of-proportions medical bills themselves, without any contribution from the employer. What surprised me more, was some statement, that even a plumber in the US of A is earning enough to save 2+ milion USD by the time they are 60y old .. 99.5+% of German employees (including those with masters degrees) can only *dream* of having such savings by the time they are 60y old, even if they would go only on cheap vacations all life long and cook at home all the years, and never go to any restaurants.

[@redtop1705]

Lovely to see you back❤️😄

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

Thanks so much!

[@abergreg]

I'm really glad you pair sorted out your little tiff and you're back entertaining us.

[@connyklein5447]

I live in a small city in the Niedersachsen region in germany and pay 870 € for a one-bedroom loft style apartement by the size of 89 qm in the city centre. This includes heating, trash fee, water ecetera. Electrizity goes extra as well as telefon, internet and TV. The person that rented the apartement before me, sold their kitchen to me, what was very convenient.

[@jurgeng4613]

to be honest these food prices belongs to the "before Corona- aera". today even when the food prices come down a bit they are about 25% higher then mentioned in the video, it also depends on the article, some are higher and some increased lower.

[@Mrs_Deviant_Lemon]

I came across your channel just now and I love you guys already lol. I moved to Germany almost a year ago to live with my German husband and I tell you, I'm born in South Africa and everything here for me is expensive 😂😂 Also, to me its a massive culture shock still. In a good way. But what a beautiful country and culture. Even though I miss my family dearly, I love it here. I LOVE that you can take your dog just about anywhere! I haven't made any friends just yet though. I find it a bit hard to make friends in general 🙈🙈🙈 But great channel and I cant wait to see more.

[@Jean-MarcBordeaux]

Nice to see you both bright and breezy. Yes prices are expensive also in France for everything in Food and in the supermarket , I think Americans need that European style in the kitchen and the bathroom, Comments at the beginning was truly wonderful,

[@garyskeels9495]

Hi lovely ladies, hope you are both well. Looking forward to this vid lots of love from York

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

Thank you so much!!

[@nicholasgarratt5646]

So good to watch videos again :) Really close to 100,000 too.

[@ironwhistlesArt]

The Region that you asked is the middle Rhine Valley (Mittelrheintal). It starts just behind "Bonn" and endsat "Bingen am Rhein". It's my old Homeregion. I growd up there. Was a fantastic Time! :) Lots of vineyards and Castles along this Area of the Rhine. But, the only Castle that is in the original Conditions are the "Marksburg", near "Brauchbach". But the others are very beautiful to ... :)

[@FHB71]

You always have to put the prices into perspective to the income you get. Income is much dependent on where you live and thus the price for rent is relative. I live in the city center of a smaller but very popular city and I pay about 1000 Euros (three rooms appartment) and I have fixed costs of around 1600 Euros per months all in all (rent, heating, internet, water, electricity etc.) with about around 200 Euros for food, so I am looking at around 2000 Euros of fixed costs which is a lot here and does not leave me with much margin on top.

[@percypino8962]

Wages in Germany are significantly lower than in the USA, so it just seems like it is cheaper in Germany.

[@jasonsmart3482]

Germany i have visited most outside of USA and South Africa. My aunt (RIP) lived there for 20 years - and loved it - and my cousin lives just outside Koln. I love the wurst there are so many different varieties sausages so im sure Natasha's taste bud will be tickled! Certainly worth a visit some beautiful historic towns, great lager, lovely countryside and mountains and wholesome foods. Oh and the Christmas Markets!! Oh and the kitchen thing its true you take the kitchen with you when you move rental property.

[@goatbrother8718]

In Germany we talk about the war multiple times during our school career, most of us visited a concentration camp on field trip. Totally fine to address that topic in a polite and respectful manner. The videos outdated on the public transport, you can now get the „Deutschlandticket“ which allows you to use all buses, trams, undergrounds and trains (except from faster trains the Intercity express aka ICE and maybe the Intercity aka IC) for 49€/month and it is a monthly subscription that you can unsubscribe each month

[@soniam.p.7198]

Also please keep in mind, that in Germany the sqm are impoortant. A 1 bedroom might be only 35 sqm. In California a friend lives in a 1 bedroom and it’s bigger than my 2 bedroom in Germany, which has 55 sqm.

[@Joesspace]

The last minutes of this little video was located in Trier, the capital City at the river Mosel and oldest City in Germany and in direct neighborship to Luxembourg.

[@christophsimon-cq9qb]

The City pictures seen are from the City of Trier. One of the oldest cities in Germany (used to be a captial in the last century of the Western Roman Empire beside Rome iteslef) situated in the Mosel river valley. Most of the train pictures are also taken in the Mosel valley

[@deadinside9744]

Trier is the oldest City in germany.

[@christophsimon-cq9qb]

@@deadinside9744 This is a bit argued. There are 2 citiers south of the DAnube river claim to be as old as Trier or older. I couold not find any definite answer about this in history books. That is why I said one of the oldest

[@lillchen915]

About the private health insurance, there are doctors you can only go to with a private health insurance. These patients sometimes get treated better or faster and I’m not sure if this is still being done this way but back in the days people that worked for the country like teachers or the post office would get private health insurance just for working there.. loved the video btw 🥰

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

Thank you!

[@MunichChild]

Hi Ladies! I missed you too! It´s good to have you back on your channel with new videos. Regards from Munich! ❤❤

[@sutej72]

In Sweden for those prices of 1.200 to 2.000 Euros they are proberbly newly built apartments and in that you get the kitchen and bathroom without furniture but you do get Bathtub or shower, sink and toilet in the bathroom and you get stove, oven, sink and someti,es even a dishwasher and washing machines in the apartment. Usually hot water is included. What you pay extra would be the cabel bill for TV, Internet/Wifi and so on. In Sweden we also have to pay for a TV license that you through taxes once a year. This price is from where I live in Malmö but its more expensive if you live in Gothenburg or Stockholm.

[@darajeeling]

For "the itchen thing" - you sometimes can buy the one that's inside from the person who lived there before. Some of th flats have ver small rooms for the kitchen area (although most newer flats have an open kitchen/living area). I have never had a flat, I have always had a house so when we bought our house I opened it up and I was happy no kitchen was in there so I could get the one I wanted. Currently we are sort of downsizing and are building a "tiny house" (not so tiny) and the kitchen is also custom made. Our oldest dauhter had two flats and was luck she could buy the kitchen of th person who sold the appartment. (the kitchens were fairly new as well).

[@Roberternst72]

19:16 That river valley looks like somewhere along the Mosel.

[@HauptmannMumm]

oder Rhein

[@Roberternst72]

@@HauptmannMumm I don’t know, but the hills at the Rhine look higher, because the riverbed cut deeper into the rocks, the Rhine river itself looks wider and deeper than the one on the picture, and the banks of the Rhine look wider as well…. My second guess would be the Saar… but for all those rivers, I feel like there’s a lack of vineyards on the hills… I am pretty sure that the river is in Western Germany, and my other guesses would be the Lahn or the Main, Taunus and Westerwald and Siebengebirge look different though… those elevations make me think „some river flowing through either in the Eifel or Hunsrück“, and Mosel is the one dividing Eifel and Hunsrück… soooo… my gut says, Mosel. Maybe somewhere around Cochem.

[@duke6321]

That's the Rhine Valley

[@Roberternst72]

@@duke6321 Where though?

[@bjoernphotography]

I am pretty sure its at the river mosel between koblenz and Cochem - because of the fibre cable hanging there… its an optical fiber cable which was installed around the early 2000…

[@Lucy-8313]

Hi missed you live I’m still watching! Ace to see u back!

[@Prof.Dr.Diagnose]

19:20 I don’t know exactly where it is, but it looks a lot like the middle rhine valley or the mosel valley (both in the same area). Beautiful region indeed and world natural heritage. Highest castle density in the world as well btw. Stunning castles on hills along the river every few kilometers

[@ellenhofrath]

Health insurance is pretty much mandatory, also when you rely on benefits, it's included. But it covers not everything. So a lot of people upgrade with additional insurances, like better dental care. Private insurance costs more, but covers everything. You get preferred appointments, better hospital rooms,... Downside: you must pay in advance, then you get it back.

[@Roberternst72]

17:09 that „train“-on-wheels is ofc just an attraction, not a part of any regular public transport system… :) If the license plate („TR-AM“) isn’t a joke, you should find it in „TR“ier.

[@miafranlund6982]

So happy to see you back in reacting. Enjoyed it a usual.

[@Muck006]

*Concerning RENTAL PRICES in Germany* We have the "Mietspiegel" for cities, which basically lists the PRICE RANGES OF WHAT YOU ARE ALLOWED TO CHARGE per m² ... which depends upon the condition of the flat, the equipment [kitchen included/modern bath??], the location, ...

[@Jen.V843]

I missed this live, but I'll watch now 😊

[@ulliulli]

Living in Berlin, in the centre of berlin to be more precise. My rent is atm 650€ for 3 rooms for a new building from the 1970s in a quiet location next to a park. For Germans, kitchens are something ... intimate would be the wrong word, but very individual. So instead of “inheriting” a filthy kitchen from 5 previous tenants, you buy a new one when you move in. Or negotiate with the previous tenant, who has to remove the kitchen. Then you pay X amount and virtually buy the old kitchen if you like it. As a rule, however, apartments without a kitchen are the norm, right It is also important to know that your own kitchen is also your own property. If the kitchen is provided by the landlord, it must be treated differently and any damage must be repaired and replaced immediately when you move out... so if you move after 20 years, you will have to buy a new kitchen anyway. And this also includes large appliances such as the fridge, washing machine, etc. So it's better to buy and furnish them yourself. That way you don't have to deal with the landlord However, the cost of living has risen massively since coronavirus and the war in Ukraine. An example of a liter of milk that cost around 79c in the video now costs 99c., Haribo went up 10c to 1.15€ etc To tipping: If the bill is €57, for example, then you round up to €60 and that's it. You don't work out how much 5 or 10% would be. The railroad line in the video is the so-called “Left Rhine Line” between Cologne and Mainz and is considered one of the most romantic railroad lines in Germany The advantage of private health insurance in Germany is the flexibility to choose a doctor and how quickly you can get an appointment. As a private patient, you are often given priority, i.e. you arrive at the doctor's surgery and are immediately next on the waiting list. BUT: you have to pay the money up front and then settle it with the health insurance company later. So if you have a doctor's bill of €5,000, you pay the €5,000 and then get it back later from the health insurance company. A normal health insurance patient does not pay anything in advance and does not have to claim anything from the health insurance company, but the doctor gets his money much later.

[@brynjones5361]

Costs have changed in the last year. Europe used to import a huge volume of natural gas from Russia. The war in Ukraine changed that. Many electricity plants use natural gas; especially here in Ireland. Last year electricity and heating oil went up by almost 200%. The wholesale price for gas has come down, but this is only a fraction of the cost to the consumer because the bulk of the of the cost is for delivery. On top of the household costs; the higher energy costs have a knock on effect for industrial production, food production, which increases the cost of a hotel, eating out, the lighting and refrigeration in the supermarket, and so on.

[@truckingganes879]

Hellooo Ladies i fully enjoyed this video. plus its soooo exciting to have you ladies back like someone said in the comments this is where you ladies belong right here you ladies where made for this you ladies are sooooo funny and i fully enjoyed this soooo much 😀😁😍😍😂😂 you ladies always make me laugh like really made me laugh.

[@bjoernphotography]

So funny to see my hometown koblenz in this video - at the scenes about transportation - i know the corner with the Sparta bank and Hofacker - so funny ;)

[@hittingthebridge406]

Also, we pay our rent per month, not per week. This has lead to confusion before. ;) Grocery shopping is WAY cheaper in Germany, though. When I'm in the US, I notice most items are 3 times as expensive. The checkout moment is always shocking. You definitely get more for your money in Europe, also in regard to quality - in my experience. But keep in mind that German salaries are way less than American salaries also.

[@haraldschuster3067]

Private insurances in Germany only save you "a buck or two" when you're young and don't get sick. If you develop something chronic, they'll cost you an arm, two legs and then some. Almost everyone I know tried to get back into public health insurance when they got older and needed regular treatment as the premiums from private insurers soon were higher than the fees for the public ones.

[@_Yannex]

The bucket in the kitchen is mostly included☝️☺️

[@barrynicholson1328]

It’s epic that you’re back , you were missed

[@sandraboyle5722]

Numbers looking good girls…. 99.6K , but I’m sure you will hit that 100K soon…. Nice to see you back..

[@Splattercat82]

good morning from germany, we missed u too

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

👋🏻 We missed you more!!!

[@Splattercat82]

@@TheNatashaDebbieShow we missed you to the moon and back ♥

[@sif5941]

Please consider that "1 bedroom" means it is literary just one room + kitchen (sometimes included in the one room) + bathroom. No separate bedroom or living room. And the whole apartment is about 35qm/400sqft.

[@sharonmartin4036]

Showing your naughty little 12 year-old self again Natasha! Just BTW, German sausages are fabulous. In fact, most German food is fabulous.

[@subliminalstyrene811]

Sauerkraut und geräucherte Kassler Kotletten, mit knödel Defrigginlicious ! not to mention Eissbein !

[@sharonmartin4036]

@@subliminalstyrene811 Oooh! Stop! You are making me very hungry. LOL.

[@SusseBo]

$1200 for a one room flat plus amenities. In Denmark and in the province. Our internet is cheap. We go to Germany to purchase cheap groceries.

[@peckelhaze6934]

I am a Brit in the UK and often buy a sausage from Lidl and Aldi. My daughter up until this year paid £600 monthly, for a ground level two bedroomed flat, in our city. This city is 50 mile from London. We do get a kitchen. German supermarket prices are much the same as UK. UK has no charge for plastic but plastic is recycled.

[@bluebear6570]

Thank you for your open words! The gtiorl is wrong - the cable bill is not mandatory if you are not hooked up to any cable service.

[@knutjunker2019]

Water: in most parts of Germany we have excellent tap water and don‘t really need bottled water. For sparkling water we use the „soda stream“.

[@thomasthuringer6060]

The percentage the rent in germany can be raised per year is reglemented by law so it can not be raised more than 20% in 3 years.There is an exeption if the owner renovates the apartment to make it better. In this case up to 8% of the costs can be added to the yearly rent.The problem here in germany are the "Nebenkosten", that means costs of water, heating, housekeeping, trash and electicity that come on top of the rent.And those costs have exploded in the last 10 years putting them at aproximately 25% of the rent or more, denpends on state and city. As far as healthcare goes the main difference between public and private insurance lies in the payment. If you are insured public, all your bills exept prescription fees and non exential mediction are directly covered by your incurance company. If you have private you have to pay all bills yourself first and get the money back later from your insurer.

[@mikesloperuk]

That looks like Trier! I went to university for a year there as part of my degree. Absolutely beautiful city.

[@sandradolls5682]

Delighted you are both back 💕

[@Rachi-roo-roo]

Love you girls so much!!!! I’m English 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 been to Germany loved the country, and boyyyy so they know how to party, check the cathedral out in cologne xxxxx

[@irminschembri8263]

You can have private health insurance as a teacher here, too, as we are civil servants and the state government is your employer and responsible for your well being. But you can choose mandatory health insurance if you are afraid of higher costs in old age. I never regretted to have chosen private.

[@RichieFairlamb]

We pay national insurance on our wages which covers us throughout life via the NHS..

[@Tristan_Anderwelt]

Erika is really awesome. I love her videos and her great humor

[@derzool5267]

Please bear in mind that these rent prices are "cold" rent (Kaltmiete as mentioned in the video). This can be taken quite literally, meaning you have to cover your heating, water, power and all other costs on top of that. In some cases, rent included a prepayment for these costs, so your rent is the "cold" rent + the additional costs. Please also note that the "1 bedroom" is as bit misleading, as in Germany this literally means 1 room. In many cases you don't even get a separate room for the kitchen but a corner in your one room with a sink and kitchen appliances.

[@SusanCampbell-j1f]

That was really interesting I was surprised at cost of living in Germany I imagined it would have been higher. I do enjoy learning about other countries.

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@percypino8962]

Wages in Germany are significantly lower than in the USA, so it just seems like it is cheaper in Germany.

[@Guenner8685]

Maybe from your perspective it looks cheap for renting an apartment. But you have to concider, the average german income is about 3500 Euro. After Tax and Social you are lft with 2250 Euro. Then a small 1 Bedroom Apartment, where normaly one person lives, costs you 1100 Euro, that's half of your income! And there are a lot of people in the City who earn much less than the average. Prices are high right now. Berlin used to be among the cheaper cities and 1100 Euro would get you a 3-4 Bedroom Apartment (100m² +). So no, it's not cheap from a german perspective.

[@percypino8962]

Ja genau richtig!

[@davidhamm1341]

Happy to see you both back made my day

[@ginafromcologne9281]

Hi there! :) I think the landscape with the river you wondered where it is, could be the river Rhine between Koblenz and Bingen, near the Loreley. It's really a lovely area.

[@stevewesley3841]

I used to be a roadie and toured Europe a lot and several younger Germans have said the same to me about the war. I used to spend a lot of time at a friend's house in Cologne. He lived in the middle floor of the family house, his children lived on the top floor and his mother lived in the bottom floor. This generational house sharing seems quite common.

[@patrickadam-sh4uu]

Hallo from germany. I love your Channel❤❤❤

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

Hey, thanks so much!!

[@holgerkoch1692]

There are over 1000 types of sausage in Germany. Not all of them can be found in the same supermarket, but the range changes from region to region. I'm sure that if you try some of them, you'll find something you like. There are also many 100 types of bread and cheese on sale in Germany.

[@MarioMarioD80]

bathrooms include either a shower-cabin and/or a bathtub depending on the size. there might be a mirror / -cabinet with lights but no light fixtures other than that. as always it depends on the flat in question. also a kitchen might be bought off the previous tenant. also don't expect a walk-in closet or any closet at all 😀unless its included in the ad

[@djs98blue]

I’ve always thought all soldiers lost, on all sides, are not only heroes they are also all victims of foolish governments. If government was better we wouldn’t need any soldiers.

[@oldeuropemyhome76]

I couldn't agree more. War serves no regular person's interest.

[@rob.w.t.3356]

Nowadays there is a monthly ticket you can buy for 49 Euros. It's called Deutschlandticket and you can use it for any local and regional public transport. Fast trains are excluded.