7 Cheapest Cities In Germany To Visit In 2025
Looking for the cheapest cities in Germany?
You’ve come to the right place because I’ve been to Germany quite a few times and I even lived in the country for a year.
Germany is a wonderful country and a country on the bucket list of millions of travellers.
But not everyone has a gigantic budget, right? As a backpacker and budget traveller, I know how tough it can be to find cheap places to travel.
That’s why I created this list of the cheapest cities in Germany that you can visit on a small budget while still exploring the excellence of the country.
So without further ado, let’s dive right in!
🇩🇪 When planning a trip to Germany, I recommend using:
✈️ Flights: Skyscanner
🏨 Hotels: Booking.com
💵 Hostels: Hostelworld
🗺 Tours & Activities: Viator and GetYourGuide
🚗 Car Rental: Discover Cars
🚌 Transport: Flixbus
🏥 Travel Insurance: Safetywing
📱E-SIM: Airalo
💻 VPN: Surfshark
Cheapest Cities In Germany
Although this post is titled the cheapest cities in Germany for travelling, if you are planning to move to Germany, the principles still apply and you can use this guide to find the right city for you!
Each city on this list is an incredible place to visit, and the quality of your trip certainly won’t be hindered by your small budget. Germany is the perfect country to visit on a budget.
The first of our affordable cities is…
1. Hamburg
Hamburg is a city in the northern region of Germany, very close to Denmark actually, one of Germany’s bordering countries.
Known for its harbour, Hamburg is a really picturesque place to visit. There are lots of landmarks to see such as Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, St. Michel’s Church and Speicherstadt. These landmarks make Hamburg worth visiting alone.
I can personally vouch for the affordability of Hamburg, as I visited Hamburg on a budget and only spent €200 for 4 days in the city. Of course, I say “only” acting like it’s not much money when it is, but compared to the hundreds or thousands other people spend on trips, it’s pretty good.

Hamburg is a city where your budget depends on what you want to do. I could have spent even less during my trip but I chose to visit some of the attractions like Miniatur Wunderland and Chocoversum. If you stick to free activities, you can get by in Hamburg on a shoestring budget.
Accommodation isn’t too bad, at about €60-80 per night for a private room. Of course, there are hostels too if you like to travel that way. After all, one of the biggest differences between a hotel and a hostel is the price.
That being said, if you are planning to move to Hamburg to live, I would move somewhere else. It’s stupidly difficult to get a house or flat, and there are 40,000 millionaires in Hamburg so the prices are all inflated.
But for tourists, another reason why Hamburg is so cheap is that you can walk pretty much everywhere, so you can save money on transport. The only time I used public transport in Hamburg was by getting the train from Hamburg Airport to Hamburg Hbf, the central station.

Flights to Hamburg are also always pretty cheap. I got return flights from Dublin for only €40. Food is also quite cheap too. If you are visiting Hamburg, head to a REWE market for some really cheap but absolutely delicious pastries and other food goods.
To summarise, Hamburg is pretty cheap to visit but there are so many things to see and do that you can have an unforgettable trip without splashing the cash. Definitely one of my top suggestions for the cheapest cities in Germany.
2. Dresden
Dresden is known to be one of the cheapest cities to visit in Germany, and also one of the cheapest cities when it comes to the cost of living too.
If you choose to visit Dresden, you will get to explore lots of extraordinary museums and art galleries. The Royal Palace is also extremely eye-catching.

The city carries a lot of history, as most of Dresden was destroyed during World War 2, meaning most of modern-day Dresden is relatively new.
Anyway, when it comes to price, Dresden is one of the cheapest cities in the country. You can find accommodation here for as low as €40 a night. Obviously, this isn’t going to be the best hotel you ever stay in, but you get what you pay for.
If you are a fan of statistics, Dresden is about 16% cheaper than the US for an average restaurant meal. Dresden is the least expensive meal or 2 in a midrange restaurant out of 58 cities in Western Europe. It can be hard to find cities cheap in Western Europe, but Dresden is definitely one of the best options.

There also isn’t an automatic 20% tip in Germany, tips aren’t mandatory and a tip of 10% is more common. Of course, it’s still a nice gesture to tip exceptional service, but tipping culture isn’t as big of a thing in Germany as it is in the Americas.
As I said, it’s one of the lowest costs of livings in Germany too. Rent in Dresden is nearly 75% cheaper than in London. That’s a huge difference.
So Dresden makes a great city for visiting on a budget, but also for living in Germany too. One of the cheapest cities in the country for sure.
3. Leipzig
Another of the cheapest cities in Germany is Leipzig. The eastern city is, similarly to Dresden, cheap to visit but also cheap to live in.
Flights to Leipzig are one of the cheapest factors. I regularly see flights on SkyScanner for less than €30 from Europe.

When it comes to things to do in Leipzig, one of the main attractions is Leipzig Zoo. Known to be one of the best zoos in the whole world. It makes for a really good day out.
Other things to see and do in Leipzig include St. Thomas Church and the Leipzig Panometer which is a 360° panorama with constantly changing exhibitions and projects.
Leipzig is nearly 50% cheaper than New York when it comes to living costs. Just think, if you are a New Yorker, your money will go twice as far in Leipzig as it will in the Big Apple. That’s food for thought if I’ve ever seen any.

Naturally, this low cost of living converts into lower prices for tourists too. There is an abundance of affordable hotels in Leipzig.
Leipzig also has a vibrant street food scene which plays into the low cost. Street food in Leipzig, the same as anywhere in the world, is much cheaper, and usually much tastier too as the food is more authentic.
It’s also one of the best cities for international students studying in Germany. The low costs combined with the excellent University make for an ideal student life.
All in all, Leipzig is affordable for living and visiting, and it’s also a really cool place to visit too. I would recommend it!
4. Bielefeld
A lesser-known city, but a beautiful one to visit is Bielefeld. Not to mention that it’s one of the cheapest cities in Germany too. It’s one of those cities that even though it is a city, has a small-town feel to it.
Biefeld is often regarded as the cheapest of all the cities by some people. Of course, it depends on where you like to place your budget.

In terms of accommodation for your trip, Bielefeld will undoubtedly provide some of the cheapest options you can find anywhere in Germany. It’s a really good city for affordable hotels, Airbnbs, hostels and more.
And in terms of things to do, a large majority of the most popular things to do in Bielefeld are either completely free or very cheap.
Like most cities in Germany, the city is filled with museums and exhibitions. Aside from these, Sparrenburg Castle is another popular sight to see. There are a lot of historical sights throughout Bielefeld too. Sparrenburg Castle, for example, is really cheap to enjoy.

For example, rent prices in Bielefeld are 75% cheaper than in New York. There’s only one way that I can think to describe that and that is “insane”.
You can see why Bielefeld is considered such a cheap place to visit. But as with all the cities on this list, the label of “cheap” doesn’t affect the experience of the city, it simply refers to the price. It’s an amazing place to visit.
5. Nuremberg
Germany is home to a number of expensive cities, but Nuremberg is not one of these. Nuremberg is a city that I like to describe as “charming”. It’s located in the Bavaria state, so it’s, of course, going to be charming.
As a city in Bavaria, it’s naturally filled with half-timbered houses which make the city so picturesque. Take a look!

There are lots of free things to do in Nuremberg which help to keep costs low, such as exploring the Old Town of Nuremberg, seeing some of the many churches and castles, and enjoying walks through its beautiful parks.
The accommodation in Nuremberg is also extremely cheap, for both tourists and residents. A one-room apartment in the city centre, for example, is only €700 per month.
It’s almost like a cheaper version of Amsterdam. And believe it or not, many people mistakenly believe Amsterdam is a German city. We both know it’s not, but Nuremberg is the next best thing!
As it’s in the Bavaria region, the city is quite similar to Munich but significantly cheaper. So if you have dreamed of a trip to Munich but don’t have a huge budget, Nuremberg is a fantastic alternative.

And yes, Oktoberfest is celebrated in Nuremberg and it’s a really good place to celebrate it too!
For a really traditional German city, yet still affordable, Nuremberg is the option for you.
6. Berlin
Despite being the capital city, Berlin is cheap to visit, relatively speaking. Compared to other capitals in Europe, it’s definitely one of the cheapest places.
Visiting the capital city of a country is always a different experience from visiting other cities. Even though Berlin may not be considered one of the cheapest cities in Germany, I have included it in this list as it’s considered a cheap capital city.
Berlin is filled with landmarks, it’s a city where you will do a lot of sightseeing. The Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate, etc. Sightseeing is completely free so you can have a great trip to Berlin without spending too much money on activities.

There’s a reason that Berlin attracts so many young people to move to the city, aside from the culture and art scene, it’s an affordable capital city to live in. Accommodation won’t break the bank, particularly if you find good neighbourhoods like Neukölln and Friedrichshain.
Berlin is also famous for its food scene. There are a large number of affordable places to eat that serve tasty and authentic German foods.
Oh and to get around Berlin, the public transport system is one of the best in the world and it’s pretty cheap too. You can get anywhere in the city for only a few Euros!

Although it’s not the cheapest on the list, Berlin is definitely a city to consider. It’s a city anyone visiting Germany should see, and it’s possible to visit on a budget too!
7. Hanover
Last but by no means least of these cheapest cities in Germany is Hanover. The northern city is widely known for its cheap prices both for visitors and locals.
The city also offers plenty of things to see for tourists, despite not being the most popular destination in the world. Herrenhäuser Gardens, the Market Church and the New Town Hall are some of the most popular attractions. Hanover is also known for its trade fairs.
You definitely aren’t short of things to do here, but the prices are also excellent too. In fact, compared to Hamburg, the first city on my list, Hanover is up to 30% cheaper when it comes to accommodation. So you can definitely find some bargains in Hanover!

It’s possible to visit Hanover without spending any money except on accommodation and food. There are so many free things to do there, as hinted at before, the city is filled with parks and gardens which make for some really peaceful and relaxing walks. It’s not often that you get this within a city.
Of course, as it’s in Germany, there is an abundance of museums and galleries too which offer free admission such as the Lower Saxony State Museum where you can see art and artefacts from the Middle Ages up to the 20th century. It’s a really good visit.
So if you are looking for a really affordable city break in Germany, Hanover is one of the best options without a doubt.
Cheapest Cities In Germany: FAQ
Below are some questions related to the cheapest cities in Germany along with my answers.
It’s hard to declare a single city as the cheapest as the cost of a trip or the cost of living varies between each individual. That being said, Bielefeld is often regarded as the cheapest city in Germany.
One of the best cities for students in Germany is Leipzig. The cost of living is low, making costs affordable and the university is also of an excellent standard.
Of course, it depends on where you are flying from, but the cheapest cities to fly to in Germany are usually Hamburg, Frankfurt, Leipzig and Cologne.
There are a number of affordable German cities, but for a one-off trip, Hamburg has to be one of the cheapest. Flights and accommodation are affordable, and most things in the city are free to do. And the food is pretty cheap too.
Cheapest Cities In Germany: Conclusion
And there you have it, a complete guide to the cheapest cities in Germany.
Whichever of these 7 cities you choose to visit, you are guaranteed to have a great trip all while keeping your bank account intact.
Enjoy your trip, Germany is a great country! 🙂
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