February
Berlinale
Berlin
International film festival. Cheap tickets for the public screenings.
Berlin
Berlin
The capital: start-ups, history, and the largest Arab community in Germany
Berlin is a city of 3.8 million people, and it runs on public transport. Rents have climbed fast, but food, culture and nightlife are still cheaper than in Munich or Hamburg. Sonnenallee in Neukölln has some of the best Arabic food in Europe, and the start-up scene makes internships in tech and design easier to find.
3 host universities
Study in Berlin
Each guide has campus videos, the GJU entry conditions, local prices and housing links.
Watch
Berlin on video
Travel guides, city walks and campus tours for every host city in Berlin.
Calendar
Festivals & events worth your weekend
Most are free to enter. With your semester ticket, getting there on regional trains costs nothing.
October
Festival of Lights
Berlin
Landmarks lit with projections. Free.
May/June (Pentecost)
Karneval der Kulturen
Kreuzberg
A multicultural street parade and food festival.
August
Long Night of Museums
Berlin
One ticket, dozens of museums, open until late.
Late Nov – Dec
Christmas markets
Gendarmenmarkt, Charlottenburg
More than 80 markets across the city.
Every city
Christmas markets
From late November, every town square in Germany fills with stalls, lights and roasted almonds. Look for halal crêpes and children's punch (non-alcoholic).
Explore
Things to do
History
Brandenburg Gate & Reichstag
Book the free Reichstag dome visit online.
History
East Side Gallery
The longest surviving piece of the Berlin Wall, covered in murals.
Museum
Museum Island
Five world-class museums. Students get reduced prices with ID.
Park
Tempelhofer Feld
A former airport turned into a giant park. Cycle on the runway.
Food
Sonnenallee
Arabic bakeries, shawarma, knafeh and Middle Eastern supermarkets.
Day trip
Potsdam
Sanssouci palace and gardens, 30 minutes by S-Bahn.
Prices
What things cost in Berlin
Rent changes most from city to city; everyday prices follow it a little. Pick a city to adjust the whole table.
*Estimate*Estimated cost. Prices are subject to change. Everyday prices are estimated ranges; fixed official fees are shown at their exact 2026 rate.
*Estimate*Estimated cost. Prices are subject to change. Everyday prices are estimated ranges; fixed official fees are shown at their exact 2026 rate.
| Item | Price in Berlin | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees & paperwork | ||
| Semester fee | €280–420 / semester | Set by each university and includes the €226.80 Deutschlandsemesterticket. Hochschule Schmalkalden: €331.80 for winter 2026/27. |
| Blocked account payout | €992 / month | Official 2026 amount for study visas: €11,904 for 12 months. Providers charge a one-off fee. |
| Public health insurance | €141.16 / month | TK student rate for 2026, under 23. From 23 without children: €146.29. Other public insurers differ by a few euros. |
| Visa (national D visa) | €75 once | Paid at the German embassy in Amman. |
| Residence permit | €100 once | First permit at the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde). Extending it by more than 3 months costs €93. |
| Broadcast fee (Rundfunkbeitrag) | €18.36 / month | Per flat, split among flatmates: €6.12 each with three. |
| Biometric photos | €11–16.50 once | Photo booth or drugstore (dm, Rossmann). |
| Housing extras | ||
| Deposit (Kaution) | €300–1,500 once | Dorms usually a few hundred euros; private flats up to 3 months of cold rent. |
| Home internet | €11–35 / month | Dorm LAN is sometimes extra, or split a WG contract. |
| Furniture & kitchen basics | €55–220 once | Kleinanzeigen, IKEA, leftovers from outgoing students. |
| Bedding & towels | €45–90 once | IKEA, Primark, TK Maxx. |
| Household liability insurance | €3.50–6.50 / month | Haftpflicht: cheap and strongly recommended. |
| Food & groceries | ||
| Groceries | €165–255 / month | Cooking at home, shopping at Aldi, Lidl, Netto, Penny and Kaufland. |
| Mensa main meal | €2.80–5.50 / meal | Student price with your student card. |
| Bread rolls (Brötchen) | €0.40–0.90 / piece | Supermarket rolls are cheaper than bakery ones. |
| Halal chicken (1 kg) | €7.50–12 / kg | Turkish or Arabic supermarkets. |
| Rice (1 kg) | €1.70–3.50 / kg | Basmati costs more. |
| Hummus / tahini jar | €2.20–4.50 / jar | Arabic shops and big supermarkets. |
| Milk (1 L) | €1.10–1.40 / litre | |
| Eggs (10) | €2.80–4 / pack | |
| Eating out & drinks | ||
| Döner / falafel | €7.50–10 / meal | The student staple. |
| Pizza in a restaurant | €10–15.50 / meal | |
| Restaurant main course | €14.50–24 / meal | |
| Shawarma plate | €11–16.50 / meal | Arabic restaurants in bigger cities. |
| Coffee / cappuccino | €2.80–5 / cup | Cheaper in the Mensa café. |
| Soft drink / juice in a café | €3.50–5 / glass | |
| Water bottle (supermarket) | €0.30–0.90 / bottle | Plus a small deposit you get back. Tap water is safe to drink. |
| Ice cream scoop | €2–2.80 / scoop | |
| Transport | ||
| Regional trains & buses, all Germany | €0 extra | The Deutschlandsemesterticket is part of the semester fee at almost every host university: €226.80 a semester (€37.80 a month) from winter 2026/27. |
| Deutschlandticket (no semester ticket) | €63 / month | Only if your university has no semester ticket. Monthly subscription, cancel any month. |
| My BahnCard 25 (under 27) | €39.90 / year | 25% off ICE and IC tickets, 2nd class. Cancel at least 6 weeks before the year ends, or it renews. |
| ICE / IC long-distance train | €18–80 / trip | Book early for Sparpreis tickets. |
| FlixBus to big cities | €10–35 / trip | |
| Used bike | €90–220 once | Kleinanzeigen or university bike markets. Buy a good lock. |
| E-scooter ride | €3.50–6.50 / ride | Lime, Tier and Voi in bigger cities. |
| Taxi (5 km) | €16.50–24 / ride | |
| Flight to Amman (return) | €220–480 / return | From Frankfurt, Berlin or Munich. Book 2–3 months ahead. |
| Services & phone | ||
| Prepaid SIM with data | €8–15 / month | Aldi Talk, Lidl Connect, Congstar, Fraenk. |
| Bank account | €0–6 / month | Online banks (N26, DKB, C24) are usually free. |
| Haircut | €16.50–27.50 / cut | Barbers are often cheaper. |
| Laundry (dorm machine) | €1.70–3.50 / wash | |
| Printing (per page) | €0.05–0.10 / page | University printers with your student card. |
| Doctor visit | €0 / visit | Covered by public health insurance. Bring your card. |
| Prescription medicine | €5–10 / item | Co-payment set by law: 10% of the price, at least €5 and at most €10 per item. |
| Gyms & sport | ||
| University sports courses | €0–30 / semester | Football, volleyball, climbing, fitness: often free or almost free. |
| Budget gym (McFit, FitX, clever fit) | €22–40 / month | Check the contract length and sign-up fee. |
| Public swimming pool | €3.50–6.50 / entry | Student discount with ID. |
| Climbing / bouldering hall | €11–16.50 / entry | |
| Football boots / sports gear | €35–90 once | Decathlon is the budget choice. |
| Fun & activities | ||
| Cinema | €9–14.50 / ticket | Cheaper on discount days (often Tue or Wed). |
| Museum | €4.50–11 / entry | Student prices with ID; many museums are free on certain days. |
| Castle / palace visit | €5.50–16.50 / entry | |
| Bundesliga football ticket | €16.50–50 / ticket | Standing tickets are cheapest. Book early. |
| Escape room / bowling | €13–27.50 / person | |
| Student party entry | €3.50–11 / entry | |
| Christmas market snack | €3.50–6.50 / item | Roasted almonds, crêpes, children's punch. |
| Weekend trip (hostel + food) | €65–165 / trip | Travel is free on regional trains with your ticket. |
| Clothes & seasonal | ||
| Winter jacket | €65–165 once | You will need it from November to March. |
| Winter boots | €45–110 once | Waterproof. Snow and slush are common. |
| Rain jacket / umbrella | €16.50–65 once | |
| Toiletries & drugstore | €27.50–45 / month | dm and Rossmann. |
Housing
Dorms and trusted housing sites
Student dorms run by the Studierendenwerk are the cheapest option and include bills. Apply the day applications open.
Official student housing
Studierendenwerke in Berlin
Search by city
WG rooms and private flats
WG-GesuchtMost usedThe main shared-flat portal in Germany. Turn on email alerts and message fast.KleinanzeigenClassifieds for rooms, sublets, bikes and cheap furniture.ImmoScout24The largest listing site for flats. Landlords often ask for a SCHUFA credit report.ImmoweltThe second big listing site for flats.Studenten-WG.deStudent-only room listings.WG-Suche.deA smaller WG portal, worth checking in smaller towns.HousingAnywherePayment protectionBook a room from Amman with payment protection. Prices are higher; few listings in small towns.
Quick dorm search for each host city
Avoid scams. Never send a deposit before you have seen the room in person or on a live video call. A "landlord abroad" who will post you the keys is always a scam. More housing advice
Internship semester
Internships in Berlin
Employers in Berlin that take interns in engineering, business and computer science. Click a company to search its current openings.
Siemens Energy
Berlin
Gas turbine plant in Moabit.
Engineering
BMW Motorrad
Berlin-Spandau
Motorcycle production.
Engineering
Deutsche Bahn
Berlin
Germany's railway: projects, infrastructure and IT.
Business
Bayer Pharmaceuticals
Berlin
Pharma research and business functions.
Business
Zalando
Berlin
E-commerce tech, data and product roles in English.
Computer Science
Delivery Hero
Berlin
Food delivery platform, English-speaking teams.
Computer Science
N26 & Trade Republic
Berlin
Fintech start-ups with English-speaking teams.
Computer Science
HelloFresh
Berlin
Operations, supply chain and analytics.
Business
Career fairs
- Each semesterbonding BerlinBerlin
- Each semester (dates vary by city)bonding company fairsAachen, Berlin, Bochum, Braunschweig, Dresden, Erlangen, Hamburg, Kaiserslautern, Karlsruhe, Magdeburg, Munich, StuttgartFree student-run engineering and IT fairs.
- All yearVDI Recruiting TagMany citiesEngineering recruiting days by the Association of German Engineers.
- Usually once or twice a yearYour host university's FirmenkontaktmesseOn campusAlmost every university runs its own company fair. Ask the career service on day one.
Cultural survival map
Halal food, mosques & airports
Find halal butchers, Turkish and Arab supermarkets and mosques in each host city, plus the budget airports nearby.
Berlin
Open in Google MapsNearest budget airports
- BERBerlin Brandenburg FlightsRyanaireasyJetWizz AirEurowingsOne of Germany's biggest budget hubs; regional trains included in your ticket
Your Deutschlandsemesterticket covers the regional trains to most of these airports. What the ticket covers
Daily life
Living in Berlin
Getting around
BVG and S-Bahn (zones A–C). U-Bahn and S-Bahn run all night on weekends.
Weather
Continental: hot summers, grey and cold winters, little snow.
Halal food & community
The largest Arab community in Germany. Neukölln and Wedding have halal restaurants, butchers and many mosques. Jordanian and Palestinian student groups are active.
Local food to try
Currywurst · Döner kebab (Berlin claims to have invented it) · Arabic food on Sonnenallee · Berliner Pfannkuchen
Tip from past students
Register your address (Anmeldung) early. Bürgeramt appointments in Berlin can take weeks, so check the booking site every morning for cancellations.
Next region
Brandenburg
