Illustration of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Baltic beaches, chalk cliffs and a thousand lakes

Germany's holiday coast. Stralsund is a UNESCO Hanseatic town at the gateway to Rügen island, and Neubrandenburg sits in the Mecklenburg Lake District. It is quiet, very affordable and beautiful in summer, but the towns are small, so expect a slower pace and fewer English speakers.

Host universities
2
Host cities
2
Capital
Schwerin
Rent level
Low

2 host universities

Study in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Each guide has campus videos, the GJU entry conditions, local prices and housing links.

Watch

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on video

Travel guides, city walks and campus tours for every host city in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Calendar

Festivals & events worth your weekend

Most are free to enter. With your semester ticket, getting there on regional trains costs nothing.

August

Hanse Sail

Rostock

Tall ships and harbour festivities.

July

Stralsund Wallensteintage

Stralsund

Historical re-enactment and city festival.

Jun – Aug

Baltic summer

Coast

Beach season. Water is cold but swimmable in July.

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

UNESCO

Stralsund old town

Brick Gothic churches and the Ozeaneum sea museum.

Island

Rügen

The chalk cliffs of Jasmund National Park and long beaches.

Lakes

Müritz National Park

Germany's largest lake district. Canoe and camp.

Castle

Schwerin Castle

A fairy-tale palace on an island.

Prices

What things cost in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

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.

Fees & paperwork
Semester fee€280–420 / semesterSet by each university and includes the €226.80 Deutschlandsemesterticket. Hochschule Schmalkalden: €331.80 for winter 2026/27.
Blocked account payout€992 / monthOfficial 2026 amount for study visas: €11,904 for 12 months. Providers charge a one-off fee.
Public health insurance€141.16 / monthTK 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 oncePaid at the German embassy in Amman.
Residence permit€100 onceFirst permit at the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde). Extending it by more than 3 months costs €93.
Broadcast fee (Rundfunkbeitrag)€18.36 / monthPer flat, split among flatmates: €6.12 each with three.
Biometric photos€9–13.50 oncePhoto booth or drugstore (dm, Rossmann).
Housing extras
Deposit (Kaution)€300–1,500 onceDorms usually a few hundred euros; private flats up to 3 months of cold rent.
Home internet€9–27 / monthDorm LAN is sometimes extra, or split a WG contract.
Furniture & kitchen basics€45–180 onceKleinanzeigen, IKEA, leftovers from outgoing students.
Bedding & towels€35–70 onceIKEA, Primark, TK Maxx.
Household liability insurance€2.70–5.50 / monthHaftpflicht: cheap and strongly recommended.
Food & groceries
Groceries€135–205 / monthCooking at home, shopping at Aldi, Lidl, Netto, Penny and Kaufland.
Mensa main meal€2.30–4.50 / mealStudent price with your student card.
Bread rolls (Brötchen)€0.40–0.70 / pieceSupermarket rolls are cheaper than bakery ones.
Halal chicken (1 kg)€6.50–10 / kgTurkish or Arabic supermarkets.
Rice (1 kg)€1.40–2.70 / kgBasmati costs more.
Hummus / tahini jar€1.80–3.50 / jarArabic shops and big supermarkets.
Milk (1 L)€0.90–1.20 / litre
Eggs (10)€2.30–3 / pack
Eating out & drinks
Döner / falafel€6.50–8 / mealThe student staple.
Pizza in a restaurant€8–12.50 / meal
Restaurant main course€11.50–20 / meal
Shawarma plate€9–13.50 / mealArabic restaurants in bigger cities.
Coffee / cappuccino€2.30–4 / cupCheaper in the Mensa café.
Soft drink / juice in a café€2.70–4 / glass
Water bottle (supermarket)€0.30–0.70 / bottlePlus a small deposit you get back. Tap water is safe to drink.
Ice cream scoop€1.60–2.30 / scoop
Transport
Regional trains & buses, all Germany€0 extraThe 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 / monthOnly if your university has no semester ticket. Monthly subscription, cancel any month.
My BahnCard 25 (under 27)€39.90 / year25% 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 / tripBook early for Sparpreis tickets.
FlixBus to big cities€10–35 / trip
Used bike€70–180 onceKleinanzeigen or university bike markets. Buy a good lock.
E-scooter ride€2.70–5.50 / rideLime, Tier and Voi in bigger cities.
Taxi (5 km)€13.50–20 / ride
Flight to Amman (return)€220–480 / returnFrom Frankfurt, Berlin or Munich. Book 2–3 months ahead.
Services & phone
Prepaid SIM with data€8–15 / monthAldi Talk, Lidl Connect, Congstar, Fraenk.
Bank account€0–6 / monthOnline banks (N26, DKB, C24) are usually free.
Haircut€13.50–22.50 / cutBarbers are often cheaper.
Laundry (dorm machine)€1.40–2.70 / wash
Printing (per page)€0.05–0.10 / pageUniversity printers with your student card.
Doctor visit€0 / visitCovered by public health insurance. Bring your card.
Prescription medicine€5–10 / itemCo-payment set by law: 10% of the price, at least €5 and at most €10 per item.
Gyms & sport
University sports courses€0–30 / semesterFootball, volleyball, climbing, fitness: often free or almost free.
Budget gym (McFit, FitX, clever fit)€18–30 / monthCheck the contract length and sign-up fee.
Public swimming pool€2.70–5.50 / entryStudent discount with ID.
Climbing / bouldering hall€9–13.50 / entry
Football boots / sports gear€27–70 onceDecathlon is the budget choice.
Fun & activities
Cinema€7–11.50 / ticketCheaper on discount days (often Tue or Wed).
Museum€3.50–9 / entryStudent prices with ID; many museums are free on certain days.
Castle / palace visit€4.50–13.50 / entry
Bundesliga football ticket€13.50–40 / ticketStanding tickets are cheapest. Book early.
Escape room / bowling€11–22.50 / person
Student party entry€2.70–9 / entry
Christmas market snack€2.70–5.50 / itemRoasted almonds, crêpes, children's punch.
Weekend trip (hostel + food)€55–135 / tripTravel is free on regional trains with your ticket.
Clothes & seasonal
Winter jacket€55–135 onceYou will need it from November to March.
Winter boots€35–90 onceWaterproof. Snow and slush are common.
Rain jacket / umbrella€13.50–55 once
Toiletries & drugstore€22.50–35 / monthdm 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.

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 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Employers in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern that take interns in engineering, business and computer science. Click a company to search its current openings.
Internship hub

Career fairs

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.
Open in Google Maps

Nearest budget airports

  • HAMHamburg FlightsRyanaireasyJetEurowingsAbout 3 h by train
  • BERBerlin Brandenburg FlightsRyanaireasyJetWizz AirAbout 2.5–3 h by train

Your Deutschlandsemesterticket covers the regional trains to most of these airports. What the ticket covers

Daily life

Living in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Getting around

Regional trains to Rostock, Greifswald and Berlin (Stralsund to Berlin is about 3 h).

Weather

Windy coast; cool, sunny summers and grey winters.

Halal food & community

Halal options are limited. Rostock and Greifswald have small mosques and Arab shops. Bring spices from home and order online.

Local food to try

Fresh Baltic fish · Fischbrötchen · Sanddorn (sea buckthorn) products

Tip from past students

Summer is magical here. Plan beach weekends before the semester gets busy.

Next region

Lower Saxony