Late Nov – 24 Dec
Striezelmarkt
Dresden
Germany's oldest Christmas market, since 1434.
Sachsen
Saxony
Baroque Dresden, creative Leipzig, and the cheapest big-city rents in Germany
Saxony mixes grand culture with low prices. Dresden is a baroque capital, and Leipzig is young, creative and growing fast. Chemnitz, Zwickau, Freiberg and Mittweida are affordable engineering towns. "Silicon Saxony" has microchip makers such as Infineon, GlobalFoundries and Bosch, plus VW and BMW plants.
7 host universities
Study in Saxony
Each guide has campus videos, the GJU entry conditions, local prices and housing links.
SN · 09648Hochschule Mittweida
Mittweida · Saxony
German B1
Open guide 
SN · 01069HTW Dresden
Dresden · Saxony
about €150 extra fees
Open guide 
SN · 04277HTWK Leipzig
Leipzig · Saxony
German B2
Open guide 
SN · 04109Leipzig University
Leipzig · Saxony
No extra conditions listed
Open guide 
SN · 09599TU Bergakademie Freiberg
Freiberg · Saxony
GPA > 80%
Open guide 
SN · 09111TU Chemnitz
Chemnitz · Saxony
No extra conditions listed
Open guide 
SN · 08056Westsächsische Hochschule Zwickau
Zwickau · Saxony
No extra conditions listed
Open guide Watch
Saxony on video
Travel guides, city walks and campus tours for every host city in Saxony.
Calendar
Festivals & events worth your weekend
Most are free to enter. With your semester ticket, getting there on regional trains costs nothing.
March
Leipzig Book Fair
Leipzig
Readings across the whole city.
June
Bachfest
Leipzig
Classical music festival.
December
Ore Mountain Christmas
Erzgebirge
Wooden toys, light arches and miners' parades.
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
Church
Frauenkirche, Dresden
Rebuilt after the war, the symbol of reconciliation.
Nature
Saxon Switzerland
Sandstone cliffs and the Bastei bridge over the Elbe.
City
Leipzig
Bach's city, with arcades, lakes and a big alternative scene.
Museum
Zwinger & Green Vault
Royal treasures and world-class paintings.
Prices
What things cost in Saxony
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 Dresden | 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 | €10–15 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 | €10–30 / month | Dorm LAN is sometimes extra, or split a WG contract. |
| Furniture & kitchen basics | €50–200 once | Kleinanzeigen, IKEA, leftovers from outgoing students. |
| Bedding & towels | €40–80 once | IKEA, Primark, TK Maxx. |
| Household liability insurance | €3–6 / month | Haftpflicht: cheap and strongly recommended. |
| Food & groceries | ||
| Groceries | €150–230 / month | Cooking at home, shopping at Aldi, Lidl, Netto, Penny and Kaufland. |
| Mensa main meal | €2.50–5 / meal | Student price with your student card. |
| Bread rolls (Brötchen) | €0.40–0.80 / piece | Supermarket rolls are cheaper than bakery ones. |
| Halal chicken (1 kg) | €7–11 / kg | Turkish or Arabic supermarkets. |
| Rice (1 kg) | €1.50–3 / kg | Basmati costs more. |
| Hummus / tahini jar | €2–4 / jar | Arabic shops and big supermarkets. |
| Milk (1 L) | €1–1.30 / litre | |
| Eggs (10) | €2.50–3.50 / pack | |
| Eating out & drinks | ||
| Döner / falafel | €7–9 / meal | The student staple. |
| Pizza in a restaurant | €9–14 / meal | |
| Restaurant main course | €13–22 / meal | |
| Shawarma plate | €10–15 / meal | Arabic restaurants in bigger cities. |
| Coffee / cappuccino | €2.50–4.50 / cup | Cheaper in the Mensa café. |
| Soft drink / juice in a café | €3–4.50 / glass | |
| Water bottle (supermarket) | €0.30–0.80 / bottle | Plus a small deposit you get back. Tap water is safe to drink. |
| Ice cream scoop | €1.80–2.50 / 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 | €80–200 once | Kleinanzeigen or university bike markets. Buy a good lock. |
| E-scooter ride | €3–6 / ride | Lime, Tier and Voi in bigger cities. |
| Taxi (5 km) | €15–22 / 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 | €15–25 / cut | Barbers are often cheaper. |
| Laundry (dorm machine) | €1.50–3 / 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) | €20–35 / month | Check the contract length and sign-up fee. |
| Public swimming pool | €3–6 / entry | Student discount with ID. |
| Climbing / bouldering hall | €10–15 / entry | |
| Football boots / sports gear | €30–80 once | Decathlon is the budget choice. |
| Fun & activities | ||
| Cinema | €8–13 / ticket | Cheaper on discount days (often Tue or Wed). |
| Museum | €4–10 / entry | Student prices with ID; many museums are free on certain days. |
| Castle / palace visit | €5–15 / entry | |
| Bundesliga football ticket | €15–45 / ticket | Standing tickets are cheapest. Book early. |
| Escape room / bowling | €12–25 / person | |
| Student party entry | €3–10 / entry | |
| Christmas market snack | €3–6 / item | Roasted almonds, crêpes, children's punch. |
| Weekend trip (hostel + food) | €60–150 / trip | Travel is free on regional trains with your ticket. |
| Clothes & seasonal | ||
| Winter jacket | €60–150 once | You will need it from November to March. |
| Winter boots | €40–100 once | Waterproof. Snow and slush are common. |
| Rain jacket / umbrella | €15–60 once | |
| Toiletries & drugstore | €25–40 / 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 Saxony
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.
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 Saxony
Employers in Saxony that take interns in engineering, business and computer science. Click a company to search its current openings.
Volkswagen Sachsen
Zwickau / Dresden
Electric-car production, next to WHZ Zwickau.
Engineering
BMW & Porsche
Leipzig
Car plants.
Engineering
Infineon & GlobalFoundries
Dresden
Microchip production ("Silicon Saxony").
Engineering
Bosch
Dresden
Semiconductor fab.
Engineering
DHL Hub Leipzig
Leipzig
DHL's largest air hub.
Business
SAP
Dresden
Software development centre.
Computer Science
Career fairs
- Each semesterbonding DresdenDresden
- 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.
Nearest budget airports
- LEJLeipzig/Halle FlightsRyanairEurowingsS-Bahn from Leipzig
- DRSDresden FlightsEurowingsS-Bahn S2 from the centre
- PRGPrague (Czechia) FlightsRyanairWizz AirAbout 2 h from Dresden
- BERBerlin Brandenburg FlightsRyanaireasyJetWizz AirMost budget routes
Your Deutschlandsemesterticket covers the regional trains to most of these airports. What the ticket covers
Daily life
Living in Saxony
Getting around
MDV (Leipzig), VVO (Dresden), VMS (Chemnitz/Zwickau).
Weather
Continental: warm summers, cold winters with snow in the Ore Mountains.
Halal food & community
Leipzig (Eisenbahnstraße) and Dresden have Arab shops, halal food and mosques. In smaller towns choose carefully, and connect with international student groups.
Local food to try
Dresdner Christstollen · Leipziger Lerche (pastry) · Eierschecke cake · Quarkkäulchen
Tip from past students
Leipzig and Dresden give you big-city life at small-town prices. Many GJU students save money here.
Next region
Saxony-Anhalt
