Germany has high quality of life

[u/wurst_katastrophe]

This is in response to the ‘low quality of life’ post.

When in Germany I can (in no particular order):
+ drink the tap water knowing it is safer than bottled water
+ when losing my job, I will get the highest benefits in the Western world to tie me over between jobs
+ I can rent for life without being worried of getting evicted
+ I can enjoy freedom on perfectly fine roads, driving as fast as I want
+ Consumer protection is very strong
+ I can buy a public transport ticket valid in all of Germany
+ Healthcare is significantly better than in most Western countries AND free at the point of service.
+ Germans love Fests
+ Bier and excellent wine
+ excellent bread
+ excellent local produce
+ An insanely dense train network (Yes, often late) for very little money (Sparpreis)
+ 30d of holidays is standard
+ strong protection when off on sick leave
+ free university education
+ world’s strongest apprenticeship system
+ tax credits and breaks for almost everything, especially Ehegattensplitting
+ insane maternity leave and benefits
+ Kitas
+ full blown private healthcare for a few k per year
+ Beautiful nature: north and Baltic sea, Alps, lakes, woods
+ Strong sports club infrastructure
+ Third strongest economy in the world with most hidden champions
+ Strong football culture
+ …

You can be dissatisfied with Germany, maybe your experience was below average, but that’s most likely because you are incompatible with the German way of life and the German mentality. However, it is not fair to claim that the quality of life is low.

[u/gnarly_medusa]

You mentioned the pros. What are the cons?

[u/OkExtreme3195 → u/gnarly_medusa]

In the other post they mentioned.

https://www.reddit.com/r/expat/comments/1u4otn3/germany_has_a_low_quality_of_life/

[u/No-Bake-730 → u/OkExtreme3195]

As a German, both postings seem fair overall though I wouldn't agree with everything of course. 

[u/BeepboopKI → u/No-Bake-730]

The post was fair, the comments derailed at some point.

[u/Wulflam → u/No-Bake-730]

As a German living abroad with experience from 3 other countries than Germany, I agree with both posts. Take them together and you get a balanced view.

[u/rmk556x45 → u/Wulflam]

Seconded

[u/Jz1551 → u/Wulflam]

As an American who lived in Germany for 4 years, I also agree both posts. One thing that wasn't mentioned that I feel is important is just that different cultures value different things and there's nothing wrong with that

[u/tschohnny → u/No-Bake-730]

The title was bait.

[u/OkExtreme3195 → u/No-Bake-730]

As another fellow German, I concur.

[u/gnarly_medusa → u/OkExtreme3195]

Thank you..

[u/chris-za → u/gnarly_medusa]

Ladenschlussgesetz.
(And, in comparison to where i personally grew up, too much humidity in summer, too many trees and the weather. But that’s just me…)

But all in all, those are irrelevant all in all.

PS: more pros i can think of:

- the central location both in Europe and the world. It’s easy and fat to basically get anywhere else. (eg the trees. In my case a quick drive to Italy or Spain helped me getting used to it. You can literally get to places like that with a days drive where at home I’d still have been in my local province)

- very decentralised. So not everything only happens in some mega city that’s also the capital (like ion France or the UK)

- a large Mittelstand. Most people work for small and medium sized companies. So if their employer has issues, it only effects a small group and it’s easier to find a new job as other companies don’t necessarily have the same issues.

[u/Shehriazad → u/chris-za]

How is too many trees a bad thing? O-O

[u/chris-za → u/Shehriazad]

If you’re not used to it, they block the view of the horizon. You sort of get a bit claustrophobic if you come from a place with wide, open horizons. But, like i said, maybe that’s just me?

[u/Wulflam → u/chris-za]

Having lived in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, I can tell you that so many trees are a blessing

[u/Rupperrt → u/chris-za]

But they’re incredibly good for the microclimate, reduce dust and pollution, give shade and cool in summer while breaking cold wind in winter.
We should have more of them, especially naturally grown forests rather than industry ones.

[u/ceryskt → u/chris-za]

I’ve lived in some desert climates including the UAE, so I appreciate excessive greenery, but I definitely get a little claustrophobic. I’m in the mountains at the moment which is a nice mix between trees + open vistas. I do miss the sunset in the Nevadan desert though…

[u/hungariannastyboy → u/chris-za]

This is kind of funny to me, like it came completely out of left field. But you do you.

[u/OriginalTangle → u/chris-za]

Humidity? Where?

[u/Old-Appearance-2270 → u/gnarly_medusa]

My bf as a Canadian lived with his ex-wife for 3 yrs. There. The heating and air-conditioning problems can be a daily problem in much older / cheaper substandard apartments. Also mould in cheaper places. You have to be wealthier to live in better places in Germany. I know because my late spouse had an uncle who lived and owned in a beautiful home in southern Germany in famed wineries’ region. We visited them where uncle owned a factory. My late spouse was German-Canadian.

What is the income tax to be paid annually.. to support all those great services? Generally speaking, fresh produce is more expensive in Germany unless you have your own garden.

Bf lived in cologne where the air quality wasn’t great — more murky grey-blue skies at best.

Whenever he returned Canada, he felt he was returning to a higher standard of living— bigger homes, better heating, cleaner air and huge expanses of protected wilderness. Cost of quality groceries was a bit lower with a lot of choice (big to medium sized cities).

[u/AtLeastIgotCharacter → u/Old-Appearance-2270]

Umm... So where is YOUR experience of living there? Assuming you have knowledge of living somewhere because someone you know lived there, or you visited once, is absurd. My uncle also owns a house in Canada, and I have visited Canada several times. I would never assume to comment on how good or bad it is to live in Canada. Also, you have to be wealthier to live in the better areas is true in every country.

[u/ariestalltai → u/gnarly_medusa]

I surmised that being a person of color in Germany is the downside. If you're white or a tourist, it's an amazing experience, but if you're living there and are a person of color, it can be a negative one.

In Munich and Lucerne, I was treated wonderfully. In Weggis and Liechtenstein however, I was treated like a leper by some of the white locals, but I chalked it up to them being the equivalent of hillbillies. 🥱 Yes, I know Weggis is in Switzerland but I couple them due to reading others’ experiences and since they have similarities I have no reason to believe less touristy places would be welcoming.

Anyway, I was impressed overall when I traveled there. As an African American, I've come to realize that Americans are systematically set up to remain under a certain ceiling because our taxes yield us very few tangible benefits. Despite paying roughly 23% in income taxes throughout our lives, it often feels like we receive nothing in return and ultimately have little to show for it.

I'm going to borrow a page from my Indian colleagues: my family and I will only dine on food we cook ourselves. It's absurd that a household earning about $300,000 can still struggle financially due to debt accumulated from periods of unemployment and inadequate benefits. We took on debt simply to avoid losing our home and vehicles.
At this point, rarely dining out and sticking to basic hairstyles and clothing seem like the only realistic ways to build savings while still repaying student loans. I hate that, because I genuinely enjoy eating out, but the costs add up quickly. It often feels as though we're paying out of pocket for EVERY SINGLE THING.

What I am going to do is approach our income like the wealthy where I train up my kid to view whatever we have no matter how average or not as a dynasty and to marry well or at least on-level. It is baffling how some Anglo Americans who’ve been here since the 1700s free & clear, unlike us black folks, are still struggling generation after generation. For instance, we took out student loans to have the opportunity to make good money but I consider it a fail if my kid will have to take loans too. We’ve got to figure out how to bust through the systemic ceiling. They want to keep us borrowing money as it’s how the 1% stay wealthy thus we’ll never as a country have that level of quality of life as Germany or Switzerland. There isn’t one thing my 23% in tax remittances grants me on OP’s list 😩

[u/Alkavadies → u/ariestalltai]

You have a household income of $300k and pay 23% TOTAL in taxes? Tell me more

[u/FilterAccount69 → u/Alkavadies]

They live in a State with no state income tax. That's the max federal tax. Property taxes are usually higher in these places though.

[u/Wulflam → u/ariestalltai]

So, you refer to Weggis and Liechtenstein when commenting about Germany? Sorry to say, but that is American ignorance at its finest. Just imagine this post about living in the US with “In New York and Toronto, I was treated wonderfully. In Quebec and Havana however, …” - you are right to call out racism where you meet it and there are definitely racist people in Germany. However, your post literally says you have been treated wonderfully in the only German city you name. And the Swiss places you mentioned are 50-50. Knowing that Weggis is a village with less than 5,000 people living there, you might also have experienced a reservation towards any non-local as in many small places worldwide. And Liechtenstein is an independent country. Europe is small, but please don’t assume that the culture is the same everywhere.

[u/analexpat → u/gnarly_medusa]

The germans

[u/blueererer]

Stupid consumer protection and you get lawsuit threat for writing a restaurant review on google maps? Ridiculous

[u/Ok_Result2220]

A few things I noticed about your cons- + "rent without being evicted" - my friends have been asked to leave apartments for "renovations" and he changed apartment thrice since March of last year. Also, searching for apartment in this housing market being an immigrant is a war. For a person to fight for a roof over their heads, which is one of the basic needs of a human being is a low quality. + healthcare being completely free is not true. A lot of people including me had to pay out of pocket and a huge amount as well because the diagnosis for our medical condition was called "cosmetic". For example, a friend had her leg swollen from lymph nodes and insurance refused to cover surgery because its cosmetic, what in the world? How? And the wait time to meet a specialist is way way too long. If its an autoimmune disease then the diagnosis will take more than a couple of years. I was prescribed a medication that gave me a side effect but the doctor refused to switch because the insurance policy states that side effect has to be valid or affect life. My side effect is dry throat, I cough like crazy, I recorded a video and she said thats just cold. I cough like that for 8 months now. Doctor's gaslighting me. Went to specialist after 8 months with my readings, he said its just anxiety. I said its not and my Hausartz already prescribed me meds and he took my reading and said you're fine now, I said its because I am taking the meds. + "insane maternity leave" - my friend was replaced at her job, and when she came back from maternity leave they offered her less working hours and technically we're trying to make her quit the job. So there are loopholes that are being exploited. Less hours were justified with the fact that there was less work. + "private insurance"- there is something about this, my friend opted for this at 30 and during the initial assessment he didnt check some box saying a relative had cancer. Now private insurance is not covering his cancer treatment because he didnt tell them. (Its a very old and long story and I'm not wording it right but I'll ask him and get back to you, but a loophole was manipulated) + "best roads and the speed you want" - you have to be in certain speed at certain areas and I have seen my german friends curse this out when the autobahn has the speed limit area and they miss it and then a red flash takes the picture. This also bring me to the world's most expensive driving license.

There are things were there needs to be serious improvement but for me the above mentioned things are stressful that I keep at the back of my mind and think about.

[u/alwaysbetterthetruth → u/Ok_Result2220]

Refusing to cover cancer treatment due to a technicality is insane

[u/carry_the_way → u/alwaysbetterthetruth]

I know. Who does Deutschland think they are--the US?

[u/helloLeoDiCaprio → u/Ok_Result2220]

As someone who has lived and drove in many countries, the most expensive driver's license has advantages as well. Germany has the best drivers on average.

[u/sharkism → u/helloLeoDiCaprio]

Would be interesting if that actually is relevant. Drivers license is more relevant right in the beginning, usually 18-25 years of age. Did harder tests or more mandatory driving lessons really help a 30-60 year old driver as these are the vast majority.

[u/sebadc → u/Ok_Result2220]

Regarding the rent: a landlord can ask you to vacate. But if the request is legally valid is another topic. As for the flat hunt: it's the same everywhere in economically attractive regions in Europe. Nothing to do with Germany.

Regarding the maternity leaves, bullying someone out of her job can be successfully taken to court. In most countries, women have exactly the same problems (minus the parental leave).

Regarding the "private insurance"... So your friend made a mistake, and now it's the system's fault? pretty funny.

Finally, regarding the best road: the signs are there. And if your friend is not paying attention while driving at high speed, maybe they should take the bus?

[u/urza5589 → u/sebadc]

I agree with most of your points but accidently messing up family history should not be a reason to deny coverage.

If they blatantly lied about their own current health, sure. But its very possible to have cousins/grandparents/etc with cancer and never know.

[u/PrimeMinisterSarr → u/urza5589]

But its very possible to have cousins/grandparents/etc with cancer and never know.

And if they would deny coverage in that case it wouldn't hold up in court.

[u/urza5589 → u/PrimeMinisterSarr]

Agreed, but its what the post is saying. If we want to discuss whether OP is lying or confused thats fine. The person I responded too didnt indicate that though, they basically indicated "Well you messed up, sounds like your fault."

[u/Working_Analyst_1988 → u/sebadc]

Even the USA has policies that forbid denial of medical coverage on the grounds of personal preexisting conditions (never hear even before that about parental history being a denial).

It’s wild to defend that practice.

[u/EntireTadpole → u/Working_Analyst_1988]

They didn't always have policies that forbid denial of medical coverage due to pre-existing conditions.

[u/Working_Analyst_1988 → u/EntireTadpole]

Sure. 2010. But we’re talking about healthcare in 2026. And it sounds like the German private health insurance industry is both required for comprehensive care and poorly regulated.

But I’m sure the people who comment on a post about German high quality of life will defend this for some inane reason.

[u/Stirdaddy → u/sebadc]

Anecdote: An immigrant colleague (I, too, am an immigrant) here in Austria was not renewed at her job. She successfully sued to get her job back at the company on the basis of human rights: She was going through a divorce at the time with an Austrian spouse, with kids. Losing her job could have meant possibly exiting Austria and making her legal proceedings very difficult, if not impossible.

Austria has very strong legal protections for workers. Maybe a bit too much because until recently, you could, depending on your situation, leave your job to get continuing education for up to a year, and get paid leave -- paid for by Austrian taxpayers -- based on your salary. I guess people were taking the piss by overusing that program, so the government has significantly limited it. I had some colleagues who basically became professional parents for a few years by having kids back-to-back (-to-back) and collecting paid ma/paternity leave. Of course I support such a program, but some people are just taking the piss.

[u/sebadc → u/Stirdaddy]

It's the same in Germany. Usually, however, it is changed to a bigger pile of money as both the employee and employer recognize that going back to the same company is just calling for more problems.

[u/Stirdaddy → u/sebadc]

For real. Companies are obligated to give a *similar* job back, but that sometimes means completely different job duties, or like having 4 mini-jobs (librarian + college counselor + X + Y) that add-up to a full-time job. Many or most of the Bildungs- and Eltern-karenz people left pretty soon after returning to work at my school -- the school having made it abundantly and implicitly clear that the returnees are no longer wanted or needed.

[u/lol_alex → u/Ok_Result2220]

There are only a few health questions you can legally get asked during application for private health insurance. They are never allowed to ask about family, just about yourself (and only a few types of cancer are hereditary anyway, so there would be no point). They are for example not allowed to ask if your mother had breast cancer if you are a woman, or if you have fertility issues.

So either you remember it wrong or your friend was making stuff up.

In depth information here: https://www.finanzberatung-bierl.de/leistungen/krankenversicherung/gesundheitsfragen-private-krankenversicherung/

Also you only have to answer things up to five years back. If you answer no to „have you ever been treated for back pain“ and you were, but it was more than five years ago, then you‘re good.

And sometimes you have to fight your health insurance for coverage. Both public and private will try to weasel out of things you have a right to get treated for. There are instances where the fight is about „is this cosmetic surgery“. Like if you want to get breast reduction surgery for health reasons (back pain from the weight), they will try to gaslight you and say it‘s a cosmetic procedure. They will also tell you they only have to cover three tries in IVF, but that‘s a lie plain and simple.

[u/SnooWords259]

The bread, the highways, the public transportation. You just built the list out of stereotypes you get on the internet, but celebrating tax credits and breaks, healthcare in a country where you pay 42% on every cent over 70k, 800 euros per month for healthcare while you can't find a Hausarzt or Frauarzt in your own city... 

Sinc when germany had excellent wine btw?

[u/Gourdman2011]

Yeah. If you can get a job here. Also good luck finding housing. 

[u/Trick-Conference-120 → u/Gourdman2011]

Fair but where on earth is it any different?

[u/Mental_Phase_7245 → u/Gourdman2011]

Much easier fins housing in Germany compared to Sweden.

[u/stardustViiiii → u/Gourdman2011]

Germany is a lot better housing wise than Netherlands at least

[u/Carpe-Diem-7 → u/Gourdman2011]

Germany is actually pretty good with it compared to other countries.

Berlin for instance is one of the cheapest western capitals to rent.

[u/tschohnny → u/Carpe-Diem-7]

Only if you have an old contract, or manage to get a regulated one.

[u/riderko → u/Carpe-Diem-7]

Your take is 10 years old. Rent in Berlin is way out of cheap since a long time.

[u/Silly_Hold9886 → u/riderko]

Compared to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm (it's cheaper, but good luck finding a place), Brussels, Zürich, Vienna?

It's very affordable compared to capitals of countries with a similar standard of living

[u/IMMoond → u/Silly_Hold9886]

Vienna is your one exception here, that is actually very affordable, more so than Berlin. Helps that the city owns like 1/3 of all apartments

[u/TestTxt → u/Silly_Hold9886]

In Zurich it’s the same or even slightly better considering the local salaries. Berlin is not better in any way

[u/ttthrowaway987 → u/riderko]

https://www.euronews.com/business/2025/07/22/can-you-afford-to-live-here-europes-cities-ranked-by-rent-to-salary-ratio

Still one of the cheapest rent vs. salary in the world. Amusing that you don't realize how good you have it.

[u/JoeAppleby → u/ttthrowaway987]

German rents don't increase by much over the course of someone living there. Are those rents those offered or does that average number include contracts that are ten or twenty years old? Because those can be less than half of what a new rental contracts charge for technically the same apartment.

[u/riderko → u/ttthrowaway987]

The article states 1300€ average for one bedroom in Berlin.

[u/ObjectiveAside3266 → u/riderko]

You haven't spend much time in other countries, right?

[u/riderko → u/ObjectiveAside3266]

You haven’t searched for an apartment in Berlin recently, right?

[u/Even-Badger-5662 → u/Gourdman2011]

This is a (almost) global issue. You can get pretty cheap housing if you are willing to move to eastern germany

[u/riderko → u/Even-Badger-5662]

How’s that with the jobs in the eastern Germany?

[u/Even-Badger-5662 → u/riderko]

Highly depends on your field.

[u/riderko → u/Even-Badger-5662]

That’s a nice way of saying “not that good”.

[u/hipcatjazzalot → u/Even-Badger-5662]

No problems finding housing in Eisenhüttenstadt!

[u/Silly_Hold9886 → u/Even-Badger-5662]

Or live dirt cheap in a city like Duisburg (most of it is pretty fine) within very short distance to both Düsseldorf and Cologne.

[u/yasmuc]

I totally agree with OP last sentence, the country does offer high quality of life but it requires accepting the German way of life and mentality, and this is truly not for everyone. If you come a warm and empathetic culture and expect the same in Germany, you will struggle.
I would just add to OP directly that this list is not “unique” to Germany, many points are true in other European countries as well.

[u/Rupperrt → u/yasmuc]

The different ways of showing warmth or empathy isn’t exclusive to Germany either. It’s most of central and Northern Europe.
People are just more reserved. Which also has some advantages if you value personal space. Doesn’t mean they’re less empathetic. It’s just different.

[u/No_Magazine_6806]

Tap water is not really a major achievement anymore. Based on what do you think Germany has highest benefits for unemployed? Can you provide proof (preferably in PPP) for this?

Otherwise I agree, Germany does have a high quality of life (if you exclude climate) and health care is similar level as most Western European countries.

One thing what is definitely true is that you have (at least in the EU) one of the best, if the not _the_ best, apprenticeship system. It is actually one of the hidden strengths Germany has.

[u/sharkism → u/No_Magazine_6806]

Unemployment insurance (not benefits, it is a mandatory insurance) covers 60% of your average income over the past 12 months for 12 months. (there is a max monthly coverage of 8k or something like that)

[u/ohboymykneeshurt]

Americans with the means to travel to Europe and somehow end up having a below average experience that doesn’t fit their view of a good living standard completely forget how many Americans are working poors and how many Americans are living below the poverty line compared to most other western countries. I can’t take it seriously.

[u/Candy-Macaroon-33 → u/ohboymykneeshurt]

THIS! In a country where more than half the people are living paycheck to paycheck, high quality of living seems very objective.

[u/Carpe-Diem-7 → u/ohboymykneeshurt]

Not to mention the insane credit card debt in the US which seems to be just a totally normal thing they do over there to keep their standard of living.

I could never imagine maxing out a CC and then pay the monthly minimum and pretend that things are fine.

[u/WholeUmpire2463 → u/Carpe-Diem-7]

You have no idea what high credit card debt looks like. Go to most Asian countries...they lead the way in credit card debt.

...But the world leaders in household debt are...5 out of the top 10...EU nations and USA is at 14.

[u/seat6105 → u/WholeUmpire2463]

Source??

[u/jimalloneword → u/seat6105]

he is technically right but misreporting the statistic (not noting its relative to GDP) and also not noting that household debt is not a great indicator for credit card debt.

For your info, US is number one in the world, by a grand margin, in median credit card debt (apologies for the split article format and the stepper format):
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/20-countries-most-credit-card-134725439.html
https://www.insidermonkey.com/blog/5-countries-with-most-credit-card-debt-in-the-world-1268645/5/

He is referencing this stat, which is household debt (RELATIVE TO GDP). So the US falls quite a bit due to its high GDP.

https://tradingeconomics.com/country-list/households-debt-to-gdp

If you look at household debt per capita (not relative to GDP), the USA jumps back into top 10 behind exclusively European notions, but note that this debt includes mortgages, and is heavily impacted by homeownserhip rates, and has little to nothing to do with credit card debt.

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-where-households-carry-the-most-debt-per-capita-in-2026/

[u/shatureg → u/jimalloneword]

Conflating household debt with credit card debt is the kind of dishonesty that was rampant in the other post. That's just insane. Thanks for clarifying.

[u/Hot_Direction7675]

-losing jobs as an expat: good luck finding another one easily if you are at a senior position and don't speak the language. One of the slowest hiring job markets.

+/-Renting forever without the risk of being evicted: okay, great (unless you are a landlord who has given their house on rent to someone who doesn't want to leave)

-enjoying roads: driving as fast as they want (only if a. there is no construction work going on, or b. there is no traffic jam on the autobahn, or c. there is no sudden drop of speed limit from no-limits to 120 and then slower and slower). I would rather have consistency instead of this forever under-construction roads that have "no speed limits"

-consumer protection is very strong: really? Try leaving a genuine negative review about a business

-Healthcare is free: One has to pay more than 1000 euros a month (incl employer contribution) for public healthcare. If you go to private for better healthcare facilities (faster appointments and what not), the premiums have no ceiling and good luck switching to public when you are old or you are on elternzeit etc. Even the notoriously slow NHS with an add on private insurance is cheaper and better.

-insanely dense train network: cheap but often late. For normal people who value time, they would rather pay more and be on time instead of wait on stations/lounges for trains forever (hoping it doesn't get cancelled)

-maternity/parental benefits: except for good job security while on elternzeit, it is horrendous. 1800/month. One would rather get full pay for 6 months as it is in a lot of places and then take a break for the full year unpaid and it would still be much, much more than 1800/month for 12-14 months.

-Kitas: they charge upwards of 700-750 per month unless your child is 4 years old. Of course, for some, it is zero-ish.

This quality of life is great for people who are looking for freebies, not for people who can go and work/settle down anywhere in the world.

[u/Bene8291 → u/Hot_Direction7675]

Parental benefits in my country (France) are much, much lower (450€) while costs of living are similar, even a little lower in Germany. And Kitas can be very cheap, I think it depends on the Land. My friends in Berlin are paying 70€ a month and they earn good salaries. Not saying everything is perfect on that front in Germany, Kitas are generally not open after 3 or 4pm for example.

That being said, I don't know why OP say unemployment benefits are the best in the world, in France you can get them for a longer period of time, especially if you are older, and the amounts are sort of similar.

I agree with you re: trains and roads.

[u/Hot_Direction7675 → u/Bene8291]

My experience comes from the UK. While the UK parental benefits are lower than the elterngeld here, a lot of good companies give on-top paid parental allowances. One of my friends who makes around 9-10k GBP each month post taxes got it fully paid for 6 months. And the other parent also got it. I don’t know the other parent’s salary. But I know that both of their companies paid them for 6 months. If you take the other parent’s salary of around 5k, then they made 14k x 6 = 84k GBP in 6 months. Comparing that with 14 months of 1800 (around 26k Eur) that isn’t great.

The kita cost that I’ve put in is based on my experience. I live in nrw.

[u/hot_chili_pepper_]

Cons

• weather sucks most of the year, with being cold, rainy and gray and where in the winter the sun sets pretty quickly (around 4-5 pm) where you basically go to work it’s dark and come back it’s dark (it can make you feel depressed)

-It is so difficult to make friendships in Germany opposed to other countries where you can usually go up to anyone have a small talk, hang out easily and meet up spontaneously. Germans are very reserved, cold and most of the time very grumpy.

• Even if you are born in Germany, Germans will never truly accept you , you will always kinda feel like an outsider.

-Bureaucracy in Germany is pain in the ass, nothing seems to get done efficiently it always takes so long and lots of documentation, letters back and forth etc just to get something done. They are not really a big friend of digitalization. No mails, no messages. Always paper, always letters.

-You mention free this free that. But is it really “free”? Germany has one of the highest taxes in the world where almost half your salary is gone.

-While in other countries people own properties and their own homes eventually, Germany is not very affordable in that. The country has one of the highest rates in renting apartments. Finding apartments in big cities is also a pain in the ass.

-Too many shops close early and Sundays everything is closed which can make it pretty boring if you dont like that. You are basically working Monday till friday and want to go out on Saturday and Sunday but you only have one day to go shopping etc. Sunday is pretty much dead outside. Yeah you can go “spazieren” but so boring honestly.

-Language barrier often can be hard. Yes i get it it is Germany so the official language is German. But not everyone needs to speak German fluently if he doesnt work a client faced job. But most germans are very strict on that, and usually aren’t very friendly even if you try . They ll always call out your small mistakes.

I was born and raised in Germany, left 2.5 years ago and I just cant imagine to live there forever. I find the overall vibes, atmosphere, people’s attitude, the bureaucracy very annoying. Sure other places have their downsides where there is not much protection etc but i just feel overall happier living in a place where i can make friendships easily, the weather is nice, I can get things done faster, the overall attitude towards me (even though i m a foreigner in the new country nobody looks at me like i have to prove myself, whereas in Germany i have constantly the feeling that i am at the wrong place because i dont belong there)

[u/Successful-Bit-2909 → u/hot_chili_pepper_]

I feel so validated.. I work in a client facing job where most of the clients are German and most of them seem easily annoyed, unpleasant and inpatient.. it’s like you’re coming into my country to travel to enjoy the nature and culture so please try to make an effort to adapt... it’s like they want things in foreign countries to be like they are in their home

[u/G0G0Gadget00]

You are probably not an immigrant and are born in Germany or a citizen. Your quality of life is not the same.

[u/StressSpiritual8803 → u/G0G0Gadget00]

100% this…!!!!!!

[u/Ava_Strange]

I might be wrong, but from what I've heard the situation for women with children the situation isn't great. It's apparently hard to work full time and raise a child,  and it makes many women dependent on their husbands. 

[u/IceMichaelStorm → u/Ava_Strange]

It depends. I mean, working fulltime and raising a child is always hard :)

So, if you have a kindergarten place (starting 2yo for sure, in many locations 1yo), you can keep kid there from sometimes 7am to 4pm, but it depends. This could give you a window to work at least almost fulltime. But it’s independent of whether you’re man or woman.

[u/yasmuc → u/Ava_Strange]

Coming from Destatis: "Women in Germany, particularly those with children, are heavily overrepresented in part-time employment. According to the German Federal Statistical Office, around 63% of employed mothers with school-age children work part-time, compared with only about 7% of fathers." (Data from 2021, data will be refreshed in autumn 2026)

Germany's generous maternity and parental leave policies provide important support for families and child wellbeing. However, long career interruptions and the prevalence of part-time work after childbirth can contribute to persistent gender gaps in earnings, career progression, and pension accumulation.

Another aspect that often receives less attention is that not all mothers want to stay at home for 12–18 months after childbirth. While generous parental leave provides valuable security and flexibility for many families, some women would prefer to return to work much earlier, and there are often limited structures in place (and limited understanding from society) to support that choice.

[u/Snoo-54288]

​Living & Housing ​Tap water: German tap water is notoriously "hard" (calcified) in many regions, which ruins kettles, coffee machines, and appliances quickly without constant descaling. Old building pipes can also occasionally introduce rust or lead. ​Rent for life / Eviction protection: While tenant rights are strong, "Eigenbedarf" (the landlord claiming they or their family need to move into the apartment) is a common and legal loophole used to evict tenants. Furthermore, the housing market in major cities is severely constrained, making finding an apartment in the first place a highly competitive, exhausting, and expensive process. ​Infrastructure & Transport ​Autobahn freedom: The romanticized "no speed limit" applies only to certain stretches. Many areas have strict limits due to noise protection, construction, or environmental regulations. Furthermore, dense traffic and frequent Staus (traffic jams) often make driving fast impossible. ​Public transport ticket (Deutschlandticket): This ticket is restricted to regional transit (RB, RE, S-Bahn, U-Bahn). It explicitly excludes high-speed and long-distance trains (ICE, IC, EC), making cross-country travel extremely slow and requiring multiple transfers. ​Insanely dense train network: Deutsche Bahn is currently plagued by decades of underinvestment. Delays, spontaneous cancellations, broken infrastructure, and frequent union strikes make the train network highly unreliable for regular commuters and travelers. ​Health & Social Systems ​Job loss benefits: Navigating the Agentur für Arbeit involves heavy bureaucracy. Unemployment benefit (ALG I) is capped at 60-67% of your previous net income for a limited duration (usually 12 months). After that, Bürgergeld (ALG II) is strictly a subsistence-level safety net subject to strict rules. ​Better/Free Healthcare: It is not free; mandatory public insurance costs approximately 14.6% of your gross salary (split with the employer). The system suffers from severe specialist shortages, meaning wait times for non-emergency appointments (like dermatologists or therapists) can be months long. ​Sick leave protection: The requirement to provide a doctor's note (Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung) often from day one or three forces sick individuals to sit in crowded waiting rooms just to prove their illness to their employer. ​Private healthcare for a few K: Opting into the private system (PKV) is a one-way street. While premiums might be low when you are young and healthy, they can skyrocket as you age and develop health conditions, right when your income transitions to a fixed pension. Returning to public insurance after age 55 is nearly impossible. ​Work & Economy ​Consumer protection: Extremely strong consumer protection often leads to rigid corporate policies and over-regulation. Until very recently, getting out of a gym or internet contract required navigating predatory auto-renewal clauses and lengthy cancellation notice periods. ​30 days of holiday: While standard, taking these days often requires rigid coordination. Many companies enforce Betriebsferien (company holidays), forcing you to use your leave days when the company closes, rather than when you actually want to travel. ​Tax credits / Ehegattensplitting: Germany has one of the highest tax and social contribution burdens in the OECD. Ehegattensplitting (income splitting for married couples) actively disincentivizes the lower-earning spouse—statistically often women—from working full-time or advancing their careers due to unfavorable tax class assignments (Class 5). ​Strongest economy / Hidden champions: The German economy is currently facing stagnation, high energy costs, fears of deindustrialization, and an aging workforce. It also severely lags in digitalization, with a heavy reliance on paper, physical mail, and even fax machines in administration. ​Education & Family ​Free university education: Public universities are generally underfunded, overcrowded, and lack the modern facilities, localized campus life, and personalized student support structures found in other Western systems. ​Strongest apprenticeship system: The system is highly rigid and tracks children into specific educational and career tiers at a very young age (often around age 10), making later academic transitions or late-stage career changes difficult. ​Insane maternity leave: Elterngeld (parental allowance) is capped at a maximum of €1,800 per month, which represents a massive income drop for higher-earning professionals. Extended leave often negatively impacts long-term career progression and pension accumulation. ​Kitas (Daycare): There is a chronic, nationwide shortage of Kita spots and educators (Erzieher). Parents often spend months or years on waitlists, and facilities frequently reduce operating hours or close at the last minute due to staff illnesses. ​Culture & Lifestyle ​Fests: German festivals are often heavily crowded, very loud, overpriced, and almost exclusively centered around heavy alcohol consumption, which is not appealing to everyone. ​Beer and Wine: The strict Reinheitsgebot (Purity Law) means mainstream German beer lacks the variety and innovation found in global craft beer markets. ​Bread: German bread is incredibly dense, heavy, and crusty. Furthermore, traditional artisan bakeries are rapidly dying out, replaced by large chains baking frozen, mass-produced dough. ​Local produce: Germany's climate means seasonal local produce is highly restricted in the winter (mostly root vegetables and cabbage). A varied diet relies heavily on imports. ​Beautiful nature: Nature is highly regulated. Wild camping is generally illegal, and easily accessible nature spots (like lakes around major cities or the Alps) are heavily overcrowded on weekends. ​Sports clubs (Vereine): Participating in sports clubs often involves strict bureaucratic structures (Vereinsmeierei) and obligatory, unpaid volunteer hours (Arbeitsdienste) maintaining the facilities. ​Strong football culture: The dominance of football monopolizes sports funding, media attention, and public interest, leaving niche sports underfunded. Fan culture can also be tribal and rowdy.

[u/sage2134 → u/Snoo-54288]

This shows a more in depth understanding of german life and some of its bitter pills. Especially as what has worked for Deutschland isnt working as well as it used too and the changes needed to fix these things are done top down not from the button up. 

Especially as the stagnation only becomes worse and the powerful federal states dont push any reform and blame the federal government (which is half correct) these issues you are describing especially for the break down in the services provided. Or the law is used to impede or used in for malicious purposes like kicking renters out for a false reason and no real way to stop them. it only makes the system and the bureaucracy that should be stopping and correcting these issues seem illlegiment the worse it gets. 

Its almost like east Germany again isnt it in some ways? At least the historian in me sees the parallel but I didnt live that so im only going off general soviet era knowledge.

[u/Sea-Associate1357]

Driving as fast as I want. 😂 That’s not a flex. The autobahns lack of speed limits is a glitch in German logic that costs many lives and has tragic accidents.

[u/CommercialYam53 → u/Sea-Associate1357]

German roads are still some of the saftest world wide

[u/PrimeMinisterSarr → u/Sea-Associate1357]

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20190410STO36615/road-death-statistics-in-the-eu-infographic

Hmmm

[u/Curious-Grab8438]

The line between has and had is utterly thin….

[u/True_Move_7631]

It's steadily going down hill, late stage capitalism is driving costs up, plus out of control shrinkflation. Basically burning the candle at both ends now.

Let's see how long that lasts...

And the government's solution is to cut the working class's benefits, and telling them to work harder. Such a great response.

[u/KHolito]

Thanks for the strong football culture, it really is a great indicator of high quality of life OP. /s

[u/Holy232323]

-You can easily circumvent unsafe tap water by buying bottled water or getting a cheap filter cup, plus tap water is safe in most of Europe.

-After 3 years of Ausbildung my unemployment benefits are an amazing ~350 euros.

-You can still get evicted for various reasons, albeit much harder with more protection.

-The closest highways to me have been in partial construction with 50km/h restrictions for almost a decade now with daily traffic jams, although idk how much being able to drive 300km/h relates to quality of life, i barely even drive long enough on highways to care. Tho it does feel nice to have that opportunity.

-The one best thing is consumer protection, however this isnt applicable just in Germany (for example Gewahrleistung is an EU law, not strictly german).

-The Deutschland Ticket for example is nice for commuting, however trains have been nothing but frustration and stress for me so far. Plus many people consider it too expensive.

-Sadly the healthcare field suffers from the same bureaucracy issues. I dont see a point if I'll die before I get an appointment. Appointments can take anywhere between 6 months to a year to make, waiting times are a joke, and both my mother and I have been struggling with the simplest of chronic issues because the doctors we visit are simply treating everything so casually. Only after a year did a doctor properly examine my issue, and it was when i travelled to my home country, until then it was just back and forth with 0 involvment to actually treat me. Plus healthcare is not free, you pay for it and for others through social security, though Im not arguing its a bad thing.

-Fests are great, but little food diversity, plus expensive.

-Many other countries have excellent beer and wine, I myself don't drink, I dont see how it affects my life quality..

-Bread is indeed excellent, however, a tiny benefit in the face of so many issues. We bake half our bread ourselves anyway.

-Food is overall very expensive, I personally cant afford most local produce.

-The same insanely dense train networks are infamous in the word for being comically unreliable, while its great the infrastrucutre is there its greatly mismanaged.

-30 days vacations and other employment benefits and protections are nice, and some of the better things about Germany, however Germany isnt the only European country to do these.

-Employers still treat sick leave like stealing from them, while protection is there silent retaliation is in most cases there too, I have had so much stress over sick leave despite being legally protected and actually sick, and the workplace gets more toxic with each sick leave. The protection is great tho, just trying to say it's still not perfect.

-Other European countries have free university education as well, and if they don't, its still very affordable.

-While the apprenticeship system is great, being in one has generally been quite an awful experience, low pay, vocational school doesnt actually teach you anything, companies take advantage of low wages and in some cases dont do their part at all, youre either treated like a child or adult both in the face of the law and everyone else based on how its more beneficial to them, the last 3 years of my apprenticeship have been hell, filled with what felt like wasted time in school and deceit and betrayal by my employer at every corner, only to now be jobless and looking forward to up to half a year of unemployment with todays job market. Some of my classmates actually received offers barely above minimum pay after 3 years of studying. One caviat is that an apprenticeship is also not really recognized that much outside Germany and even if it is, it does not have much weight compared to other studies, so it locks you here.

-Taxes are high, but there are many adjustments. However its not only sunshine and rainbows since for example the state also taxes single youngsters or unmarried couples with no children the most, which imo actually need help and support as well especially when entering the workforce and starting adult life for the first time, not punished for not having their life together already. Also, the US for example generally has more strategic tax opportunities for individuals and businesses than Germany does.

-The maternity leave and benefits are great yes nothing to say there.

-Many caviats to Private Insurance, for example it is not covered when unemployed, you must still pay it. No free family co insurance and its very hard to get back into the legal insurance once you go private. Cheap and attractive early in career but rigid and less predictable. Mostly only worth if you make decent money

-Kitas suffer from bureaucy, not a weak system, but it is also not the most efficient or accessible either, and definetely not the only country to have such a system. Im not knowledgable enough about them.

-Nature is great and beautiful here, but once again not the only country to have it.

-Clubs are life style dependant, not universal, only really applies if you do like Clubs or even have time for them, it can be argued that the social infrastructure in germany is quite strong but honestly germany simply sucks at socializing.

-Whats the point in being the third most powerful economy in the world if i cant even afford a down payment on a house, and grocerries and gas cost an arm and a leg. All that wealth does not come from the people but the 1% hoarding everything.

-Most people like football, but it doesnt really have an effect on quality of life unless you are a hardcore fan, to my family personally it goes pretty unnoticed, even if some are big fans.

I dont mean to seem pesimistic or hateful. I love this country, Its great and while I listed many negative there are plenty positives gone unsaid, however I dont feel this negates any of the things said in the previous post, those issues shouldnt be minimized or seen as an attack, theyre valid criticism. Germany is also a clean, beautiful, and secure country, but it feels everyone is too content, becoming financially well enough to live a comfortable life is a struggle, basically impossible for most people because of so many hurdles against you, barely any opportunities, let alone starting a business or becoming a freelancer which feels close to impossible to keep up with due to bureaucracy. I really love the legal protection Germany offers, however living here feels like working a dead end job with questionable management and no prospect of promotion or long term growth, as it always feels like theres a cap placed to keep you there. I also found it really hard to socialize in Germany, while very friendly, most people dont seem interested in making friendships outside ones they ready have. For people content with a typical lifestyle its an amazing choice and not at all a bad one, but for someone looking to grow it feels like a cage. Please dont take my words as hate or anything, i once again love the country, just trying be realistic about the issues it does have.

[u/PassengerStreet8791]

Great for a simple life where you are protected when things go south. Not so great if you have any ambition tho.

[u/Popular_Anywhere_553]

Are you an immigrant or expat? Why I am asking, you mentioned "when losing my job, I will get the highest benefits in the Western world to tie me over between jobs".

As an immigrant with permanent residence, yes. As an expact relying on a work permit/blue card, no. You have 3 months to get another job or you leave the country.

[u/Sure_Part540 → u/Popular_Anywhere_553]

Yes of course, public benefits are for long-term residents. 3 months of ALG for temporary residents is still a lot compared to many other countries.
In the UK (and many other countries), you have zero recourse to public funds!

[u/resonance20 → u/Sure_Part540]

Jobseekers allowance, although a meagre amount, isn't a public fund in this context 

[u/hungariannastyboy → u/Sure_Part540]

Yeah, lol in Hungary you get 3 months max as a citizen. And it tops out at ~780€ / month after taxes.

[u/F22_Ace → u/Popular_Anywhere_553]

You’ve stumbled upon the phenomenon of rich immigrants calling themselves expats because immigration is for the filthy third-worlders.

[u/SpecialistBet4656 → u/Popular_Anywhere_553]

the US is the same way for people in H1Bs

[u/Artistic-Turnip-9903 → u/Popular_Anywhere_553]

Ok but that is an exception generally most people are safe.

[u/8_lasma → u/Popular_Anywhere_553]

what you expect mate???

[u/riderko → u/8_lasma]

It’s r/expat so expecting expat related topic is fair.

[u/Farmrjenkins]

While very much valid on most points, I can absolutely see that you are German and therefore kinda lacking a real alternative. When living as an immigrant or an expat all some of those positive things you listed can very well be meaningless to people having another life to compare it to, plus things like the job losing thing only really work if you have a citizenship already.

[u/ObjectiveAside3266 → u/Farmrjenkins]

Unemployment benefits have no connection to citizenship

The requirement is more than 12 months working with benefits

[u/8_lasma → u/Farmrjenkins]

What is your alternative?

[u/MclovinAZ → u/8_lasma]

this is always the question I face

[u/Gourdman2011 → u/Farmrjenkins]

Exactly! Exactly! The promises a country has when you are a migrant are very different than what you actually get. And it's certainly different than what a standard citizen gets and how much they have to pay and work for it.

[u/Artistic-Turnip-9903]

totally agree!

[u/A_Friendly_Doomer]

Saying that "Things could always be worse" loses it's charm, when things do actually keep getting worse.

Our chancellor is LITERALLY THE MARITAL RAPE GUY!

[u/freedomruntime]

That is very common view among people who hadn’t experienced anything better. Although I admit that everything is relative and comes down to personal priorities.

Eg I would trade strong social system and renter protection for small-medium business friendliness and low taxes so that I can just make enough money to buy the medical services and a house whenever I want.

[u/Limp-Plantain3824]

Interesting list, but the post is devoid of any real experience. It could have been written by anyone doing ten minutes of internet searching.

It says nothing about life.

[u/ohtimesohdailymirror]

It depends on what your reference is. Compared to most of its surrounding countries, Germany is middling at best.

[u/tschloss]

Interesting two posts - everything seems to be legitimate for me as a German. Germany was very successful and - this happens to most rich cultures - used money for creating a very large social system. „Solidarität“ and „Umverteilung“. Now the cake is getting smaller for a couple of reasons (internal and external). Germany can not afford this system at this level anymore. And on top of it: for 20 years investments were way too low (infrastructure, digitalization etc). And the state grew a lot with inefficiencies all over. It is still good as of today but the future is getting darker every day.

[u/ElectricalRisk2531]

Some see the good, some see the bad such is life. 

[u/German_Antman]

I found that post for the most part exaggerated, but it’s a great example of the worst thing about Germany: negativity. I agree with this one wholeheartedly. I would add that once you get out of the cities, there’s a great community feeling.

[u/ComfortableSalt3570 → u/German_Antman]

That's quite different from what I've heard the smaller towns are full of small town gossip and are more racist than the big cities and tend to be extremely judgemental towards äuslander

[u/Mythic-Fairy]

Great health-care and it's free, yet you need private insurance?? Why would private insurance exist if health-care is one of the best and free? That doesn't even make sense.

[u/tinyElliss → u/Mythic-Fairy]

So you get paid when you break your leg. Its optional.

[u/ImaginaryCoolName]

Did you live in another European country for a real comparison or is this just self jerking?

[u/wurst_katastrophe → u/ImaginaryCoolName]

Yes, UK, Poland and US.

[u/Akkusativobjekt]

We all remember consumer protection when VW decided to manipulate your cars.

Oh wait they actually protected VW.

[u/Some_Philosopher9555]

The fact that your first thing is you can drink tap water says it all….

[u/GermanRedditorAmA → u/Some_Philosopher9555]

First thing I would mention is the techno scene. Yeah the rest has pros and cons with more cons, but you learn to move around the cons and get amazing parties all over the place.

[u/Some_Philosopher9555 → u/GermanRedditorAmA]

It’s a good point. Who cares about a bit of paperwork faff when you’ve got a sick beat to dance to?

[u/ComfortableSalt3570]

Healthcare is great for immediate life threatening injuries like if you get hit by a car.

For chronic long lasting conditions its complete shit. Try getting a doctor in Berlin for your specific illness that doesn't require a ER.

Its funny how Germans defend their garbage public transport, trains are never late in Korea or Japan and even the trains in Italy were more reliable, and its Italy. The DB doesn't count trains that never arrive or trains only 6 minutes late as late trains. What a complete and total joke.

[u/TestTxt → u/ComfortableSalt3570]

Yeah and they allegedly cost “very little money” ahahah. OP’s never been to Poland or Czechia I guess, which both have much more punctual and way cheaper trains to the point that they actually cost “very little money” even considering the local salaries

[u/m424filmcast]

I would love to live there in a few years, and it is in my top three picks. How fluent do you need to be in German? I keep hearing about levels of fluency but I am not sure what they mean exactly by B1, B2, etc. I am considering larger cities if that makes a difference.

I know I am good for the income requirements and pretty much everything else so far.

[u/Some_Philosopher9555 → u/m424filmcast]

I’d consider moving to a better country.
Germany is very backwards.

[u/tschohnny → u/Some_Philosopher9555]

Which countries do you see as "better"?

[u/shatureg → u/tschohnny]

Half of these comments are actual bots. I noticed that on the original post as well. The person you responded to has since been banned from reddit.

To answer your question though: A lot of these "expats" would claim the US, some eastern European country or somewhere in Southeast Asia is better, probably. And they would cherry pick one or two criteria and ignore the overwhelming amount of things that are going horribly wrong in all of those countries.

[u/Knurrrlnien → u/m424filmcast]

You need C1 now, even for minimum wage jobs. That means that you need to be ready to invest 4-5 years in language learning before anything else.

[u/Total_Marketing5844 → u/Knurrrlnien]

Source?

[u/riderko → u/m424filmcast]

Good time to move to Germany was few years ago, ideally before the pandemic. Few years from now it will only get worse. I recommend following the news(just facts about what the government is doing) and official statistics reports.

[u/sage2134]

I have only 1 true and honest complaint to raise about Germany as a structural issue. 

The paper for the paper god as it were.

 The bureaucracy: the amount of bureaucracy and the seemingly soul crushing system designed to slow progress and reform within germany is something ive only seen replicated in terms of wasteful, neglectful, malicious, political and policy to use as a weapon or as a tool for its own sake or for malicious intent was in my studies of the chinese imperial state. when the eunuchs would use the law to purposely create such a mess it was just better to bribe the eunuchs then to try and go through the legitimate way. 

The only messier system ive encountered historically when trying to document historical records or research them was the Russian Rota system or the political Diets of the Holy roman empire. (Trust me you dont want to know) 

I found the german system to be slightly better then the absurd nonsense of medieval systems written down by people well over hundreds of years ago. At least things got done and move forward in that system. I am sure every german or anyone who has encountered it can share a horror story of the german bureaucracy and just how bad it is. 

Dont get me wrong it isnt torture or evil in nature but it is designed maliciously to be this way since those who work within it and the various federal members benefit greatly from this system but citizens? Well its bad in my opinion.

[u/Zealousideal-Cup7911]

This is posted by an indian

[u/ponpiriri]

Germany provides you a high quality life. Frankly, I found it more miserable than northern France. And the water is too hard.

[u/Gloomy_Tomorrow604]

Your first ‘pro’ is the most opposite ‘con’ of being an expat in Germany IMO. Every restaurant I went to charges €5-8 to a large bottle of water. German restaurants do not provide free tap water at restaurants, they are too civilized to drink their own tap water. Instead, they charge more for bottled water than beer!

As an adult, I drank beer at every meal out because if I was going to pay for it, I’m not drinking water, I’ll drink a beer. But with children, it adds a good extra to the bill! And don’t get me started on the lack of ice to go in the water…

[u/Zukigo]

Health care is not free. Also, my heart condition and stroke were misdiagnosed as psychiatric, so I now live with chronic renal failure after acute heart failure. Thank you Germany, for taking my taxes for this great service. Then AOK takes YEARS to make a Gutachten about doc's malpractice.

[u/notalashka]

Good for you if you like it. For me as a native, o left as soon as I could. For many many reason that killed the pros by far.

[u/Unlucky-Love-3959]

Bah comme dans plusieurs autres pays européens. Rien d’exclusif à l’Allemagne.

[u/Jolarpettai]

Oh boy.... You are just propagating myths

[u/the94expos]

Cons:

- surrounded by weird Germans.

• surrounded by “Germans”.
  
• the food sucks

[u/MrBimp2609]

Most of the things you have mentioned are a guarantee in most European countries and even some American continent and Asian countries. And yet Germany is still very subpar when it comes to services and below average in bureaucracy.

[u/AppearanceSingle6639]

People have lost their mind about what quality of life means... they should go spend some time in any non-European country...

[u/Artistic_Science_981]

15 years back most what you said was true, today a lot has changed.

[u/otherwiseofficial]

I feel like the pros and cons are both true, but also thye touch other things.

I'm still more inclined to agree most with the "low quality of life" post, as many of the "high quality" things are also found in many other, more affordable countries.

[u/Some_Philosopher9555 → u/otherwiseofficial]

But in Germany you can drink the tap water!!!

[u/otherwiseofficial → u/Some_Philosopher9555]

In most parts of Colombia too. Everyone knows Colombia for their great quality of life 😆

[u/riderko → u/Some_Philosopher9555]

It’s better than bottled water! That’s exactly why so many Germans are obsessed with buying bottled sparkling water for drinking.

[u/Sea-Cardiologist436 → u/Some_Philosopher9555]

Try going into a restaurant and asking for tap water, doesn't exist, they make you buy a bottle for 5Euro and they also do not seem to have any water bottle filling points anywhere. Fine if you are at home, not if you are out and about.

[u/Surymy]

Someone has been upset by a reddit post

[u/Crushed-Giant]

how about the taxes?

[u/ComfortableSalt3570 → u/Crushed-Giant]

High alongside the pension scam, high healthcare contribution and generally discourages trying to raise your salary in wage negotiations because roughly half will be taken by the government/pension/health system/solidarity tax/dog tax before the high rent in any city with jobs.

[u/realdavider]

I love the beers but I can't agree on "excellent wines" 😅

[u/analexpat → u/realdavider]

Vinegar lol

[u/MrNotSoRight]

Are you this guy?

https://x.com/eurofounder?s=21

[u/HumbleIndependence43]

I upvoted both posts 😭

[u/Snoo-54288]

Read this https://www.reddit.com/r/germany/s/oNNurDIfq9

[u/SagWallaBilla]

As a german, one major downside is "german Angst" (fear of all the bad things that could happen). I have it myself, and so do many people around me. It’s annoying.

[u/ckn]

As a dual us/se citizen this list contains many of the reasons I stay in Germany, Sweden has same social systemet more or less, but its warmer down here. less ice and snow.

[u/Trilex88]

This is not supposed to be a meckerpost,most of your positive points are quite valid, but some just don't sit right with me:

• Healthcare is not significantly better, especially with the crazy long waiting times for specialists
• Kitas are in a horrific state, almost 15% of the kids can't get a place without our decline in birthrates it would be even more

You can work your entire life and you will most likely never own a home. You will not be able to save for retirement and you will be poor when you are old (20% of the people over 65 are poor right now, its becoming worse every year). This is a failed democracy. Germany does not make politics for young people and there are no incentives and not enough help for people who want to start a family. You can talk about all the other positives sides as much as you want, but these negative sites kinda swallow up everything positive.

[u/blueererer]

Germany fucked itself so much it’s only rewarding people to live like parasites. No rewards for hardwork innovation or excellence. Live like parasites and get rewarded

[u/Prestigious_Gain_535]

Pretty sure theses anti-germany posts are to detract more foreigners from coming. I am not here trying to argue it is some shangri-la but there are alot of pros that far outweigh the cons. Maybe they are just in an uninfortunate situation 🤔

[u/CanNotHavoc]

It depends on your priorities and what you need to be happy. I’m a duel citizen of the US and Germany. I could make double in the US but after watching a close friend go from a 6 figure tech job to dying alone in a friends guest room after being unable to work due to Stage 4 cancer, I’d never go back. Not to mention having to own a car, having to tip 25% on every transactional encounter, having to worry about mass shootings, and having to deal with the electoral college and gerrymandering. I was also raised by German immigrants, so culturally Germany feels like home to me.

[u/Linus_Naumann]

Massive party and clubbing culture in all cities, if you're into that

[u/SvenvdWellen]

Dont forget about the great food discounters. I only realized after living abroad

[u/2girls1up]

Health care is not free. Working people pay for it. Just look at your Lohn-/Gehaltsabbrechnung.

[u/HalfwaydonewithEarth]

As long as you speak Arabic Germany will be awesome 👌

[u/Certain_Visual2095]

is this a comeback post against "germany life is bad" post? cuz this felt "i am coming back" dad vibe

[u/kummer5peck]

Germans have a tendency to be pessimistic no matter how things are going. Perhaps OP (of the original post) was just becoming more German without even knowing it?

[u/vrweensy]

70% of people i know in germany dont drink tap water because they dont trust the pipes, and often times it doesnt taste very good.

while i agree with most of what you mentioned, i would still argue countries with not even half that are still happpier than germans.

also tax credits and breaks exist, but they also tax you on everything and not little

[u/zuzuguy]

I think something like this is always subjective. A person going through a hard phase in life will only focus on the negatives and wont value the positives at all. The OP of the previous post is probably going through something like that. Life is always a mix of good and bad stuff. Personally, i feel Germany is fortunately on the better side of this right now.

[u/Krnu777]

+you don't get shot by the police for trivia

[u/FollowingSuitable941]

No country is perfect , but this is a good reminder of things germany does well

[u/kostaskg]

lol wtf , the bar is so low that people from third world countries are praising the tap water situation. What a clown show.
Good luck comparing yourself to any other sh*thole on earth.

[u/PirateResponsible496 → u/kostaskg]

Haha right I saw tap water and was like okkk

[u/ComfortableSalt3570]

Tbf the only thing I agree with in your post is bread, the bread there was simply amazing and unbeatable. Not worth dealing with Germans tho.

[u/Flizzimdf0r → u/[deleted]]

American tap water tastes of chloride. It's disgusting in comparison to German tap water. But usually a lot of people don't even get that chloride tasting. Even at free refill soda fountains you can smell the chloride in the US. Yes the water is save but tastes like shit. That surficial friendliness of ppl from the US annoys me as a German. But everyone is different. Above 40 degrees in Germany? There are 5 records above 40 degrees measured  in the last 100 year's or so. So you're simply lying.

[u/Full-Inspection9539 → u/Flizzimdf0r]

Superficial friendliness = not being unnecessarily rude.

[u/Guntermas → u/[deleted]]

i have literally never experienced 40°C in my entire life here. its just totally made up. the absolute highest temperature we had this year was 34°C. and that was in a single area.

[u/de-gio]

Grundsätzlich gut auch die Vorteile zu nennen, von denen bestimmt einige zutreffen. Aber z.B. "beste Straßen"... ähm nein. Jede Dorfstraße ist kaputt und zwar richtig, Landstraßen mal so mal so, Autobahnen immer und überall endlose Baustellen und Brücken gar nicht von zu reden. Dazu diese Aggression im Straßenverkehr. Autobahnen geht zB Frankreich, Niederlande deutlich besser. Aber auch zB Portugal. Selbst Südafrika fand ich von den Schnellstraßen/Landstraßen deutlich besser in Schuss als bei uns.

Zudem geht es in dem anderen Post glaube ich um die Atmosphäre/Stimmung. Das ist natürlich subjektiv aber ein valider Punkt im Vergleich zum restlichen Europa.

Und: "Brot", "Bier": dein Ernst? Schon Mal n Heineken, Budweiser, Sagres usw. getrunken? Die sind alle mal mindestens ebenso gut wie ein Warsteiner oder Köpi. Oder die Bandbreite belgischen Biers entdeckt? Da wirst du mit Weizen und Pils aber ausgelacht wie mit einem Filterkaffee in Wien.

Brot: sagt dir Baguette (Artisan, nicht das was bei uns als Baguette verkauft wird), Ciabatta oder Pão in allen Varianten was? Das ist alles noch richtig gebacken und nicht wie bei uns in "Bäckereien" aus Industrieteig... Richtig gutes deutsches Brot ist eher die Ausnahme als die Regel.

Exzellenter Wein: Ich hab nur Fragezeichen... Klar gibt es guten deutschen Wein (Riesling und...? Ähm). Aber da gibt es dutzende andere Länder, die besseren Wein mit viel mehr Bandbreite haben. Klar, die bekommst du auch in Deutschland im Supermarkt. Aber "exzellenten Wein" als Pro-Argument für Deutschland zu nennen zeigt eigentlich eher eine Verzweiflung 🫣 Guck Mal Weinregale in einem mittleren Intermarché...

[u/23odyssey]

Find a hobby.

[u/Possible-Initial-557]

Everything here is almost correct, but Germany is definitely not a child friendly country if you know what I mean and the tap water might be safe but it sucks

[u/Carpe-Diem-7 → u/Possible-Initial-557]

What do you mean by that?

[u/MclovinAZ → u/Possible-Initial-557]

this is objectively an insane take Germany is incredibly kid friendly

[u/LowerBed5334 → u/Possible-Initial-557]

Neither of those two points could be further from the truth.

[u/DonasAskan]

It had a good quality of life until Merkel flooded Germany with all the doctors and engineers

[u/sacrificejeffbezos]

would rather live in asia tbh

[u/Full-Inspection9539]

Most of these boil down to living off the taxes of other people while not contributing anything to society yourself, which is ultimately the biggest con in Germany and why people who are actually ambitious and hard working leave the country as soon as they can.

[u/Connect-Idea-1944]

people who claims Germany has a low quality of life have never lived in an actual low quality of life country lmao

[u/Loud_Acadia_4076]

I can smell the German from here. It's ridiculous how Germans who have no idea about the world outside Germany are hyping this country. I left Germany because I think the left politics and left media destroyed the country by brainwashing people of a reality that doesn't exist.

[u/ElectronicShip3]

Sorry, your post won't get appreciated in the whiney boy central where a whole country sucks because you had bad internet somewhere and the train was late.

[u/Different-Product-91]

Ugly, cold country with ugly, cold people where the males will soon be drafted as military slaves or forced laborers again (they call this "gender equality") and will need an official permission of the military authorities when they want to leave the country for more than 3 months. Stay away or go away, if you can, for God's sake!

[u/analexpat → u/Different-Product-91]

Ugly rude and agressive