About

  • About Tech Cities Index
  • Methodology
  • FAQ

Tools

  • Salary Converter
  • LinkedIn Network

Built with ❤️ by Mohamed Oun

Tech Cities Index LogoTech Cities Index
Salary ConverterLinkedIn NetworkAbout
Munich
#81 of 124
Europe

Munich

Germany

Salary & Cost of Living

View purchasing power ranking

How do salaries and expenses in Munich compare to San Francisco?

Purchasing Power Comparison

An engineer in Munich is 53% worse off vs in San Francisco

This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Munich compared to San Francisco, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.

Median Salary
$96,661
-$176K (-65%) vs San Francisco
Based on 706 data points from levels.fyi
Net Salary
$57,030
-$115K (-67%) vs San Francisco
Tax Rate: 41%

Community Insights

New

Munich offers a distinct mix of high-end career opportunities and alpine lifestyle, presenting itself as a polished, affluent counterpart to Berlin's gritty dynamism. As a major tech hub hosting giants like Google and BMW, it commands some of the highest engineering salaries in Europe, though the high cost of living and severe housing shortage significantly offset these gains.

Life here is characterized by order, safety, and outdoor recreation. While the professional environment is international and English-friendly, the social sphere remains deeply traditional. Residents enjoy a high quality of life with clean streets and excellent infrastructure, but often struggle with the difficulty of settling in—both financially (securing a flat) and socially (penetrating local friend groups).

Resident Sentiment

Transplants generally express a love-hate relationship with the city. They deeply appreciate the work-life balance, the safety, and the ability to cycle to a beer garden or take a train to the mountains. Many feel it is one of the best places in the world to raise children.

However, there is a pervasive frustration regarding the housing market, with horror stories of months-long apartment hunts being common. A frequent complaint is the "social coldness" of locals, with many expats reporting loneliness or difficulty making German friends even after years of residency.

Living Environment

Weather•Safety•Pollution•Events

A quick look at climate, safety, pollution, and tech community compared to San Francisco.

Rankings

Safety Index

Top 3%

#4

of 124 cities

79/100

Current value

Pollution Score

Top 9%

#11

of 124 cities

24.3/100

Current value (lower is better)

Net Income

Middle of the pack

#55

of 124 cities

$57,030/yr

Current value

Housing Affordability

View affordability ranking

How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Munich compared to San Francisco?

Avg. Property Price
$10,942 / m²
9% more expensive than San Francisco
View detailed property prices on Numbeo

Salary Converter

Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Munich to maintain the same standard of living.

$

Do you have kids?

Cost of Living
30% cheaper than San Francisco
View detailed cost breakdown on Numbeo

Top Paying Companies in Munich

Apple logo
Apple
Google logo
Google
Personio logo
Personio

The Good

  • High-tier safety and cleanliness; consistently ranked as one of the safest and cleanest major cities in Europe.
  • Proximity to nature; easy access to the Alps for skiing, hiking, and lakes (Starnberg, Ammersee) for weekend trips.
  • Strong tech ecosystem; hub for major global tech companies (Google, Microsoft, Apple) and a robust automotive/engineering sector (BMW, Siemens).
  • Functional public transport; excellent and reliable network (U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams) making car ownership optional.
  • High English proficiency in the professional sphere; many tech jobs use English as the primary working language.
  • Family-friendly environment; abundance of parks (English Garden), good schools, and a generally quiet, orderly atmosphere.

The Bad

  • Housing crisis; extremely difficult to find accommodation with very high rents and a purchase market that requires over 15 years of net salary to buy an average flat.
  • High cost of living; consistently ranks as one of the most expensive cities in Germany, eroding the purchasing power of higher salaries.
  • Social difficulty; the local "Bavarian" culture can be perceived as closed-off or cliquey, making it hard to befriend locals without fluency in German.
  • Limited nightlife; often described as a "large village" with a sleepy atmosphere after hours compared to vibrant hubs like Berlin.
  • Bureaucracy; dealing with German administrative processes is slow, paper-based, and often requires German skills.
  • High tax burden; a significant portion of gross income (around 41%) goes to taxes and social contributions.

The Verdict

You'll love it if...

Senior engineers and families who value safety, stability, and cleanliness over chaotic energy. It is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts who want to trade weekends in clubs for hiking or skiing in the Alps.

Professionals with offers from Big Tech or major automotive firms will thrive here, as these roles often provide the salary cushion needed to comfortably navigate the expensive housing market.

Skip it if...

Junior engineers or those looking to maximize savings rates quickly, as the high rents and taxes can make wealth accumulation slower than expected.

People seeking a vibrant, spontaneous nightlife or a melting-pot culture (like London or Berlin) will likely find Munich too sleepy, conservative, and socially reserved. If you are unwilling to learn German, your social life will likely remain restricted to the expat bubble.

Updated 11/29/2025

Weather3.3/10-62% vs San Francisco
Safety79+101%
Pollution24-51%
Events5-90%
3.3/10TechCities weather score vs 8.7/10 in San Francisco

0–10 composite (higher is better) combining temperature comfort, sunshine hours, rainy-day count, and humid days. See methodology for weighting and data sources.

Weather snapshot

Average High
13°C(vs 19°C in San Francisco)
Average Low
4°C(vs 12°C in San Francisco)
Sunshine Hours
1,700h/yr-1362h/yr(-44%)
Hottest Month High
23°C(vs 22°C in San Francisco)
Coldest Month Low
-4°C(vs 8°C in San Francisco)
Rainy Days
112/yr+63/yr(+130%)

Community & Quality

Munich community pulse

Munich has 5 Luma events listed.

90% fewer events than San Francisco.

Community Events

Middle of the pack

#60

of 124 cities

5 events on luma

Current value

Purchasing Power

Middle of the pack

#81

of 124 cities

Comfortable Weather

Bottom 26%

#93

of 124 cities

33/100 weather score

Current value

Cost of Living

Bottom 24%

#96

of 124 cities

63/100

Current value (lower is better)

Home Affordability

Bottom 18%

#103

of 124 cities

≈15.3 yrs to buy 80m²

Current value

Tax Rate

Bottom 6%

#118

of 124 cities

41%

Current value (lower is better)

SWE Affordability
15.3 years
10.7 years longer than San Francisco
Muggy Days
0/yr(same as San Francisco)
Cloud Cover
55%(vs 34% in San Francisco)