# Is this a decent salary for living Berlin?



## CookehMonsta

The base pay is 6,500EUR gross per month. I have no kids or family to support. In addition, I get variable bonuses based on three different metrics which adds up to a variable amount between 20,000 to 80,000 a year. 

I can work remotely in Berlin, but must one day a week spend a day at their offices in Duisburg.


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## Nononymous

You'd have craploads of money.

Netto is about 3700 per month, ignoring bonuses. 

Travel costs are going to be significant, it's a 4 hour trip each way so you'd probably want a hotel - but still probably beats living in Duisburg.


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## CookehMonsta

3700 is alot of money in Berlin? I told them I only wanted to live in Berlin. I've never lived in germany, even if I'm a passport holder.

I also see that flights to Dusseldorf are about 66 euros and one hour, so I might as well just fly in and out the same day once a week and not worry about a hotel. Hell, even with a train I'd rather just wake up early once a week, sleep on the way, and train it back the same day


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## Nononymous

Wealth is always relative, of course, but I think it's a safe assumption that as a single person you could live very, very comfortably on 3700 euro/month in Berlin. Hell, that might even be enough for Munich.

Don't underestimate how exhausting and expensive that travel could be, though. You won't always get a cheap airfare, there will be delays, especially in the winter, then of course getting to and from airports or train stations isn't always easy. I did some occasional trips out of Berlin for work (Wolfsburg by rail, Stuttgart by air) and those are long, exhausting days. Not something I'd want to repeat every week - you might find it far easier to crash in a hotel the night before. But you'll figure that out soon enough, and you can easily afford the costs.


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## CookehMonsta

Good point, yeah they are giving me the freedom to live where I want, and prefer to live in Berlin. I just need to be in that city once a week, so the cost falls on me.

I know mean about flying, here in Australia it's the same. Sydney to Melbourne is 50 minutes air travel, but delays are so common, and when you factor in getting to and from the airport, it often ends up being about five hours home to client site. there are no high speed trains here, and the seating space and services offered by European trains is 10x better than being cooped up in an airplane. And unless you're some super senior manager, its economy. Fair enough really, I'd rather better pay and working conditions than the wee bit of extra leg room and comforts of business class at triple the cost of economy.


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## Nononymous

I'm sure you'll work something out, and it doesn't sound like too huge chunk of your income would be eaten up by travel. If it were me, heading out Sunday, spending the night, going to work after a decent hotel breakfast then coming home Monday night would be relatively painless. (Leave Berlin early enough and you'd arrive in time for "Tatort".) I suspect there might be some reasonable fare options for regular long-distance commuters.


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## LoveNorway

6.500 EUR is a very good salary for Berlin. Of course it always depends on your skills and education. Berlin is usually bad paid and living costs are cheaper than in other big cities. So 6.500 EUR should be fine!


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## shiv87

Its pretty decent i myself live in Berlin and all finally comes to how is your lifestyle a normal family with 2 kids need that kind of salary what you earn now and usually its lesser than that as i know few of families who are living comfortably and with kids with husband and wife together around 5000 euro brutto.....


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## allan42

Average wages in Germany was 3527 EUR/Month in 2014


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## CookehMonsta

shiv87 said:


> Its pretty decent i myself live in Berlin and all finally comes to how is your lifestyle a normal family with 2 kids need that kind of salary what you earn now and usually its lesser than that as i know few of families who are living comfortably and with kids with husband and wife together around 5000 euro brutto.....


I'm 33, have no kids and don't intend to ever have any. I don't have any debt, such as mortgages, car replayments or credit cards, so I guess I'll be pretty comfortable on 6,500/month brutto. Plus that is base pay, I have a variable bonus structure. Gosh IT work is the place to be


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