Germany vs France: An expat guide

“To understand the Germans, you have to love them; to love the French, you have to understand them,” wrote German journalist and satirist Kurl Tucholsky in 1929. 

If you’re considering moving to France or Germany, this guide will clarify any ga(u)lling confusion and help you understand what you could love. Let the Germany vs France battle commence! 

Day to day life in France and Germany

From geography to work culture, schooling and the French diet, the quotidian makes France and Germany. How does day-to-day life compare?

The demographics and geography of France

Alongside Germany and the UK, France is one of the most populous countries in western Europe, with 64 million residents. The country is divided into 101 départements (departments), numbered administrative areas run by local governments. These 101 départements are grouped into 13 metropolitan areas and five overseas regions, including Guadeloupe, Martinique and La Réunion.

Due to its colonial history, France has a large population of migrants and French citizens with migrant backgrounds. According to 2021 figures, 10,3 percent of people living in France are immigrants. This figure increases to 20 percent in Paris and 32 percent in Seine-Saint-Denis, a suburb of the French capital. The native countries of migrants in France also reflect its colonial history: 9,5 percent were born in Morocco, 7 percent in Algeria and 4,5 percent in Tunisia.

France’s natural geography makes it an excellent place for leisure activities. There are flatter landscapes and the Atlantic Ocean in the west, the Pyrenees bordering Spain in the southwest, the French Riviera (Côte d'Azur) bordering the Mediterranean Sea in the south and the Alps bordering Italy and Switzerland in the east.

France is often said to have a distinct North-South cultural divide, which mirrors the differences in geography and weather. Northerners are characterised as being more direct and work-focused, while southerners are considered more sociable and laid-back. Of course, these are generalisations, but they are reflected in differing work cultures.

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The demographics and geography of Germany

Germany is the most populous country in the EU - and its population of 84,6 million people makes it one of the most populous countries in the world. The country is split into 16 federal states, three of which are city states (Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen), while the rest are known as area states. The most populous are North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.

The population of Germany is diverse; in 2022 more than 20,2 million people with a migration background were living in Germany, making up approximately 24 percent of the entire population.

The geography of Germany is also extremely varied. Covering a total surface area of 357.022 square kilometres, the country stretches from the flat shores of the Baltic and North Seas in the northeast and northwest down to the steeply rising foothills of the Alps in the south. The country’s highest point is the Zugspitze mountain (2.963 metres above sea level) and its lowest is in Wilstermarsch in Schleswig-Holstein, where the ground dips to minus 3,54 metres. 

Cost of living in France versus Germany

How much can you expect to spend on rent, food, clothes, heating and transport in France and Germany? How does the cost of living compare?

Cost of living in France

According to 2022 figures from the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), the average annual salary before tax in France is 30.721,00 euros. After taxes, social security contributions and rent, the main expense for people living in France is transportation and leisure activities.

Like rents (which we will explore below) the cost of transportation and leisure activities varies greatly depending on where in France you decide to set up your new home. As in most countries, the large cities are the most costly. 

Paris is not just the most expensive city in France, but one of the most expensive cities in the world. Lyon, Marseille, Nice and Bordeaux follow as the most expensive cities in the country. In Paris, you can expect to pay around 90 euros per month for a metro ticket for all zones; in Marseille a monthly pass costs 37,10 euros and in Lyon, 28,80 euros.

The French love their bikes and cycling is another great way to get around France affordably. But in comparison to cycling in the Netherlands, Denmark or even Germany, France leaves much to be desired when it comes to cycling infrastructure on busy roads.

Living costs in Germany

Compared to some other western European countries, the cost of living in Germany is relatively cheap - although the costs of food, housing, clothing and cultural activities are slightly higher than the EU average. Unsurprisingly, prices differ significantly depending on where you are: the cost of living in the big German cities is considerably higher than in rural areas, and prices in southern and western Germany are significantly dearer than those in the northern and eastern parts of the country. 

While you can exert some control over the amount you spend on food and utilities by choosing where to shop and which provider to sign up with, by far your biggest expense is likely to be your rent - and you will have less choice when it comes to finding somewhere to live. This is especially true if you’re searching for housing in one of Germany’s larger cities, where demand far outstrips supply and rents are much higher than the national average, sometimes by as much as 25 percent. 

But where there are higher rents, there are higher salaries. Average incomes vary a lot depending on where in Germany you live - with those in the west and south commanding the highest salaries - but generally speaking salaries in the federal republic are generous. More than 30 years after the Berlin Wall fell, wage inequality between eastern and western states is not stagnating but growing. Additionally, 30 percent of your monthly paycheck will go towards income taxes and social security contributions.

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Renting and house prices in France and Germany

In France, more people own than rent and in Germany, more people rent than own. How do the countries compare when it comes to finding somewhere, tenants' rights and the affordability of buying a house?

Renting and buying property in France

In France, 40 percent of the population are renters, lower than the 53,5 percent in Germany. According to Numbeo, the average cost of renting a one-bedroom flat in France is 900 euros per month and around 700 euros for a room.

In Paris, a one-bedroom flat in the centre will cost you an average of 1.297 euros per month, or outside of the centre, 966,55 euros per month. Outside Paris this average drops quite drastically, down to 595 euros in Nice, the second-most expensive city for renters, and 550 euros in Lyon, Bordeaux and Strasbourg.

Websites for finding a place to rent in France include Jinka, PAP, Se Loger, Le BonCoin and Carte des Colocs, but it is also worth checking print advertisements. Once you’ve found a place, LeBonCoin (France’s answer to Kleinanzeigen) is a great place to find affordable furniture.

If you are looking to buy a house in France, you should prepare to pay administrative fees, notary fees and estate agent fees. Additionally, around 90 percent of homeowners in France have home insurance.

If you are planning to purchase a house with a mortgage, there are several requirements you must meet; the monthly repayment must not exceed 35 percent of your gross income, the repayment plan must not exceed 25 years and you must have the right to remain in France for the duration of your payment plan, among other things.

Renting and house prices in Germany

The cost of housing in Germany can be high. Without beating about the bush, Germany is currently in the worst housing shortage it has seen in 20 years. In large cities, newcomers can spend six months to a year looking for something to rent under their own name, rather than a sublet.

If you do find a place, rents are increasingly expensive. A 2024 study by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) found that in 1991, just 5 percent of households in Germany were spending 40 percent or more of their income on rent. This figure has now risen to 14 percent. Tenants who pay more than 30 percent of their income on rent are considered “overburdened”, according to an internationally recognised guideline for affordable housing.

Asking rents in Berlin now sit at 14,19 euros per square metre. The German city where asking rents are currently the highest is Munich, at 20,97 euros per square meter and Frankfurt at 14,97 euros per square metre. This is the case despite a nationwide rent cap law (Mietpreisbremse), which is supposed to prevent rents in popular residential areas from going through the roof. But due to loopholes in the law, Conny, a company which helps tenants secure rent reductions, estimates that 75 percent of Berliners still pay illegally high rent.

Only around 45 percent of households in the federal republic own the home they live in and house price affordability in Germany is worsening. In 2023, the German housing market saw its biggest price drop in 60 years, particularly in Cologne and Stuttgart, but the cost of buying a house in many parts of Germany is still unaffordable for most working people. According to an assessment published by the property portal Immowelt in early 2023, a family of three in a German city has to earn a minimum of 5.000 euros per month before tax to be able to afford a 90-square-metre house or flat.

On these pages, you can find out more about buying a house and getting a mortgage in Germany.

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Healthcare in France versus Germany

France and Germany's healthcare systems are similar but differ in some crucial areas. Here's what you need to know:

The French healthcare system

France has a statutory health insurance system which provides healthcare for all residents. Like the German system, health insurance coverage in France is funded by an employee and their employer making contributions to a health insurance provider, topped up with subsidies from the French government. Statutory health insurance coverage will pay for 90 percent of hospital treatments and prescriptions, while dental and optician services - along with a few other services - must be paid for by the patient.

One major difference between the French and German statutory healthcare systems is that insured people still have to pay to see a doctor in France. Currently, the standard cost of seeing a doctor is 25 euros per visit.

The German healthcare system

The German healthcare system is funded by a mixture of employee and employer contributions and government subsidies and is run by both statutory and private healthcare providers, insurance schemes, regulatory bodies and the Federal Ministry of Health. Most people in Germany have statutory health insurance, since you must earn at least 69.300 euros per year (in 2024) to have private coverage.

The cost of statutory health care is deducted from your paycheck, with the employee and employer each paying 7,3 percent of the employee's salary towards health insurance. It covers both inpatient and outpatient care, and rehabilitation. Health insurance and long-term care insurance are compulsory for all residents of Germany, so it is important to make sure you are covered. 

These payments will cover almost all procedures and dentist visits. You don’t need to pay to see a doctor, dentist, gynaecologist or any other specialist in Germany, but you do have to pay for certain medicines, contraceptives and dental procedures.

Medical occupations are some of the worst affected by Germany’s record-high worker shortage, which means it can take a long time to find a doctor who will take you as a regular patient or to get an appointment with a specialist.

Weather and climate in France and Germany

Both France and Germany have a more sunny south and a rainier north. How do they compare over the year?

Sunny weather in southern France and rain in the north

Together with geography and temperament, the weather is one of the most important factors when it comes to how life in northern and southern France differs. Since it lies on the other side of the English Channel, the weather in northern France can be much like the worst weather in Britain, rainy and grey. That said, northern France also has its fair share of sunny days, with Paris enjoying at least 50 sunny days each year between 1991 and 2010.

Down south, sunshine can be counted on. In the winter months, southern France may get a little chilly, at around 8 degrees, but the sunshine will still prevail. The summer brings averages of around 24 degrees, but the weather has been getting hotter in recent years due to climate change. 

Weather and climate in Germany

Germany has a temperate climate, ranging from oceanic in the north to continental in the east and southeast, meaning winters range from cold in the Alps to mild in other parts of the country. Summer is typically the season that sees the most rainfall. 

Prevailing westerly winds bring moist air to the country’s northern regions, moderating the temperature, while the southeast regions are more prone to extreme seasonal changes in the weather. Climate change means that heatwaves, droughts and particularly flooding are becoming more regular and extreme across the country.

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Presidential and federal governments in France and Germany

France and Germany use different democratic systems, one presidential and one federal. How do they compare?

The French government

The current French governmental structure was born out of the 1958 constitution of the Fifth Republic, drafted by General Charles de Gaulle. The Fifth Republic uses a mixture of parliamentary and presidential systems, known as a semi-presidential form of government. France is a republic and its leader is the president, who is voted in by the electorate and appointed head of state by the prime minister.

The French parliament has two houses: the National Assembly (the lower house) and the Senate (the upper house). The National Assembly consists of 577 elected representatives, known as députés, and the Senate is composed of 348 senators, who are mostly municipal councillors representing each of the 101 départements.

The original Fifth Republic constitution drawn up by de Gaulle in 1958 ruled that the French presidential term would last for seven years, but the result of a 2000 referendum decided that this would be amended to five years.

French citizens over the age of 18 can vote in French presidential elections, which famously use the two-round system. In the first round, the electorate votes for their preferred candidate. If a candidate wins over 50 percent of the vote, they are elected, and if not, a second round of voting is held three weeks later.

The German government

There are three tiers of government in Germany: the municipalities, the federal states, and the federal government, which share political power between them. In separate elections, the German population votes for representatives to send to both the Bundestag (Federal Diet) and the Bundesrat (Federal Council). 

The Bundestag, which consists of at least 598 members, elects the federal chancellor, the German office with the greatest political power. The chancellor then chooses the other members of the federal government, known as federal ministers, and the federal cabinet. 

While Bundestag members are directly elected by the German people, the Bundesrat represents the governments of the 16 individual states. It is sometimes described as an upper house of parliament like the US Senate or the House of Lords in the UK. The head of the German state, known as the federal president, is a largely ceremonial position. 

Work culture in France

French and German working culture can come as a shock to newcomers to the country, for good and bad reasons. Both countries take distinct separation of work and leisure time seriously, but in different ways.

Jobs on offer in France

As the EU’s second-largest economy, there are thousands of different jobs available in France. Health and care, wholesale and retail, and manufacturing make up the country’s three largest employment industries.

According to the European Employment Services, the French industries where new employees are most sought after include wait and hotel staff, cooks, nurses, cleaners, animation workers and artists, construction workers, automotive repair workers and medical technicians. 

The job application process

Jobs in France can be found online, in print resources or in person. One of the first places to look, if you speak French, is the national employment agency website, Pôle Emploi.

If you don’t speak French, start learning! Like in Germany, it’s possible to get a job in France if you don’t speak the language, but you will be significantly more likely to find a job if you do have at least a basic understanding of French and an interest in reaching fluency.

If you have found a job that piques your interest, send your prospective employer a CV and, if requested, a cover letter, which should not exceed one page and should detail your motivations for applying. If you’re invited to an interview, don’t forget your Monsieurs, Madames and formal yous (vous).

Work contracts, conditions and hours

If you are offered a job in France, your employer is not legally obliged to give you a written work contract, but you can request one. This is advisable for future reference, in case of any unclarity about your role or possible disputes.

Like in Germany, trade unions play an important role in French work culture. Around 11 percent of the French working population are part of a union and the right to strike is enshrined in the French constitution.

Since 2000, France has had a 35-hour working week. This means that working 35 hours per week is considered full-time, while part-time employees work around 24 hours per week. The full working day is seven hours with a one-hour lunch break.

However, there are many caveats to the reduced working week law. Since the workload in many businesses and institutions is not adequately designed to maximise productivity in the shorter working week, many people work overtime. By law, any overtime hours in France should be compensated with a pay rate of 125 or 150 percent of the standard wage, but since there are no time-tracking obligations, workers can end up working overtime without compensation.

Like in Germany, the French working population takes leisure time seriously. It is considered unprofessional to contact colleagues for work purposes outside of working hours and, though it is not mandatory, it is a cultural tradition to take almost the whole month of August off work in France.

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Work culture in Germany

Germany has quite a formal work culture, hierarchies are observed and you would be expected to use the formal you (Sie) with your boss. While English, or a mixture of English and German, is increasingly spoken in German workplaces, it is still very much the case that German is the language of business. The better your German, the better chance you will have of finding a secure, well-paid job in Germany which is related to your interests and qualifications.

Jobs on offer in Germany

As mentioned, Germany is in the throes of a record-high worker shortage: in 2023, half of the companies operating in Germany were facing a worker shortage, according to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK). New measures, such as the Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card) have been implemented to try and encourage skilled workers to come to Germany.

Industry, construction, healthcare, teaching and childcare are among the industries hit hardest by the shortage. But as such a big country and with large, varying industries concentrated in different regions, there are all kinds of jobs on offer in Germany.

Applying for a job in Germany

The process of applying for a job in Germany is largely the same as in France, although you should be aware that German CVs and cover letters follow a pretty set format, so it’s worth making a few tweaks to ensure yours looks the way recruiters would expect. Attaching a picture, for example, is standard, but embellishment, business jargon and buzzwords are not. 

If the hiring manager likes what they see on your resume, you will be invited to interview. This may also include a skills assessment or another kind of test. While it of course varies according to the company, job interviews in Germany tend to be relatively formal affairs.

Work contracts, conditions and hours

If you have found a job and are accepted, your new employer will write up an employment contract (Arbeitsvertrag). You do not need to sign this straight away. You can take it away and check it over to make sure you understand and are happy with all the elements. If there is anything you do not understand or are unhappy about, you can discuss it with your company before you sign anything.

In Germany, the first contract typically has a probationary period and is temporary (befristet). Once you have worked this contract you may get a second one. If the company decides to keep you on, the third contract must be permanent. On average, the full-time working week in Germany is between 36 and 40 hours.

Around 43 percent of jobs in Germany are covered by Tarifverträge (collective bargaining agreements), well below the 90 percent in France and the 80 percent goal set by the European Union. However, recent years have seen a spike in the number of employees in Germany joining their relevant trade unions.

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French public holidays and popular events

In France, 11 official public holidays are celebrated in all of the départements. Four of these are moveable and are moved to a weekday if they fall on a weekend. 

Residents of the departments of Alsace and Moselle have two additional public holidays: Good Friday (Vendredi saint) and Boxing Day (Deuxième jour de Noël).

Bastille Day

On July 14, France and its overseas territories celebrate the country’s most significant public holiday, Bastille Day. Bastille Day, or la fête nationale, has been an official holiday since 1880 and marks the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, a medieval fortress and prison in Paris.

Under Louis XVI’s reign, the Bastille prison was used to detain political dissidents, many of whom opposed food shortages and high taxes imposed by the French monarchy. In 1789 the prison was stormed by protestors, an event widely considered to mark the start of the French Revolution.

In modern France, Bastille Day is recognised with the Fête de la Fédération military parade down the Champs-Elysees in Paris, while firework displays take place across many French towns and cities.

Fête du Travail (International Workers’ Day)

May Day or Fête du Travail, is a public holiday in France and a significant day in the national calendar, similar to German traditions of Tag der Arbeit. 

The first Fête du Travail celebrations date back to the end of the 18th century. Today, French trade unions organise mass demonstrations on May 1, which have been particularly heated in recent years due to the Macron government's decision to raise the national retirement age from 62 to 64.

On May 1, it is also common to gift a lily of the valley flower to friends and family, a tradition which dates back to 1561 and the house of King Charles IX.

Fête de la Musique

Taking place annually on June 21, Fête de la Musique or World Music Day is recognised in around 120 countries but is a particularly special occasion in France. This is because the festival was initiated by French Culture Minister Jack Lang and composer Maurice Flauret.

Since 1982, musicians in France have headed out to the street on the summer solstice to play their instruments on the pavement, in the park, in cafes, bars and on bridges. While Fête de la Musique is not a national holiday in France, it is marked in national calendars.

Luckily, Francophiles at heart, most German cities also have their own versions of the festival. In Berlin around 340 music groups take over 100 venues for one day.

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National holidays and popular events in Germany

Like many aspects of life in Germany, the number of national holidays (Feiertage) per year varies from state to state. While some, like New Year’s Day, Good Friday, German Unity Day and Christmas Day, are nationwide holidays, others are only observed in some federal states. The federal state with the most public holidays is Bavaria, where residents enjoy 13 public holidays per year. 

It is also worth noting that supermarkets and retail shops are closed on public holidays in Germany, and on Sundays.

German Unity Day (Tag der Deutschen Einheit)

October 3 is Germany’s annual Unity Day celebration. The nationwide public holiday recognises the day when the German Democratic Republic was made part of West Germany to create modern-day Germany.

While each German city has its own celebrations on October 3, there is also a larger celebration in one nominated host city each year. In the recent past, the main celebrations have been hosted in Potsdam, Kiel, Berlin, Mainz, Dresden and Frankfurt. These celebrations include performances from comedians, musicians and poets alongside food and drink.

Oktoberfest

Images of Oktoberfest are often what comes to mind when people across the world think of Germany and its traditions. The roots of the Volksfest reach back to 1810, when Prince Regent Ludwig married Princess Therese on October 12. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities, which took place on the meadow in front of the city gates. The meadow was later named Theresienwiese, where the Volksfest still takes place today, and the tradition grew and grew.

Today, over three weeks in September and October, Oktoberfest welcomes millions of visitors, who drink millions of Steins and eat millions of sausages while dancing on the table to Robbie Williams’ Angels, among other pop hits.

Christmas in Germany

Germany is also synonymous with Christmas, and for good reason. In the lead-up to Christmas, there are around 2.500 to 3.000 Christmas markets (Weihnachtsmärkte), with at least one to be found in every corner of the country. Here, Glühwein flows and sausages and Spätzle sightings whet your appetite.

The most important Christmas event in Germany finally rolls around on the evening of December 24, when most families open their presents and have their Christmas goose. This isn’t an official public holiday in Germany but most shops and businesses close around midday on December 24. December 25 (Erster Weihnachtstag) and 26 (Zweiter Weihnachtstag) are public holidays in all states.

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Family life with children in France

From giving birth to adopting, from the first day of school to the last, here’s everything you need to know about family life with children in France.

Maternity, paternity, parental leave and adoption in France

If you are thinking about having children in France you will want to understand how maternity, paternity and parental leave work. If you are legally resident and work in France, you are entitled to 16 weeks of maternity leave and are obliged to take at least eight of these weeks.

Paternity or partner leave in France is limited to 25 days, or 32 days in the case of multiple births. During maternity and paternity leave you can claim an allowance, the amount of which is calculated based on your social security contributions.

If you are adopting a child, you are granted 16 weeks of leave and 22 weeks if you are adopting multiple children. During the adoption period, you can also claim parental allowance.

The education system in France

The French education system is divided into four different stages; école maternelle, école élémentaire, collège and lycée. École maternelle (nursery) is compulsory and free for all children aged three to six years old. From the age of six, children attend école élémentaire (primary school), until they are 11 years old. Between the ages of 11 and 15, children progress to collège, the last compulsory stage of the French education system. 

If teens would like to continue academic study, as opposed to an apprenticeship or other vocational work, they can continue to lycée at 16 years old. Lycée is where teens complete the baccalauréat exams that they need to pass if they want to progress on to university. In France, children at école maternelle and école élémentaire are off school for the entire day on Wednesday, and at collège and lycée, school is closed on Wednesday afternoons.

There are around 3.500 public and private universities in France, where around 14 percent of students are non-French nationals. Bachelor’s degrees earned at French universities take around three years, or between four and seven years for certain degree paths, such as law or medicine.

University tuition fees are relatively low in France because higher education is heavily subsidised by the government, like in Germany. At state universities, students pay around 170 euros per year for a bachelor’s degree and 240 euros per year for a master’s degree.

Family life with children in Germany

Germany has been consistently ranked among the best countries in which to raise children, including ninth in the world for parental work-life balance.

Maternity, paternity, parental leave and adoption in Germany

If you’re thinking of starting a family, Germany is a good place to get settled, at least until you have to look for a midwife or a space at a Kita - those are hard to come by these days.

Maternity leave is 14 weeks long in Germany. A law to introduce a two-week paternity leave called “family start time” was initially announced as part of the government's 2021 coalition agreement, but is yet to be finalised.

What Germany should be credited for, however, is parental leave or Elternzeit. Elternzeit is a legal entitlement to time off work, given to both parents. Parents are free to decide how much parental leave they wish to take. It can be taken anytime between your child’s birth and their third birthday or saved up. Parents can take up to 24 months of parental leave at any point between their child’s second and seventh birthdays. Parents can take Elternzeit simultaneously or take turns and can claim Elterngeld (parental allowance) to mitigate their loss of earnings.

You can also claim parental allowance if you look after a child immediately from birth, even if it is not your own, and if you adopt a child (up to eight years old). Both heterosexual, same-sex, married and unmarried couples can adopt children in Germany.

The German education system

Parents in Germany are not obligated to send their children to Kita (nursery) but most do, and all children over the age of one are legally entitled to a free space at a state-run childcare facility before they are old enough to start school. If parents cannot find a free spot for their children, the government covers some of the cost of private childcare.

From the August 1 after their sixth birthday, all children must enter primary education (Grundschule) until they are between the ages of 10 and 12. Children then move on to secondary education, which can be completed at 10 different kinds of schools, either vocational, academic, or a mixture of both. The most common school to attend is a Gymnasium, where pupils can complete the Abitur exam required for progressing to higher education.

There are 422 universities in Germany, including some of the oldest and most esteemed in the world. University fees are relatively affordable in Germany, with all students paying around 300 euros per semester. Theses fees also pay for a ticket for regional public transport. However, given Germany’s housing shortage, it has become increasingly difficult to find affordable student housing in the federal republic.

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Quality of life in France versus Germany

Housing, jobs, working conditions, leisure time, transportation, education, healthcare and everything else, what kind of quality of life do they amount to in France and Germany when we add them all up?

Quality of life in France

In 2024, the French city of Grenoble was selected as the international city with the highest quality of life by the Global Cities Index by Oxford Economics. Beyond Grenoble, France generally has a high quality of life and when asked to rate their satisfaction with life, residents of France's average response is the same as the OECD average, 6,7 out of 10. 

Quality of life in Germany

In the past five years, Germany has usually ranked somewhere in the teens to as high as third place in quality of life rankings, which normally consider factors like purchasing power, pollution, the ratio of house prices to incomes, cost of living, safety, healthcare, traffic commute time and climate.

Germany has no fewer than 2.056 cities, which house around 77 percent of the country’s population. These cities are considered some of the best places to live in the world, but international people often comment that while working life is good in Germany, socialising has its shortcomings. But zooming out, the quality of life in Germany is generally pretty good.

France's major cities

There are 35.855 cities in France, with Paris, Marseille and Lyon being the three largest by population.

Paris

Paris’s 20 municipal districts (arrondissements) are home to 2,1 million people from all over the world. As the biggest city in France, Paris has everything you could ever want from a capital: jobs in all kinds of industries, plenty of events, a bustle and lots of beautiful spots where you can escape the bustle.

The city of light is the centre of the world for any lover of art, fashion and food. Catch Monet’s water lilies, stroll the canals, find some gems at flea markets and eat “wie Gott in Frankreich”.

Looking beyond the landmarks for which the capital is most famous, museums, national parks, gardens, galleries and some of the world’s most esteemed restaurants, Paris is full of quarters which reflect the country’s history of immigration, including Little Turkey of the 10th arrondissement and Chateau Rouge of the 18th.

Marseille

Marseille sits on the Côte d'Azur and is the second largest city in France, with a population of around 861.636 people. The city is centred around its Old Port, which has been a natural harbour since antiquity when Greek settlers set up a trading post at the site. Other major sights include the Notre-Dame de la Garde Basilica and the Massif des Calanques National Park, which stretches along the Mediterranean coast to Cassis.

Marseille has 16 bustling boroughs, welcomes many tourists and, being a port city, has had an international population for its entire modern history. In 1880, one in six Marseillais were foreign-born and during the 19th and 20th centuries, Armenians, Italians, Jewish people and North Africans became the largest migrant populations in the city.

With the heat of the Riviera and no fewer than 2.300 days of sunshine a year, Marseille lends itself to swimming and other outdoor activities. But be warned, the heat can also be oppressive in the city, with highs over 30 degrees celsius being common in the summer months.

Lyon

With 513.275 inhabitants, Lyon is France’s third-largest city. It sits at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers in southern, central France.

Lyon’s city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site packed with Rennaissance buildings, closes (traboules) and sloping streets. Alongside its architectural landmarks, Lyon is known for its cuisine. The home of Cervelas de Lyon saucisson, Lyonnaise potatoes, coq au vin and marron glacé, the city has been called “the gastronomic capital of the world”.

Lyon may be smaller than Paris or Marseille, but it is still very international. Around 13 percent of Lyonnaise are without French citizenship and the city also has an academic reputation, home to around 130.000 students, 15.000 of whom are international students.

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Major German cities

As of 2024, there are no fewer than 2.056 German cities and 12 cities with over 550.000 residents. Berlin, Hamburg and Munich are the most populous.

Berlin

In the past 100 years, Berlin has experienced a whirlwind. This city is still shaped by its postwar division into the French, US, British and Soviet sectors and by the large number of Italian, Turkish, Vietnamese, Greek and Spanish “Gastarbeiter” (guest workers) invited to Germany in the 1960s and 1970s to fill the country’s worker shortage.

Since the Berlin Wall fell, the city has become best-known for its thriving arts and nightlife scenes, made possible by (once) affordable rents and generous government grants for artists and musicians. With many flocking to the Hauptstadt for these reasons, today, around 22 percent of the Berlin population aren't German citizens and 48 percent have a migrant background.

But as many large companies, such as Tesla and Amazon, have been encouraged to set up shop in Berlin in recent years, the city is becoming less affordable for most. In 2024, the capital moved into the top three German cities with the most expensive rents, breaking the threshold of 20 euros per square metre for new build rentals.

Hamburg

Hamburg is the second-biggest city in Germany. The port city lies on the River Elbe and owes its wealth to its proximity to the North Sea. After mass bombing during the Second World War, business districts were established in 1960s Hamburg, attracting creative people, including the Beatles no less, from all over the world.

Today, Hamburg’s international status means jobs in almost any kind of industry can be found in the city, though, like everywhere in Germany, rents are increasingly expensive. A 2023 study by the German Economic Institute (IW) found that living costs in the port city are 11,5 percent more expensive than the German average.

For the evenings and weekends, Hamburg boasts a nightlife to rival Berlin and two festivals that are a must for any hip culture vulture in Germany: Altonale, a 17-day-long art, music, film and theatre festival taking place in June, and Reeperbahnfest, a music festival where you can catch all of the latest sounds coming out of Germany.

Munich

If you’ve spent time in the north and former east, you will notice that southern Germany is much closer to centuries-old traditions. Munich played an important role in modern German history, with Adolf Hitler naming it the “Capital of the Movement” and the halls of the local Ludwig Maximilian University birthing one of the most famous Nazi resistance movements, Weiße Rose (White Rose).

Today, Munich is associated with its long-established car production industry and burgeoning tech industry. Salaries in Munich are the highest in Germany and so are rents, at 20,97 euros per square meter. The capital of Bavaria is consistently ranked the most expensive city to live in across the federal republic.

Munich’s location means it is an excellent spot for visiting nature. Climb the 306 steps to the top of St. Peter’s church tower on the central Marienplatz and you will get a clear view of the Alps. Lake Constance (Bodensee), Germany’s biggest lake, which lies on the border with Switzerland, is two and a half hours away by train.

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Food in France vs Germany

France is synonymous with food and, in particular, with high-quality meat, cheese, bread, wine and vegetables. But snail stereotypes aside, what is the French food culture of everyday life?

Traditional French foods

Traditional French foods are famous the world over for a reason: they are delicious and still staples of the French everyday diet. Croissants are ubiquitous, with the French claiming to eat between two and three per week. Similar to the Reinheitsgebot rulings on German beer, a French croissant must use only butter. Any “croissant” containing margarine must communicate this information and betray the crescent for a straight pastry shape.

According to 2021 figures from Planetscope, around 10 billion baguettes are eaten in France every year, unsurprising given that they can be served as part of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Cheese, meats (charcuterie) and wine often come with lunch and dinner, but not before an apéritif, drinks and small snacks - such as olives or breadsticks - which are served to whet the appetite.

Like the Italians, the French have lots of rules surrounding food, what goes with what and which pairings amount to sacrilege. They are also sticklers for seasonal eating. Living in a country where the fruit and vegetables can be of such high quality means it would be offensive to eat a gaunt tomato in December or suggest baking a pear frangipane in June.

All this said, French food is maybe more influenced by US food culture than it would like to admit. Like any country since at least the mid-1970s, the French diet also comprises international fast food chain products, fizzy drinks and other ultra-processed foods.

Why is food so expensive in France?

The cost of food has risen dramatically in France in recent years, thanks to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But high-quality and ultra-processed alike, you will also notice that food is generally more expensive in France than in many neighbouring countries. 

While most countries regularly readjust food prices, in France costs are set between December and March and cannot be changed for the rest of the year. Generally, prices are increased by 10 percent each year.

Since the EU contributes four times more in subsidies to animal farming than plant farming, and the French are big on animal products, vegetarian and vegan alternatives are often expensive in France, much more so than in Germany. Alternatives to cow’s milk are also not as widely drunk.

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Food in Germany

German food culture perhaps sometimes tips over from an international status of fame to infamy. But don’t worry, it’s not all Wurst, and sometimes Germany delivers. Just don’t ask for pasta or expect anything spicier than paprika.

Traditional German food

Sausages and beer might be the best-known things about Germany, and the country does both very well, alongside delicious potato salads, a superb pumpkin seed bread, the tangiest and crunchiest of magenta Rotkohl and of course, asparagus. Germany is mad on asparagus. If you’re a fan of the northern European meat, potatoes, vegetable and sauce diet, Germany is heaven on Earth, at least during the winter months.

Like most European countries, it has its migrant populations to thank for introducing any spice beyond salt and pepper, so if you love a flavour combination which tickles every part of your tongue, head for the falafel, the Döner, hummus, Börek and Mezze which has captured Germany’s heart since the 1970s. Berliners alone are thought to eat 400.000 Döner each day.

For something less heavy, look to Vietnam. The GDR’s relationship with communist Vietnam reflected in today’s large German-Vietnamese population means that very tasty Vietnamese food is easy to find in Germany. 

Veganism and vegetarianism in Germany

While the Wurst reputation precedes Germany, the selection of vegan and vegetarian products available in German supermarkets is unrivalled in Europe, apart from perhaps in the UK.

Each year the trend continues. In 2023, meat consumption in Germany fell to a low not seen since records began in 1991, preliminary figures from the Federal Information Centre for Agriculture (BZL) confirmed. As a result, meat production is also decreasing.

In the past years, German supermarkets have clocked on, expanding their vegetarian and vegan own-brand ranges, which are affordable. If you visit a mid-range supermarket chain in Germany these days, you’ll be able to get anything you like, from fungi-made cheese to vegan fish fingers and vegan versions of regional specialities like Spätzle. A testament to the shift, vegan Currywurst are even served up at Oktoberfest these days.

France vs Germany

Bon, you decide. Now that you're a Besserwisser in all things France vs Germany which country would you say is calling your name the loudest?

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