Berlin, Germany for digital nomads

About Berlin

Berlin is an affordable capital by Western European standards, with a growing tech scene and a well-developed cafe and coworking infrastructure. It combines intense nightlife and cultural life with urban lakes where you can swim in the summer, although it does not have a beach. Its public transportation system effectively connects all neighborhoods, and its international community of freelancers is one of the largest in Europe.

Visa and taxation

Citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland do not need a visa or residence permit to settle in Berlin thanks to the freedom of movement: they only need to register (Anmeldung) if they stay for more than three months.
Germany does not have a digital nomad visa per se like Portugal or Spain.
Anyone who spends more than 183 days in a twelve-month period in Germany becomes a German tax resident and is subject to tax on their worldwide income.

Health and medical insurance

Germany requires mandatory health insurance for all its residents, including the self-employed, and this is an essential requirement to process the freelance residence permit: the lack of an adequate policy is one of the most common causes of application rejection.
There are two systems: public insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung), whose cost is equivalent to between 19.1% and 22.6% of declared income with a minimum payment of around €250 per month, and private insurance (private Krankenversicherung), usually recommended for those who earn more than €35,000 per year.

Neighborhoods and coworkings

Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain concentrate much of Berlin's nightlife and alternative culture and attract young professionals from all over Europe; A one-bedroom apartment is between €1,000 and €1,400 per month.
Neukölln, especially its northern area, has established itself as the most dynamic and affordable neighborhood for digital nomads, with one-bedroom rents between €500 and €900.
Prenzlauer Berg combines cafes with good wifi and quiet streets, with rents between €800 and €1,500 for a bedroom.
Among coworkings, betahaus, founded in 2009 in Kreuzberg, was one of the first coworking spaces in Berlin, with day passes from €35 and monthly memberships from €115.

Internet and mobile data

Activate an eSIM before arriving in Berlin and have data from minute one, without depending on the airport Wi-Fi or looking for a physical SIM.
It is the most practical option for most nomads: it is activated from the mobile phone before even leaving home, without queues or paperwork upon arrival.

Data sources

Numbeo Cost of Living Index (without rent), calculated using New York as a reference and converted to euros at the current exchange rate.
Average fixed broadband speed by country, Speedtest Global Index (Ookla).
Numbeo Safety Index (residents' perception of safety), rescaled to a score out of 10.
Numbeo Quality of Life Index (combines purchasing power, health, climate, cost, traffic and pollution), rescaled to a score out of 10.

Visa and taxation

Citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland do not need a visa or residence permit to settle in Berlin thanks to the freedom of movement: they only need to register (Anmeldung) if they stay for more than three months.

Germany does not have a digital nomad visa per se like Portugal or Spain.

Anyone who spends more than 183 days in a twelve-month period in Germany becomes a German tax resident and is subject to tax on their worldwide income.

Health and medical insurance

Germany requires mandatory health insurance for all its residents, including the self-employed, and this is an essential requirement to process the freelance residence permit: the lack of an adequate policy is one of the most common causes of application rejection.

There are two systems: public insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung), whose cost is equivalent to between 19.1% and 22.6% of declared income with a minimum payment of around €250 per month, and private insurance (private Krankenversicherung), usually recommended for those who earn more than €35,000 per year.

Neighborhoods and coworkings

Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain concentrate much of Berlin's nightlife and alternative culture and attract young professionals from all over Europe; A one-bedroom apartment is between €1,000 and €1,400 per month.

Neukölln, especially its northern area, has established itself as the most dynamic and affordable neighborhood for digital nomads, with one-bedroom rents between €500 and €900.

Prenzlauer Berg combines cafes with good wifi and quiet streets, with rents between €800 and €1,500 for a bedroom.

Among coworkings, betahaus, founded in 2009 in Kreuzberg, was one of the first coworking spaces in Berlin, with day passes from €35 and monthly memberships from €115.

Data sources

Numbeo Cost of Living Index (without rent), calculated using New York as a reference and converted to euros at the current exchange rate.

Average fixed broadband speed by country, Speedtest Global Index (Ookla).

Numbeo Safety Index (residents' perception of safety), rescaled to a score out of 10.

Numbeo Quality of Life Index (combines purchasing power, health, climate, cost, traffic and pollution), rescaled to a score out of 10.

Berlin

About Berlin

Highlighted data

Visa and taxation

Health and medical insurance

Neighborhoods and coworkings

Internet and mobile data

Data sources

Summary

Visa and taxation

Health and medical insurance

Neighborhoods and coworkings

Internet and mobile data

Data sources

Summary