Money in Europe?

Question

Is 1500 euros a month enough to survive in Berlin, Paris, Madrid, or Amsterdam?

Answer 1

Id say yes, that will get you by if you stay in hostels and don't eat out a lot. You'll find some cities a little pricer than other.

Answer 2

If you want to live in the Netherlands, it might be enough, specially if your rent is low.

1500 Euro is more than the social minimum for a family in the Netherlands, but if you have to pay tax over it, it will be very tight even for a person alone.

And if you have to rent an apartment on the free market, (very likely if you are new in the country) you have to be really careful, otherwise you may end up paying more for your apartment than you earn, no money for food and other needed things either.

And seeing your questions today, I think you will have to rethink your plans.

I get the impression that you are hoping to work in Europe, but have not yet read about what you need first, being visa and associated paperwork.

Answer 3

Definitely in Berlin: as a tourist but also as a resident.

As a tourist, expect more expenses, because you eat out more, pay for attractions, etc. Naturally, this won't be staying at the Ritz and eating at the best restaurants.

However, you can easily find a holiday apartments (or affordable hotels) for very little; food and going out is cheap; and many attractions are cheap for youth/students or cheap in general.

Apartments in Berlin

http://www.booking.com/searchresults.htm...

Guest Accommodation in Berlin

http://www.booking.com/searchresults.htm...

Hotels

http://www.hotel.de/Search.aspx?hs_lnh=4...

http://www.booking.com/searchresults.htm...

In the other cities, I think rent is much higher, which means that even residents, who are not tourists and eat at home, don't go to attractions and basically spend money only on food, transportation, rent and similar expenses (phone, Internet) would find it hard to live from 1500 EUR. In Berlin it is a piece of cake: I know people who live as residents for a third of this amount.

Answer 4

Assuming you're a tourist, accommodation in hostels will cost you around 20-30 euros per night, maybe more. Food, if you by from supermarkets and takeaway, maybe 15euros per day.  But that doesn't leave you much for transport or sightseeing.

Answer 5

Are you talking about travelling on a shoestring, or living there?  If you aren't making at least 2000, I don't think you can make ends meet in Madrid...If that's what you mean.

Answer 6

After reading other questions from you that you mean as a salary to live on

If you mean as a net salary, then as a single guy renting a room in a shared house in a cheap area of Amsterdam, then you could manage yes.  If you mean as a gross salary (before tax) well this would be pretty difficult given the living costs including accomodation to live in Amsterdam but it depends on your lifestyle (how much you go out, if you want a mobile phone, internet connection etc etc)

I do not know the tax systems of the other countriesw so it is hard for me to judge