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Get tips, join events & make friends in Munich
Are you a British citizen living in Munich or thinking about moving here?
Experiencing Munich and the German culture can be fun and exciting, but sometimes you just want to spend time with your fellow countrymen. Maybe you want to watch football together with other Brits, you’re craving some good fish and chips and need a recommendation, or you’d just love to discuss the latest UK politics with someone.
Luckily, the InterNations community has got you covered. Discover the ins and outs of life in Munich from a British perspective and have fun getting together with fellow expats in the city.
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Antoine Mariaux
What I really like about InterNations Munich? The wonderful crowd of outgoing and lively expats at our local events, of course!
Chen Ming
I had my first "mass" of Oktoberfest beer at the InterNations event for the Munich expat community - thank you, InterNations! :)
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Why you'll love InterNations in Munich
and countless possibilities for fun and friendship!
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Britons in Munich: The Pros & Cons of Expat Life
Thinking about moving to Munich as a Briton? These pros and cons come from the InterNations Expat Insider 2026 survey, in which thousands of expats around the world share what they like and don't like about life abroad each year. The points below reflect what British expats in Munich wrote in their own words, backed up by survey percentages from all expats living there.
What British expats love about living in Munich
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Nature and the outdoors are on the doorstep. 96% of expats in Munich rate the natural environment positively and 86% recreational sports, with the Alps and scenic countryside close by.
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It's safe, clean, and easy to get around. 91% rate personal safety positively, 90% getting around on foot or by bike, and 84% the availability of public transportation.
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Careers and healthcare are strong. Britons praise good pay without sacrificing balance, plus a solid health system, with 48% rating the local job market positively (above the 38% global average).
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It's a central location to travel all of Europe. 95% of expats in Munich rate the opportunity to travel positively, one of the highest scores anywhere.
The downsides of Munich for British expats
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Housing is very expensive. Just 8% of expats in Munich rate housing affordability positively and 15% the general cost of living, and Britons describe it as an elite, pricey city.
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Locals are hard to befriend. Only 19% say making local friends is easy, 38% rate friendliness positively, and 41% feel welcome, with loneliness a real theme.
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The language is a wall to integration. Just 20% say German is easy to learn, and only 30% get by without it, even after real effort.
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Bureaucracy and grey winters. Only 23% find bureaucracy easy and 45% rate the climate positively.
For Britons, Munich offers safety, nature, healthcare, and a beautifully run life at the centre of Europe. The trade-offs are steep housing costs, reserved locals, and a hard language. If you value stability and the outdoors over an easy social landing, it rewards patience.
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Why do Brits move abroad … (and do they like it?)
Every year, we run one of the biggest global surveys among expats and ask them about various aspects of their life. Learn what motivates our British members to move abroad, what keeps them there, and what they struggle with or miss about home.
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Meet British expats at our events in Munich
Making friends and building a network in a new city can be hard. So, you’ll be glad to learn that at our events, everyone is from somewhere else and it’s completely normal to introduce yourself to people and ask them about their own expat journey.
Newcomers’ Events are specially geared towards people new to the city. Our hosts, called Ambassadors, will greet you with open arms and introduce you to other newcomers or more experienced expats living in Munich.
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Frequent questions about expat life in Munich
If you’re into the idea of just bumping into other Brits in a bar, you can try your luck with places like Kilians or Kennedy’s, Irish pubs that also show major football and rugby games like the Premier League and the Six Nations Championship. But that’s doing it the hard way in our opinion.
It’s much easier to make friends when attending specific events for global minds. Our InterNations events are a great opportunity to meet British and other English-speaking expats in Munich. Especially our Newcomers’ Events are geared towards introducing newbies to the community, which makes finding your first friends a whole lot easier than trying your luck in a bar.
The average cost of living in Munich can range from 2,000 to 3,500 EUR depending on your circumstances and family situation. Most people say to live comfortably in Germany with your family you should earn about 5,000 EUR monthly.
Let’s break down the monthly costs of living in Munich:
| EUR | GBP (approx.) | |
Utilities (power, water, etc.) | 300 | 260 |
Rent for a studio apartment | 1,500 | 1,300 |
Rent for a small family home | 2,000–2,500 | 1,700–2,100 |
Public transport | 63 | 55 |
Mobile phone & internet | 60 | 50 |
Meal at a restaurant (per person) | 20 | 17 |
Groceries (per person) | 200–350 | 170–300 |
Public health insurance | min. 7.3% of gross salary |
Munich is a very international city that receives a substantial number of foreign tourists every year. So, getting around with no to very limited German skills is doable. But it won’t always be easy! The most challenging moments usually occur when you must get official paperwork done, are looking for a flat, need to see a doctor, and similar.
So ideally, you treat your time in Munich as an opportunity to learn some German. There’s a wide variety of affordable language schools to get you started. Or you use online apps to improve on your own time and budget.
To make your time in Munich a bit easier, we’ve collected some services that cater to English speakers (these services are not affiliated with or endorsed by InterNations):
Medical Care Directory by the US Embassy — List of English-speaking doctors and medical services in Munich; includes their location so you can find one close to you
Zahnarztpraxis Dr. Topp — Dentist who speaks multiple languages besides English; easy to reach by U-Bahn or bus
Munich Smiles — Easily reachable dentist in the city center
Helios — Hospital providing medical assistance in the language you speak in, with several locations across Germany
Immigration-Germany.co — Relocation and visa support with a full-service approach
Privatax — Tax adviser that will prevent you from being double taxed and help you navigate the German tax system
Dolmetscher agentur 24 — Round-the-clock interpretation services and more
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Find friends to pursue your passions with
Do you want to continue with your hobbies — or discover new ones — while living in Munich? There’s a variety of InterNations Groups you can join, covering everything from music making to running and beyond.
These groups are run by dedicated Consuls with at least one activity each month. Enjoy dinners in Munich’s finest restaurants with the DinnerNations Group or join the New in Town Group to explore all that the city has to offer, from the Nymphenburg Palace to Marienplatz, a major public space in the heart of Munich with plenty of cafes and bars.
There are also groups for various sports, you can keep your mind active at the Writers Café or with the Coaching Pioneers, and much more!
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Enjoy the international experience with InterNations
We’re not just active in Munich — InterNations offers lively communities in most of Germany’s major cities.
If you’re traveling or moving within the country, check out our British communities in Berlin, Hamburg , Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Essen, Cologne, Bonn, Regensburg, Heidelberg, Stuttgart, or many more cities.
But that’s not all: we have communities in 420 cities worldwide. So if you’re in the mood for a nice night out while traveling further abroad, simply check what InterNations events are waiting for you: Browse all InterNations Communities worldwide.
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British expats in Germany
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Other Nationalities in Munich
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