Cost per day · Germany
Munich on $60, $150 or $400 a day
How much does Munich cost per day? Budget travellers get by on about $60 a day, mid-range trips run around $150, and luxury starts near $400 — accommodation, food, transport and activities included.
Munich is Bavaria's proud capital — a city that effortlessly balances world-class museums and BMW engineering with beer garden culture, medieval town squares, and the gateway to the Alps. Orderly, prosperous, and beautiful, it is consistently ranked among Europe's most liveable and most visited cities.
Munich is more expensive than most German cities, but still very manageable on a budget. A litre of beer in a beer garden costs €5–8, the MVV transit system is excellent, and the Englischer Garten is one of the world's greatest free parks. Avoid Oktoberfest season for accommodation.
✈️ How to Get There
🗺️ What to Do
The first Nazi concentration camp, now Germany's foundational memorial — free to enter, essential to understand, best visited with a guide.
Read guide → Get tickets on Tiqets →The Wittelsbachs' summer palace — a baroque façade wider than Versailles, swan-filled canals, and the hall where Ludwig II was born.
Read guide → Get tickets on Tiqets →FC Bayern's glowing spaceship — 75,000 seats, the tunnel walk, and a museum with more silverware than shelf.
Read guide → Get tickets on Tiqets →🏨 Where to Stay
Award-winning hostel near central station, great facilities
Check prices on Klook →Budget hotel-hostel hybrid, clean and well-located near station
Check prices on Klook →Hostel accommodation with dorm beds and, usually, a few private rooms.
Check prices on Klook →Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Altstadt & Beer Hall ~$40
Day 2: Museums & the English Garden ~$35
Day 3: Day Trip: Neuschwanstein or Dachau ~$42
Eat lunch at the Viktualienmarkt — sausages and a pretzel for €5. The Deutsches Museum is the world's best science museum at €15. The MVV day ticket covers all transport for €10. Sleep in Maxvorstadt or Schwabing for cheaper hostel rates. The Englischer Garten's beer gardens are authentic, not touristy.
Mid-range Munich is superb — boutique hotels in Maxvorstadt or Glockenbachviertel, excellent Bavarian restaurants and international cuisine, day trips to Neuschwanstein, Dachau, and the Alps, and easy access to every major museum. The city rewards spending a little more.
✈️ How to Get There
🗺️ What to Do
The Wittelsbachs' summer palace — a baroque façade wider than Versailles, swan-filled canals, and the hall where Ludwig II was born.
Read guide → Get tickets on Tiqets →FC Bayern's glowing spaceship — 75,000 seats, the tunnel walk, and a museum with more silverware than shelf.
Read guide → Get tickets on Tiqets →Mad King Ludwig's fairy-tale castle in the Alps — the one Disney copied, two hours from Munich, and strictly a book-ahead affair.
Read guide → Get tickets on Tiqets →🏨 Where to Stay
Elegant boutique on Maximilianstrasse, Mark's Restaurant on site
Check prices on Klook →Upper-tier international hotel: larger rooms, a pool or spa at most properties, central location.
Check prices on Klook →Four-star chain hotel, reliably comfortable rooms and full service without luxury pricing.
Check prices on Klook →Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Art & Beer Culture ~$110
Day 2: Nymphenburg & Olympic Park ~$110
Day 3: Alps Day Trip ~$120
Book Neuschwanstein tickets 3 months ahead — no exceptions. Stay in Glockenbachviertel or Maxvorstadt for the best atmosphere. Altes Hackerhaus is the best traditional Bavarian restaurant in the old town. The Deutsche Bahn day return to Salzburg takes 2 hours and costs €30–50.
Luxury Munich means the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski, a private BMW factory tour, box seats at Allianz Arena, and tasting menus at Alois — Dallmayr's Michelin-starred restaurant. Augsburg and Berchtesgaden make exceptional day trips by chauffeured car.
✈️ How to Get There
🗺️ What to Do
The Wittelsbachs' summer palace — a baroque façade wider than Versailles, swan-filled canals, and the hall where Ludwig II was born.
Read guide → Get tickets on Tiqets →FC Bayern's glowing spaceship — 75,000 seats, the tunnel walk, and a museum with more silverware than shelf.
Read guide → Get tickets on Tiqets →Mad King Ludwig's fairy-tale castle in the Alps — the one Disney copied, two hours from Munich, and strictly a book-ahead affair.
Read guide → Get tickets on Tiqets →🏨 Where to Stay
Schwabing address, exceptional spa, Michelin-starred Sophia's
Check prices on Klook →Munich's most celebrated hotel, Maximilianstrasse landmark since 1858
Check prices on Klook →Palatial suites in Munich's historic grand hotel, rooftop bar
Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Private Munich ~$700
Day 2: Alps & Neuschwanstein ~$750
Day 3: Opera, Markets & Farewell ~$800
The Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski is Munich's finest hotel — suites overlook Maximilianstrasse. Arrange a private BMW Welt factory and museum tour. Alois restaurant at Dallmayr needs booking 4–6 weeks ahead. A helicopter to Neuschwanstein via the Alps is one of Bavaria's most spectacular experiences.
About Munich
Continental climate with warm summers and cold winters. May-June: the beer gardens open, the Alps are snow-capped but accessible, and the city is in full civic bloom - the best weather for sightseeing. September-October: Oktoberfest (the last two weeks of September and first week of October) draws 6-7 million visitors - book accommodation a year ahead or expect to pay PS500+/night. October-April: Munich's Christmas markets (Christkindlmarkt at Marienplatz, among the finest in Europe) run from late November. Winter skiing in the Alps is 90 minutes away. July-August: hot (30-35 degrees C), excellent for the beer gardens and lakes, but peak tourist season.
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Munich has an excellent integrated public transport network (MVV): U-Bahn (metro), S-Bahn (suburban rail), trams, and buses. A single inner-zone ticket costs €3.70; a day ticket costs €9.20. The airport is 40 minutes by S-Bahn (S1 or S8, €13.60) - buy the Airport-City-Day-Ticket for €16 if visiting on the way in. The city is very cyclable (Munich is flat). Taxis are expensive (€2.70 flag fall) - use U-Bahn wherever possible. The main station (Hauptbahnhof) connects to Vienna (4h), Zurich (3.5h), Berlin (4h), and the Alps. Intercity rail is excellent in Bavaria.
A travel eSIM gets you online the moment you land in Germany — data plans start at $4 — no roaming bill, no queue for a local SIM, and nothing to swap in and out of your phone. Install it before you fly.
The old city centre: Marienplatz is the main square with the Neues Rathaus Glockenspiel (the mechanical clock carillon that performs at 11am and noon - free, very touristy but genuinely impressive at 85 bells). The Frauenkirche (the twin-domed cathedral, free) and the Viktualienmarkt (the outdoor food market, open daily - the best place for Bavarian sausages and bread for breakfast) are both here. The Hofbrauhaus (the most famous beer hall in the world, since 1589) is 2 minutes from Marienplatz - expensive and tourist-heavy, but you should go once.
Best for midrangeThe museum district: the Pinakotheken (three world-class art museums in 5 minutes of each other - Alte Pinakothek for Old Masters €8, Neue Pinakothek for 19th century €8, Pinakothek der Moderne for contemporary art and design €12). Sunday entry is €1 at all three. The Deutsches Museum (the world's largest science and technology museum, €15 - submarines, planes, musical instruments, chemistry lab where benzene was discovered). The Ludwig Maximilian University neighborhood has the best cafes and the lowest prices in central Munich.
Best for midrangeThe former bohemian quarter north of the museum district: the English Garden (Englischer Garten) - larger than Central Park, with beer gardens, nude sunbathing meadows, and the artificial Eisbach wave where surfers ride a standing wave in the middle of a city park (year-round, free to watch). The Chinesischer Turm beer garden (the second largest in Munich, 7,000 seats, excellent and relatively affordable). Schwabing has the most affordable restaurants and the most genuine Munich street life.
Best for budgetThe creative southern quarter: Munich's most progressive neighborhood, with natural wine bars, independent coffee shops, and excellent restaurants at prices below the tourist centre. The Isar River banks south of the old city are a free urban beach in summer - Munichers swim in the river, barbecue on the banks, and sunbathe on the gravel. The Mullersches Volksbad (a Art Nouveau public swimming pool, €6 entry) is one of the finest historic baths in Europe.
Best for budgetThe neighborhood east of the Isar: the French Quarter (Franzosisches Viertel) named after the street names, with good neighborhood restaurants and bars that serve locals rather than tourists. The Maximilianeum (the Bavarian state parliament, tours available) on the Maximiliansstrasse connects to Marienplatz across the river. The Gasteig cultural centre is here.
Best for midrangeThe western royal district: Nymphenburg Palace (€15 - the Wittelsbach summer palace, a 2km-wide baroque complex with canals, gardens, and the Amalienburg hunting lodge inside the grounds - one of the finest rococo interiors in Europe). The Nymphenburg porcelain manufactory is adjacent. The neighborhood is Munich's most prosperous, with excellent restaurants on Nymphenburger Strasse and the Olympic Park (free, the 1972 Olympic site with a tower view at €9).
Best for luxury- ✓Be punctual — Bavarian punctuality is real
- ✓Greet with "Grüß Gott" — the regional Catholic greeting
- ✓Tip ~10% at restaurants, said aloud to the server when paying
- ✓Carry cash — many beer halls and bakeries are cash-first
- ✓Wait for the green man — never jaywalk
- ✓Make eye contact when toasting "Prost!" at a Bavarian table
- ✗Skip the Oktoberfest dress code if invited — Tracht is taken seriously
- ✗Be loud in restaurants — Bavarians are warm but not raucous
- ✗Ask for "American" beer — German purity-law beers are the point
- ✗Confuse Bavaria with the rest of Germany — proud distinction
- ✗Photograph beer-tent staff or strangers without asking
- ✗Expect shops on Sundays — closed across Bavaria
Travel Insurance for Munich
Travel insurance is strongly recommended for any trip to Munich. Safety is rated Very safe - one of the safest large cities in Germany. Standard awareness at Oktoberfest (pickpockets target intoxicated tourists). — even in safe destinations, unexpected medical emergencies or trip cancellations can be costly. Make sure your policy covers emergency medical treatment, hospitalisation, trip cancellation, and emergency evacuation.
Visa note: Schengen zone - 90 days visa-free for most nationalities. Some countries require proof of travel insurance as part of the visa application.
Get travel insurance for Munich →FAQ: Munich Travel Questions
Is Munich safe to visit? ▾
Very safe - one of the safest large cities in Germany. Standard awareness at Oktoberfest (pickpockets target intoxicated tourists).
When is the best time to visit Munich? ▾
May - June, September - October Continental climate with warm summers and cold winters. May-June: the beer gardens open, the Alps are snow-capped but accessible, and the city is in full civic bloom - the best weather for sightseeing. September-October: Oktoberfest (the last two weeks of September and first week of October) draws 6-7 million visitors - book accommodation a year ahead or expect to pay PS500+/night. October-April: Munich's Christmas markets (Christkindlmarkt at Marienplatz, among the finest in Europe) run from late November. Winter skiing in the Alps is 90 minutes away. July-August: hot (30-35 degrees C), excellent for the beer gardens and lakes, but peak tourist season.
How much does a trip to Munich cost per day? ▾
- budget: $60–$95/day
- midrange: $150–$250/day
- luxury: $400–$700/day
- business: $200–$380/day
Do I need a visa to visit Germany? ▾
Schengen zone - 90 days visa-free for most nationalities
How do I get around Munich? ▾
Munich has an excellent integrated public transport network (MVV): U-Bahn (metro), S-Bahn (suburban rail), trams, and buses. A single inner-zone ticket costs €3.70; a day ticket costs €9.20. The airport is 40 minutes by S-Bahn (S1 or S8, €13.60) - buy the Airport-City-Day-Ticket for €16 if visiting on the way in. The city is very cyclable (Munich is flat). Taxis are expensive (€2.70 flag fall) - use U-Bahn wherever possible. The main station (Hauptbahnhof) connects to Vienna (4h), Zurich (3.5h), Berlin (4h), and the Alps. Intercity rail is excellent in Bavaria. Munich has a metro system. Taxi base fare ~$3. Day pass ~$9.
Is tipping expected in Munich? ▾
10% is standard and expected at restaurants. Round up for taxis. At beer gardens and casual places, round up generously. Say the amount when paying (e.g. "25 euros" and hand over 30) - do not leave it on the table.
What currency is used in Germany? ▾
The local currency is EUR (€), and the official language is German (Bavarian dialect - locals appreciate any attempt).
Munich vs Other Germany Cities
Getting to and from Munich
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