What’s expat life in Stuttgart like?

Considering living in Stuttgart? Discover what expat life in Stuttgart is like in terms of quality of life, making friends, prices, opportunities, and culture.

Greta

5 minute read

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Updated on 5 Aug 2024

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Living

Living in Stuttgart is like enjoying the best of both worlds, where history meets modernity in a charming city setting. Whether you're new to the city or thinking of moving to Stuttgart, find out what life in Stuttgart holds for you.

Nearly 250,000 expats call Stuttgart their home because the city offers a great quality of life for expats, with a strong economy, excellent infrastructure, and a rich cultural scene. More importantly, the city has a strong sense of community, with numerous events and activities to help newcomers integrate and make friends. Overall, expat life in Stuttgart is a rewarding experience for those looking to live and work in one of Germany's best cities.

Explore the pros and cons of living in Stuttgart.

Expats will find a high standard of living in Stuttgart, with plenty of green spaces, good infrastructure, a thriving food and wine scene, and cultural events.

The city is surrounded by picturesque hills and valleys, offering ample opportunities for hiking, cycling, and other outdoor activities. Within the city, you’ll find plenty of parks, which are perfect for picnics, jogging, or relaxing. Best of all, the city has a well-connected transportation system that makes getting around easy and efficient.

Stuttgart's culinary scene is another highlight, with a wide variety of local and international cuisine available. The nearby hills also make it easy to taste local wine from one of the oldest and most traditional wine-growing regions in Germany.

For internationals living in Stuttgart, the city offers a thriving cultural scene, with numerous museums, theaters, and music venues. There’re also plenty of fun things to do all year around, including Comic-Con, Stuttgart Wine Festival and Canstatter Volksfest.

Theater and comedy performances in English

Although German performances are the norm, the following theaters occasionally offer performances in English for expats.

1. Theaterhaus Stuttgart: You can explore different programs at this theater, including dance, jazz, poetry, cabaret, comedy, and more. Tip: most print-at-home tickets will be valid as a VVS combi ticket, entitling you to a return trip to and from the theater using Stuttgart's public transport.

2. Komödie im Marquardt: Known for its English-language comedy shows and performances, with a focus on stand-up comedy.

3. Merlin Kulturzentrum: This cultural center hosts a diverse range of performances, including over 150 concerts, readings, theater productions, and films.

4. Forum Theater Stuttgart: Catch 3–4 in-house classics, modern classics, and contemporary plays every season. Or view guest performances in the form of musicals, comedy, and more.

5. State Theater Stuttgart: Occasionally, you’ll find English opera, theater, and ballet shows. You can also do a 90-minute guided tour to see how the theater operates.

Cinemas in English

Films in Germany often have German subtitles and are dubbed in German. Thankfully, a few cinemas do offer English originals or movies with English subtitles.

1. CinemaxX Stuttgart SI-Centrum: Find the latest Hollywood releases in English. To be sure the screening of a Hollywood film is in English, look for the words OV, meaning original version.

Price: €6.99–€10.49

2. Corso Cinema International: This independent cinema in Stuttgart often screens English-language movies, especially art-house films and independent productions. These English originals are usually shown with German subtitles (indicated by OmU).

Price: €9

3. EM Gloria: This 70-year-old cinema offers a variety of movie screenings, including some in English with German subtitles. And if you go on Tuesday, you’ll only pay €6.50 for an adult ticket as they have a Tuesday Cinema Day.

Price: €8.50

4. Atelier am Bollwerk: This independent cinema in Stuttgart screens some English movies with German subtitles. Here you’ll see contemporary films as well as classics from film history.

Price: €7.10–€9.50

With so many things to do, you might wonder, how expensive is Stuttgart? When comparing the cost of living across Germany, Stuttgart stands out as one of the most expensive. The monthly cost of living in Stuttgart is approximately €1,794 for expats renting an apartment.

Most of your expenses will go towards rent and utilities. Groceries will cost roughly €40–€60 per week and is comparable to the rest of Germany. Eating out will be roughly €20–€30 for dinner. For activities, expect €12 for cinema tickets and €30–€40 per month for a gym membership.

If you’re getting excited about life in Stuttgart, then it’s time to think about where in Stuttgart you should live.

Picking a neighborhood is one of the most important considerations when moving abroad. To help you narrow down your choices, here’re 5 best neighborhoods in Stuttgart for expats: Stuttgart Mitte, Stuttgart West, Stuttgart Ost, Bad Canstatt, and Degerloch.

When it comes to the average rent, you can expect to pay €650 for a room, €780 for a studio, and €1,029 for an apartment with bills included.

Just remember that housing in Stuttgart is competitive. A tip to find affordable housing as an expat is to start searching months in advance. Take advantage of free online rental sites such as HousingAnywhere to set up search alerts. This way, you can find housing from abroad easily and safely.

As an expat in Stuttgart, finding new friends and like-minded people can be challenging. Luckily, there’re plenty of options to help you connect with others and build a social network in the city. Here’re 5 ways to meet new people in Stuttgart:

1. Internations Stuttgart is a global community for expats that provides a range of resources, including local events and activities, discussion forums, and job listings.

2. Meetup Stuttgart connects more than 2,500 expats in Stuttgart who share the same interests. You can join different groups that cater to various activities, such as language exchange, socializing, cultural activities, and professional networking.

3. Volunteering for a local organization or charity can be a great way to meet people while giving back to the community.

4. Sports is a great way to stay fit and meet new people in Stuttgart. Check out gyms, sports associations, or stuttgartexpats.com to join the various sports groups available.

5. Facebook groups for expats living in Stuttgart can be helpful in many ways, from finding accommodation to making new friends. Here’re some Facebook groups where other expats share their experiences, tips, interests, and more:

• +Expats in Stuttgart+
• Expats Stuttgart
• Stuttgart Expats
• Stuttgart Expats and Locals
• Stuttgart Expat Ladies

56% of Germans speak English fluently, and with Sttugart being popular among expats, English will help you get by on most days. But knowing at least basic German will help you integrate, make local friends, and get some administrative work done easily.

Joining one of the many language classes in Stuttgart will help you learn German quickly and make some expat friends in the process. Here’re some places where you can learn German at any level and on weekdays and weekends.

1. Goethe-Institut Stuttgart: Prices start from €369 per course.

2. Volkshochschule Stuttgart: Prices per lesson start from €15, but you can join some of the introductory classes for free.

3. Deutschakademie Stuttgart: With the DeutschAkademie online German course, you can access over 25,000 online exercises and 800 hours of interactive German courses for free of charge. Prices for online group classes start from €50/month and private online lessons from €60/hour.

4. Berlitz Stuttgart: Schedule a free consultation to determine your level and join one of their many courses. For instance, a 3-month online course is €99 and a 14-week course with 80 lessons course is €649.

5. Lingoda: Perfect if you’d like to learn online and at your own pace with certified teachers. You can start a 7-day free trial to try and see if you’d like to continue.

Besides schools, you can also join language groups like BlaBla Stuttgart, a Facebook group that organizes events where expats can practice languages and socialize.

Now that you know what Stuttgart has to offer, take a look into how you can move to Germany.

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