Magdeburg’s industrial past still has an impact on its local lifestyle in the present day, thus this city does not offer much cultural variety. However, this city is changing more and more, partly because of the increasing number of students. There are plenty of affordable apartments here and the rent costs are relatively low. Hence, if you are moving to Germany soon, Magdeburg is worth considering.
Is Magdeburg a good place to live? The buildings surrounding the main railway station may appear rather dull for anyone arriving here for the first time, but this shouldn’t put off anybody as this city of roughly 230,000 inhabitants has numerous attractive spots. Magdeburg is a pleasant place to live, and many people living here feel it’s more inclusive than other bigger cities.
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Whether you’re moving to Magdeburg because of a new job or are just looking for a new relocation base in Germany, you have come to this post because you want to know more.
- Are the transport networks convenient?
- Are there good schools?
- What are the real estate prices?
Read on to know more.
Is Magdeburg a good place to Live?
Moving to Magdeburg is well worth considering as the area has a variety of good neighbourhoods. Hasselbachplatz, Universitaetsplatz and along Breiter weg are suitable for expat or German citizens who love busy neighbourhoods. Quitter and greener neighbourhoods can be found outside the city centre like Buckau, Herrenkrug, Neustadter platz, and Westring.
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Magdeburg does have bad neighbourhoods as such. The area has friendly locals and not so friendly inhabitants evenly distributed throughout the city. Therefore, it’s not easy to call any neighbourhood here “bad”.
Crime levels are also very low in this area. Crime index for Magdeburg is 33.11 whereas the safety index is 66.89 according to numbeo.com (as of May 2019). This city has lower crime levels than Hamburg.
The schools in this city are generally good. Some of the best schools in the area are: Hegel-Gymnasium, Ökumenisches Domgymnasium, Wermer-von-Siemens-Gymnasium, Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium, Sekundarschule Oskar Linke, Gymnasium Wilhelm-Raabe, Gemeinschaftsschule Thomas Mann, Kolleg Abendgymnasium Magdeburg, Norbertus Gymnasium and Sekundarschule Friedrich Naumann.
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For undergraduate degree and post-graduate degree students go to Otto-von Guericke University Magdeburg or Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences.
Magdeburg Hauptbahnof is the main train station in this city and from here commuters can travel to and from Berlin, Wittenberg, Leipzig, Braunschweig and Thale. Other than rail, residents also travel via the River Elbe Ferry to Buckau, Stadtpark Rotehorn, Westerhüsen and Kreuzhorst. Magdeburg is also connected to the state roadways A2 and A14.
The social scene in this city is relatively lively. Like most European cities, Magdeburg has several theatres and cinemas, and long-established clubs. Being the capital city of Saxony-Anhalt, Magdeburg has many modern sites, restaurants, cafes and impressive parks for both locals and visitors to enjoy.
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Is Magdeburg a good place to Work?
Fast approval procedures, well-developed industrial sites at reasonable property prices, many funding possibilities, good transport links, qualified workers and chances to cooperate with research institutes are just some of the many highlights that make the city of Magdeburg such an attractive investment location.
The main industries in this Saxony-Anhalt capital are mechanical and plant engineering, health management, logistics, renewable energies, ICT, retail and service industry, and the cultural and creative industry.
Some of the biggest employers in this city are University of Magdeburg, Fraunofer Gessellschaft, Max-Planck-Geselischaft, IBM, Edeka, Robert Bosch, Sitel, Duetshe Telekom, MlP, and Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodenerative Erkankungen.
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The German state of Saxony-Anhalt has one of the highest levels on unemployment rates in the whole country. As of November 2018, the unemployment rate in this state stood at 7% which was more than the countrywide average of 4.8%. This means that it might be difficult to find a job in Magdeburg.
The average salary people working in Magdeburg is €43,747 (as of May 2019). Popular job titles include Operations Manager, Web Developer, Systems Administrator, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Business Intelligence Consultant, and Research Scientist.
Is Magdeburg a good place to buy a House?
The housing prices in Magdeburg are more affordable than those of Berlin, Cologne, Dusseldorf or Munich. Renting in German cities is a very popular trend, with more than half of the inhabitants living in rental accommodation.
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Rent per month for single bedroom in Magdeburg’s city centre is €366.67 while a similar apartment outside the city centre costs €303.33 monthly. A bigger 3-bedroom apartment in the town centre costs €562.50 per month while a similar-sized apartment outside the centre of the city costs €840.00 monthly.
The Germans price their homes according to rooms rather than bedrooms, for instance, a 1-bed apartment with a kitchen and a bathroom will be considered an apartment with 3 rooms. A house with 3 rooms in Magdeburg can go for €189,000, a home with 4 rooms can sell for €240,000 and a home with 6 rooms can go for €850,000.
The annual mortgage interest rate charged for a period of 20 years in this city is 1.85% – the mortgage rates tend to be very low. Homeowners who wish to get insurance for possible damages, robberies, weather issues etc., they should apply for household insurance, also known as Hausratversicherung.
Is Magdeburg a good place to Retire?
For those moving to Germany, particularly to Magdeburg to retire may find that the city offers a good quality of life, a stable economy, good healthcare and many things to do. Similar to other European nations, Germans are open to welcoming expat to retire in this county, especially because retirees are not seeking work or depending on a salary for financial upkeep.
Living in Magdeburg as a retiree is also worth thinking about because the area offers many retirement homes designated for seniors. Some good examples of retirement developments in the area include Altenpflegeheim Lerchenwuhne, Senioreninsel Lübecker Straße, Seniorenresidenz Vogelsang, Phoenix, Wohnpark Albert Schweitzer and Blindenförderungswerk Sachsen-Anhalt gGmbH.
Is Magdeburg a good place to Visit?
Magdeburg is one of the oldest eastern German cities. In the tenth century, this city was the home of Holy Roman Emperor Otto I, and actually his tomb lies in the Magdeburg Cathedral. This cathedral’s present day appearance dates back to the thirteenth century when Prince Archbishop Albert I decided to adopt the French Gothic style.
This city of Otto is the second greenest city in this country and although it has been repeatedly stricken by war, it’s been carefully and properly rebuilt each time. Nowadays, Magdeburg boasts of many contemporary wonders such as the 60 metres high wooden tower constructed for the millennium, the last project done by architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser and the largest canal under bridge in Europe.
Kloster Unser Lieben Frauen is a contemporary art museum that is also worth visiting. The main exhibitions in this museum are sculptures, photographs, and video art. Another interesting museum is Kulturhistorisches Museum Magdeburg which showcases ancient statues, Otto crypt items, a 3-part mural, textiles, prints, furniture, coins, handicrafts, military regalia and amazing medieval artefacts.
The largest park in the city is Rotehorn Park, which takes up a huge part of the Werder River Island located on the Elbe. It is considered one of the most attractive English landscape parks in the country.
Johanniskirche used to be a consecrated church, but today it serves as a convention centre, museum and concert hall. This was the venue where the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt met in 2014.
The Magdeburg Zoo is a nice place for kids to explore and have fun. This zoo has over 200 animal species in a 16ha cultivated natural landscape. Here there are small monkeys, lemurs, owls, parakeets, zebras, giraffes and many more.
There are also plenty of restaurants which offer different kinds of cuisine such as German, French, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Central European, Czech, Vietnamese, Spanish, Austrian, Indian etc. A nice café in the area is the Mademoiselle Cupcake which serves delicious desserts.
The city offers plenty of accommodation for tourists planning to stay in the city for several days in the form of bed & breakfasts, hotels, motels, apartments and villas.
Some highly regarded accommodation places include Dorint Herenkrug Park hotel, Arthotel Magdeburg, Hotel Residenz Joop, Motel One, Maritim Hotel Magdeburg, Sleep & Go Hotel Magdeburg, Hotel Ratswaage, Best Westerm Hotel Geheimer Rat, Classik Hotel Magdeburg, and IntercityHotel Magdeburg.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Magdeburg, Germany?
In general, the cost of living in Magdeburg is low. Basic utilities namely water, electricity, heating & cooling and garbage for an 85m2 flat cost €185.02 per month. Credit card use is not very common in this city though, but there are many reliable banks and credit unions. Check our post on the Cost of living in Berlin for Expats and Students.
Is Magdeburg a good place to invest in property?
This city is a good place to invest in property because it has a good economy, good transport links, a river port, a high student population and modern amenities. Buying here may be better than renting in the long run.
Is Magdeburg a good place to raise a family?
The city of Magdeburg promises a good quality of life in general, the living costs are generally low, and the property prices are cheaper compared to other German cities. On the downside, the inhabitants are not very friendly and the city is not as good-looking as some other bigger cities