Is Mannheim a Good Place to Live?

Mannheim is a city in the South West of Germany situated at the confluence of two major rivers: the Rhine and Neckar rivers. It is one of the 20 largest cities in the country and has a population of about 300,000 inhabitants. Mannheim has been nicknamed ‘the City of Squares’ because of its grid like pattern. The city is at the centre of the country’s eighth largest metropolitan region, the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region which is home to about 2.4 million people. Mannheim is unique in that it has no street names (Quadrate), but streets are labelled by letter and number combinations.

Is Mannheim a good place to live? Mannheim is a city with extraordinary natural scenery despite being a modern, even smart, city. The city has good educational institutions and hosts many international firms. The city continues to develop spurred by innovation and creativity. There are plenty of housing and sports facilities so it is a good place to live.

The city of Mannheim will make you fall in love at second glance. If you plan on moving to Mannheim, you will have to look past its industrial cover to its beautiful essence. Mannheim has a bustling expat population particularly of Turkish and Polish descent. The city is right for everyone from students to working class people. If you are moving to Germany, you should seriously consider living in the city of Mannheim. An expat will especially do well here as there is a huge number of immigrants who will make you feel right at home.

In this article you will find out:

If you are moving to Mannheim, it is reassuring to know that the level of crime is quite low. There has been a sharp increase in crime over the past three years but it has not been enough to consider Mannheim a crime infested city. Car theft and racial crimes are almost nonexistent in the city. On the contrary, crimes such as vandalism, theft and drug use and dealing can be experienced to some degree in the city. Insurance for valuable items is a prudent idea if you plan on living in Mannheim.

If you are moving to Germany, you can expect relatively low levels of crime. However, every city has its good neighbourhoods and bad neighbourhoods and living in Mannheim is no different. The criteria often used to judge neighbourhoods are safety, cleanliness, availability of necessities, traffic and noise among others. The better neighbourhoods in the city include Oststadt, Neckarstadt Ost, Käfertal, Lindenhof, Schwetzinger Vorstadt, Feudenheim Seckenheim, Neckarau, Rheinau, Almenhof and Neuostheim. Bad areas to live in Mannheim are Neckarstadt West, Sandhofen, Waldhof, Schönau, Jungbusch, Quadrate and Hochstätt.

Mannheim has received credit for being a student town and aptly so. There are many institutions of higher education in the city that attract students from all over the world. The University of Mannheim is the main educational institution in the city and has the best business and economics degree programs in the country. Heidelberg University has a medical school in Mannheim. There are also several prestigious theatrical and musical academies in Mannheim which have significantly contributed to Mannheim being awarded the title “UNESCO City of Music.” The Metropolitan International School is a lower education institution worthy of note.

Mannheim is one of the few cities in the country with river transport and it has the second largest river port in the country; Mannheim Harbour. There have been daily passenger flights in the past from the local Mannheim City Airport transporting people to other German cities like Dresden, Hamburg, Berlin and Munich. However, most Mannheim residents use Frankfurt International Airport which is 65 km to the North of the city. Mannheim Central Station is the main railway station in Southwest Germany and is part of the high-speed train network connecting Mannheim to other cities like Frankfurt. Moreover, there are eleven tram lines and many bus services operating in the city.

You can expect a thriving social life in a place with many students and Mannheim is testament to that. For starters, there are over 230 restaurants in the city most of which are very affordable. You have your choice of cafés whenever you want coffee or pastries. There also plenty of bars and nightclubs in the city mostly serving the student population. There are scores of shops and boutiques where you can shop till you drop and sports occasions on most weekends. You can also visit Capitol for concerts, film screenings and cabaret evenings.

Is Mannheim a good place to work?

Mannheim is a good place to work and the earliest indicator of that is the unemployment rate which stands at 3.2 % and is equal to the national average. Such a low unemployment rate means employment opportunities abide aplenty in the area. The average salary for an employee in Mannheim is €52,875 which is significantly higher than the national average which is about €37,000.

There are many industries employing people in Mannheim. The main industries employing people are IT services, software development and automobile assembly & engineering. Popular jobs include software developer, SAP consultant and IT specialist. The major firms in Mannheim include Bombardier, PRA International, BASF Corporation, Hoffmann-La Roche Inc and Siemens.

Is Mannheim a good place to buy a house?

The decision to buy a house is personal and depends significantly on the location of the property. The level of crime is low and the property market quite stable in Mannheim. It is difficult to judge by the purchasing behaviour of citizens as most Germans do not buy but rent properties. You can decide to acquire property on credit via a mortgage if you find a great deal. However, a home owner should have home insurance regardless how posh their neighbourhood. Good neighbourhoods in the city include Oststadt, Neckarstadt Ost, Käfertal, Lindenhof, Schwetzinger Vorstadt, Feudenheim Seckenheim, Neckarau, Rheinau, Almenhof and Neuostheim. Bad areas to live in Mannheim are Neckarstadt West, Sandhofen, Waldhof, Schönau, Jungbusch, Quadrate and Hochstätt.

The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Mannheim is €575. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment is €700 per month while the average monthly rent for a three-bedroom apartment is €980. The average rent per month for a four-bedroom apartment is €1135 and the average rent for a five-bedroom apartment is €1550 per month.

The average price of a one-bedroom property in Mannheim is €102,300 while the average price of a two bedroom property is €146,900. The average price of a three-bedroom apartment is € 185,240 while for a four-bedroom property is €202,370. The average price of a five-bedroom property is €286,050.

Is Mannheim a good place to retire?

Mannheim is a typical student town and hence not an ideal retirement location. The city is filled with universities and other higher education institutions which make majority of the population quite young. Property prices are also on the higher end of the scale and most retirees would have to get a mortgage to own property in Mannheim.

There are few retirement properties in the city of Mannheim mostly because it is not a retirement town. Select properties have been modelled to become retirement properties but they are often far and in between. Anyone looking for a retirement property in Manheim should use regular property prices as a rough guide. There is, however, no substitute for performing due diligence to find the best possible deal.

Is Mannheim a good place to visit?

Mannheim is a special place to visit because of its uniqueness. The City of Squares has plenty of landmarks to see and events to attend that will make your visit an experience of a lifetime. The most famous landmarks in the city include Mannheim Baroque Palace, “Little Istanbul” Market Quarter, The Jungbusch District, Mannheim Harbour, the Multi-Use Hall in Herzogenriedpark, Luisenpark Mannheim, the “Wasserturm” and Mannheim’s Telecommunications Tower. For short break attractions, you can visit the Mannheim-Fair, the Holi Festival of Colours, the Mannheim Wine Festival, the Mannheim Street food Festival and numerous music festivals happening all year round.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Mannheim, Germany?

Mannheim ranks 177th out of 445 cities on the globe in the cost of living. Rent and food were the major expenses in most households. A single person on average will spend €752 per month minus rent while a four member family will spend about €2,598 minus rent every month.

Is Mannheim a good place to invest in property?

Mannheim is a great place to invest property mostly because the working class residents earn higher than average salaries and there is a large student population in the city. The many domestic and international employers in the city and the numerous students thronging into the city every year should assure real estate investors of demand for housing. Every investor should ensure they have insurance for their investments as it is better to be safe than sorry.

Is Mannheim a good place to raise a family?

Mannheim offers unique opportunities for raising a family. It might be more expensive than other areas but the city’s cultural and creative influences will have a deep impact on any child. Security is high so your children will be safe and they can have their choice of university after completing their secondary education. There are also scores of facilities to nurture non-academic talents making Mannheim a good place to raise a family.