“Ausbildung is free” is true in the narrow sense that matters most: the vocational school (Berufsschule) charges no tuition, and you’re paid a wage by your training employer rather than paying anyone. But “free” and “no ongoing costs” are different claims. Once you’re living in Germany as a trainee, a set of recurring, legally mandated deductions and charges come out of that wage before you see it — and they’re not always obvious from outside the country. Here’s what’s actually free, and what isn’t.
What is genuinely free or paid for you
- Vocational school tuition — Berufsschule, the classroom half of dual Ausbildung, charges no fees to the trainee.
- Your training wage — you are paid, not paying, for the company side of the training. See our salary breakdown by year and profession.
- Chamber exam fees are typically the employer’s responsibility in most trades under standard practice, though always confirm this is written into your specific Ausbildungsvertrag.
What comes out of your wage automatically: social insurance
Before you see a euro of net pay, German law requires deductions for statutory social insurance. These aren’t optional and aren’t unique to trainees — they apply to nearly everyone employed in Germany. As of 2026, the combined rates are:
| Insurance | Total rate | Your share (roughly half) |
|---|---|---|
| Health insurance (Krankenversicherung) | 14.6% + ~2.9% average supplement = ~17.5% | ~8.75% |
| Pension insurance (Rentenversicherung) | 18.6% | 9.3% |
| Unemployment insurance (Arbeitslosenversicherung) | 2.6% | 1.3% |
| Long-term care insurance (Pflegeversicherung) | 3.6% (4.2% if childless and over 23) | 1.8% (+0.6% surcharge if applicable) |
Add these up and a childless trainee over 23 loses roughly 21–22% of gross pay to social insurance alone, before any income tax. This is standard for all employees in Germany, not a special trainee charge, and it buys you real entitlements — statutory health cover, a state pension record, and unemployment insurance — but it’s not “free.”
Rundfunkbeitrag — the household broadcasting fee
Once you have your own residence in Germany, you’re liable for the Rundfunkbeitrag, a flat household fee that funds public broadcasting, currently €18.36 per month per household regardless of how many people live there or whether you use a TV or radio at all. If you share a flat, this is typically split between flatmates.
Getting to work and school: the Deutschlandticket
Public transport isn’t included in your training. The nationwide Deutschlandticket, which covers regional and local transport across the whole country, currently costs €63 per month. Not every trainee needs it if they live within walking or cycling distance, but for most apprentices commuting between home, the company and Berufsschule, it’s a real recurring cost.
Housing: deposit and ongoing rent
Rent itself is obviously not free, and the security deposit is a real upfront cost — by law capped at three months’ cold rent and payable in three instalments under Section 551 BGB. See our full breakdown of upfront costs from India for how this fits into your total budget.
What we’re not including
We’re deliberately not listing a specific figure for groceries, work clothing, or phone/internet plans here, because we don’t have a single verifiable official source for those categories the way we do for the deductions above. Treat them as real but variable costs to budget for separately, based on your own city and lifestyle — our city-wise cost of living breakdown covers what official rent data can tell us.
So, is it free?
Training and tuition: yes. Living in Germany as a working adult: no — you carry the same social insurance and household costs any German resident does, funded out of a wage that, per our salary data, ranges from a statutory minimum of €724/month to a collectively-bargained average of €1,209/month depending on your employer and trade. For the actual arithmetic of what’s left over each month, see how much you can save during Ausbildung.
Explore our Ausbildung programmes or contact us if you want to work through your own numbers before applying.
Where this comes from
- Health insurance rates: German Federal Ministry of Health: bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/beitraege and bundesgesundheitsministerium.de (Pflegeversicherung)
- Pension and unemployment insurance rates: Deutsche Rentenversicherung Knappschaft-Bahn-See, 2026 Sozialversicherungsrechengrößen: deutsche-rentenversicherung.de
- Rundfunkbeitrag rate: official beitragsservice site: rundfunkbeitrag.de
- Deutschlandticket price: Deutsche Bahn: bahn.de
- Rental deposit cap: Section 551 BGB: gesetze-im-internet.de
