Cost of a Master’s in Germany for Indian Students: A 2027 Budget

For Indian students · Sources checked 18 October 2026

Planning for 2027 entry. Use the example budget below as a worksheet, then swap in your own course fees and housing quotes.

The university website says “no tuition fees”. Your family spreadsheet says “we should probably talk”. Both can be right. A master’s in Germany can be affordable, but rent, insurance, travel and the money you need before departure deserve their own rows.

Let’s build a budget you can actually discuss over dinner, without a mysterious “miscellaneous” number doing all the work.

This guide separates three things: the money you spend, the funds you must have available before departure, and the assumptions you need to check before accepting an offer. The examples below are planning exercises, not university quotations or confirmed 2027 prices.

Start with the full cost, not just tuition

Build your budget using this formula:

Tuition + semester contributions + monthly living costs × months of study + application and travel expenses + contingency.

Keep refundable accommodation deposits in a separate cash-flow column. They still need funding upfront, even though you may recover them later. Also separate money held for living expenses from fees you pay to providers.

Are public universities in Germany free?

DAAD explains that many state-university master’s courses have no tuition fees, with important exceptions. Semester contributions are separate: DAAD gives a broad range of €70–€430 per semester. The exact amount depends on the institution. Check the fee page for your particular programme and intake before using “€0 tuition” in your budget. Source: DAAD’s education and living costs guide.

A concrete example of why intake dates matter is the Technical University of Munich. TUM has announced master’s tuition categories of €4,600 or €6,800 per semester for affected non-EU/EEA students from winter semester 2027/28. Programme rules and exemptions matter; these figures do not apply to every German university or every applicant. Source: TUM’s international-student information.

For each shortlisted course, record its tuition, semester contribution, payment dates and refund conditions. A university’s reputation alone cannot tell you what your family will need to pay.

What should you allow for living costs?

DAAD’s general guidance gives a monthly living-cost range of €900–€1,200 depending on location. Treat that as a starting point, then replace it with current accommodation and insurance quotations for your circumstances. A general range is not a cap on what you might spend. Source: DAAD.

Your worksheet should include rent and utilities, food, health insurance, transport, phone and internet, study materials and personal spending. Check what is already included in rent or a semester contribution so you do not count it twice. Allow separately for temporary accommodation if you cannot move straight into a long-term room.

A first-year budget example in euros and rupees

The following is an illustrative budget for a course whose published tuition is €0. It assumes 12 months of living costs at €1,100 per month, two semester contributions of €300 each, €1,500 for setup and travel, and a 10% buffer on living costs. Replace every assumption with your own quotation.

At an illustrative exchange rate of ₹100 per euro, that subtotal equals ₹16.62 lakh. At ₹105 it becomes ₹17.451 lakh; at ₹110 it becomes ₹18.282 lakh. These are sensitivity calculations, not live exchange-rate quotes.

This is not an all-inclusive price. Add actual application, APS, test, visa, document, provider and banking charges; refundable deposits; any counselling fees; and your programme’s tuition. Check the setup allowance against real travel and arrival costs. For a longer course, budget the remaining months and semesters separately.

Application costs Indian students should check

Where uni-assist handles an application, its published handling fees are €75 for the first selected course and €30 for each additional course in the same semester. Five course applications would therefore cost €195 under that standard schedule. Check each university’s procedure before assuming every application uses uni-assist. Source: uni-assist.

The APS India graduate/postgraduate checklist valid from June 2026 lists a procedure fee of ₹18,000. It also identifies additional documentation for selected applicants, including a dMAT requirement where applicable. Use the current checklist for your applicant group and intake, and budget separately for any required tests. Source: APS India’s current checklists.

Record each expense with its currency, payment date, refundability and source link. Small separate payments are easy to overlook when comparing two offers.

Blocked-account funding and spending are different

A blocked account is a way of holding funds for living expenses. Do not add the same living money again as a separate expense in the total cost. Its timing and access restrictions still matter: money set aside for later monthly living costs may not cover every immediate arrival payment.

Verify the current financial-evidence requirement, permitted evidence and visa charges directly with the German Missions in India before applying. This planning example does not establish that you meet a visa requirement.

Can part-time work or a scholarship reduce the budget?

Keep an unfunded scholarship or a hoped-for job out of your base budget. Build a version your family can fund without either, then add a separate scenario for confirmed support. Read a scholarship award carefully: the amount, duration and payment date matter as much as its headline value.

For a job scenario, test a delayed start and fewer working hours than expected. A budget should help you decide what you can afford before you commit, rather than depend on an outcome you cannot yet confirm.

Questions to answer before you accept an offer

• Have I checked fees for my exact course, nationality and intake?
• Does my monthly estimate use realistic housing and insurance costs?
• Have I separated total spending from upfront funds and refundable deposits?
• Can I cover the full course, with a buffer for exchange rates and delays?
• Have I counted application, tests, documents, travel and service fees?

Bring your course shortlist, academic background and family budget to a free Laksyon consultation. We can discuss how your options fit together and identify the next questions to check. You can also explore our study destinations and application support services.