Student Shopping Assistant
Where can you buy groceries, rice and spices, toiletries, kitchen things or a laptop for less? Enter your German city to see the cheap shops near you, then pick what you need and get clear advice: which shop is usually cheapest and when buying online is the better deal.
1Your city
2What do you want to buy?
💡 7 money rules for shopping in Germany
- Start at a discounter. Aldi, Lidl, Penny, Netto and Norma are usually the cheapest for everyday food.
- Buy the own brands. Store brands often come from similar factories and cost much less than famous brands.
- Check the price per kilo. Every shelf label shows a Grundpreis (price per kg or litre). Compare that, not the pack price.
- Use the free shop apps. Lidl, Penny, Netto, dm, Rossmann and others give weekly coupons in their apps.
- Look for reduced stickers. Food close to its best-before date is often sold with a big discount. Too Good To Go and foodsharing.de help you save even more.
- Return your bottles. Pfand: you get 0.25 € back for each single-use plastic bottle or can, and 0.08 to 0.15 € for reusable glass bottles.
- Plan for Sunday. Almost all shops are closed on Sundays and public holidays, so shop on Saturday.
About this tool
Shop locations come from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). The map is made by volunteers, so a few shops may be missing or outdated. The advice is based on typical price levels in Germany, not live prices. Prices change, so always compare before a big purchase.
More ways to save: Student deals · Budget calculator · All free tools
How to use the Student Shopping Assistant
- Type your German city or tap one of the city buttons.
- Wait while the assistant looks up shops in your city on OpenStreetMap. Big cities can take up to 30 seconds.
- Open a group, for example discount supermarkets or Asian and Indian shops, and tap a shop to see it on the map.
- Choose what you want to buy to see where it is usually cheapest and whether buying online is better.
How to read the results
Shops are grouped from cheapest to more expensive: discount supermarkets first, then hypermarkets, international shops, drugstores, household and second-hand shops. The numbers show how many branches are in your city.
The advice is based on typical price levels in Germany, not live prices. Prices change, so compare before a big purchase.
Tips and common mistakes
- Do your weekly shop at a discounter and buy own brands.
- Buy rice, lentils and spices in big packs at Asian, Indian or Turkish shops.
- Check second-hand first for furniture, kitchen items and winter jackets.
- Compare electronics online with a price comparison site before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Why is a shop missing?
The map data comes from OpenStreetMap, which volunteers keep up to date. Some shops can be missing or outdated.
Does it show real prices?
No. It shows where things are usually cheaper, based on typical price levels.
Does my city search get saved?
Results are saved in your own browser for a week, so the next search is instant.
Plan your monthly costs with the Budget Calculator and see student deals.
