Quick answer: Munich runs about EUR 140 per day mid-range - noticeably less if you eat local and walk. Cheapest window: May-June and September - warm beer garden weather without peak Oktoberfest prices (late September brings the festival and triple hotel rates).
What things actually cost
| espresso at a cafe | 2.80 EUR |
| Mass (1L) of beer in a beer garden | 9 EUR |
| Weisswurst breakfast | 8 EUR |
| single inner-zone transit ticket | 3.90 EUR |
| Residenz palace entry | 10 EUR |
| mid-range dinner main | 18-22 EUR |
Eat well for little
- Weisswurst breakfast with pretzel and sweet mustardeaten before noon by tradition, about 8 EUR
- Mass (1L) of Augustiner in a beer gardenabout 9 EUR, half liter about 4.50 EUR
- Schweinshaxe (pork knuckle) at a traditional Wirtshausabout 18-20 EUR
- Viktualienmarkt snacksLeberkaese roll for about 4 EUR, cheese and fruit stalls for a picnic
- Kaiserschmarrn for dessertshredded pancake with plum compote, about 9 EUR
Money mistakes to avoid
- Only drinking at the Hofbraeuhausit is fun once, but locals drink at Augustiner Braeustuben where beer is cheaper and food better
- Forgetting shops close on Sundaystock up on snacks and essentials Saturday
- Booking Neuschwanstein day-ofcastle interior tickets sell out, reserve online well ahead
- Underestimating Oktoberfest season (late Sep to early Oct)hotels triple in price, book months out or avoid those weeks
Transport without the tourist tax
From Munich airport the S1 or S8 S-Bahn reaches the center in about 45 min, roughly 13-15 EUR (the airport-city day ticket is good value). The old town is walkable and the U-Bahn/tram network covers the rest - a single inner-zone ride is about 3.90 EUR.
Planning the full trip? Start with the 3-day Munich itinerary.