Everyday Life

Understanding everyday costs: what the calculators and comparisons are for

Many everyday expenses are hard to put a figure on in advance: what does the roadworthiness inspection cost, how high will the electricity bill be, what fees will a lawyer, notary or tax adviser charge? On this page you will find calculators and comparisons in six areas, from cars and mobility through energy and household to leisure and health. They do not provide binding information, but they give a reliable order of magnitude before you request a quote.

The greatest benefit comes from using the calculators before a decision. If you know that a car wrap or a house clearance typically falls within a certain range, you spot inflated quotes immediately. And if you know your electricity consumption, you can compare tariffs sensibly instead of relying on an advertised price.

Car and mobility: from fuel costs to registration

Car costs are made up of fixed and variable items. Fixed are vehicle tax, insurance and the regular roadworthiness inspection (HU), for which the inspection cost calculator adds up the HU and emissions test fees. For cars in Germany, the inspection is generally due every two years, and for new cars for the first time after three years. Variable are fuel, wear and repairs.

A worked example shows the scale: at 15,000 kilometres a year and consumption of 6.5 litres per 100 kilometres, you use 975 litres. At an assumed price of €1.70 per litre, that is around €1,660 a year. With the fuel cost calculator and the EV calculator you can play this through with your own figures and compare an electric drive.

Energy and household: electricity, water and photovoltaics

An electricity bill consists of a standing charge and a unit price per kilowatt hour. With the kWh calculator you work out what individual appliances cost: a 100-watt device running 10 hours a day uses one kilowatt hour a day, which at €0.35 per kilowatt hour comes to around €128 a year. Whether your tariff is cheap can only be judged against your actual annual consumption.

For water, costs consist of drinking water and wastewater. Each municipality sets its own charges, so they differ markedly by location; the water calculator helps with the assessment. If you are considering your own solar system, the photovoltaic calculator lets you estimate yield and payback. For systems on residential buildings in Germany, a VAT rate of zero per cent has applied since 2023 to purchase and installation, and every system must be registered in the Federal Network Agency's Market Master Data Register.

Law and finance: fees that are set by statute

For lawyers, notaries and courts, fees are largely set by law. Lawyers bill under the Lawyers' Remuneration Act (RVG), notaries and courts under the Court and Notary Costs Act (GNotKG), and tax advisers under the Tax Advisers' Fees Ordinance (StBVV). The amount generally depends on the value in dispute. That makes costs predictable as long as you know the value.

The debt collection calculator, the land register calculator and the tax adviser calculator help here. Note that when buying property, real estate transfer tax is added to notary and land register costs and, depending on the federal state, amounts to between 3.5 and 6.5 per cent of the purchase price. Fee agreements can deviate from the statutory fees, so it is worth asking for a written cost estimate in advance.

Home, leisure and health

For services in the home such as cleaning or house clearance, it is worth looking at tax law. In Germany you can deduct household-related services under section 35a of the Income Tax Act (EStG) at 20 per cent of the expenses, up to €4,000 a year, from your tax bill. The conditions are an invoice and non-cash payment. Price details are in the comparison of household cleaning and in the house clearance calculator.

In leisure, running costs and contract commitments count: meal kits, cloud storage and dating apps are subscriptions, whereas photo booths and the boating licence are one-off items. In health, the page on online pharmacies covers shipping costs and bonuses, and the one on cannabis prescription costs covers the price of medical treatment. Prescription medicines have been redeemed via the e-prescription since 2024.

How to use the calculators properly

The results are only as good as the inputs. Use real figures from your latest bill or logbook instead of guessing, and calculate two scenarios, an optimistic one and a cautious one.

• Gather starting values: latest electricity or fuel bill, mileage, floor area or value in dispute.
• Run the calculator with these values and note the range of the result.
• Obtain at least two or three concrete quotes and compare them with the range.
• For contracts, check the term, notice period and extra costs before you sign.

Frequently asked questions

How accurate are the cost calculators?

They give guide values based on current market prices and statutory fees. The actual price depends on region, provider and the individual case. Use the result as a guide and always obtain concrete quotes for larger expenses.

Which everyday costs are tax-deductible?

Household-related services and tradesmen's work can reduce your tax bill under section 35a EStG if you have an invoice and pay by bank transfer. Work-related costs such as commuting can be deducted as income-related expenses. Whether and how much depends on your personal situation; when in doubt, a tax adviser can help.

How do I find out whether my electricity tariff is cheap?

Compare the unit price and standing charge against your annual consumption from your last annual statement. The kWh calculator shows you which appliances use a lot. If you are still on the default supply, you can switch to a special tariff without any interruption to supply.

Are lawyers' and notaries' fees negotiable?

The statutory fees under the RVG and GNotKG are in principle fixed. With lawyers, fee agreements are possible and can be higher or lower. Ask for a written cost estimate before you instruct them.

Where do I find a calculator for a specific topic?

The tiles above are sorted into six areas of life, and further down you will find quick access to the most popular calculators. The complete list of calculators is on the cost calculators overview.