Why designers move to Berlin, and what makes them stay

Four designers on GetYourGuide’s Berlin team, Luis, Marina, Luana, and Marcus, made the leap from other cities and made their home here. Here’s what they found challenging, what they fell in love with, and what they’d make sure you knew before packing your bags.

Germany’s cosmopolitan capital has a way of doing two things at once: it humbles you with friction (bureaucracy, harsh winters, a competitive housing market), and then rewards you with a kind of everyday freedom that’s hard to unsee once you’ve lived it. To understand what it’s really like to relocate here, and what makes Berlin such a magnetic place to build a design career, we spoke with people who made the move. Their stories are personal, honest, and wonderfully diverse in the way only Berlin can bring out.

Thinking about relocating? Dive in for four unique angles on this iconic city, one of the most international design hubs in Europe, home to a growing tech scene and a GetYourGuide team of designers who chose it on purpose.

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Luis: How Berlin’s design community becomes your career network

Luis knew that design in Europe is generally strong, and Berlin felt like the right place to grow. He was drawn to its diversity, vibrancy, and strong foundations in tech.

When you’re starting over in a new city, the difference between ‘friendly’ and ‘open’ is everything. While he admits that Berlin can be blunt, he adds that it’s also surprisingly easy to meet people here and find your tribe if you put yourself in the right rooms.

After being here for 13 years, he thinks that’s the part people underestimate: Berlin is a place where you can build a network and find a like-minded design community that keeps you growing. You’ll always find another talk, another collaboration opportunity, and another opinion you didn’t know you needed.

And then there’s Europe itself. Luis found that being based in Berlin made travel feel normal instead of aspirational. When he was younger, he used to say he wanted to see the world, and being here has made that possible without having to pause his life to do it.

What Berlin taught Luis:

• Your growth accelerates when your context changes
• Community isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s a necessary part of building your career infrastructure
• The best cities don’t just inspire you, they keep you in motion

Marina: why the job market got her here, but quality of life keeps her

Marina moved here for the job market and the chance to have different experiences. Berlin felt like a city with its doors open. A real tech hub, with one of the strongest capitals in Europe for the job market. For her, that openness made the leap feel worth it.

But here’s the truth: she didn’t know much about Berlin when she first decided to move. She came to Europe with a dream.

What surprised her is that Germany (and Berlin in particular) has a special pull for designers. You can feel the lineage: Bauhaus, the history, the foundations of modern design. Once you live here, that context stops being something you read about and becomes something you’re surrounded by.

Once she was settled, she stayed for the quality of life. It wasn’t just the salary; she found the work mindset and work-life balance to be the best she’d ever experienced. She particularly loves how Berlin comes alive after office hours, especially in the summer.

As a designer, Marina tells us that there’s always something happening to spark your creativity.

What Berlin gave Marina:

• A design context that feels both historically rich and hyper-modern
• A city that’s energizing without wearing you down
• A reminder that career decisions are often lifestyle decisions in disguise

Luana: How Berlin’s friction makes room for reinvention

To Luana, this city is a place where you can embrace new roles, industries, and versions of yourself.

In her eyes, it’s hard to imagine a better city for a designer. There’s a strong community, significant growth in tech, and because there are so many different cultures, you learn how design works across countries through collaboration.

She notes that relocating can also reshape your personal life. After coming here with a partner who didn’t work out, Luana now has a new family. Whatever situation you’re in, she believes that Berlin has something for everyone.

Of course, there’s always friction. On this front, Luana offers some honest insight and practical advice for those considering relocation: beware the bureaucracy. On the bright side, there’s more guidance now than people expect; AI and YouTube are great resources for working your way through it.

When it comes to housing, her advice is practical: prepare your documents properly. If you’re in a rush, take something temporary, then find your dream apartment in your own time.

And winter? It’s so intense, she wrote a song about it. In Brazil, the winter Luana was used to was equivalent to Berlin’s spring. But she was able to adapt by focusing on crafts and self-development at home, making the shift into its own kind of season.

What Berlin taught Luana:

• You can restart without erasing what came before
• The resourcefulness you gain from relocation is a creative skill you can take forward into so many other areas
• This city rewards people who treat friction as part of the process

Marcus: How a lower cost of living buys real independence

After relocating to Berlin from London, Marcus has adjusted quickly.

One of the first practical shocks Marcus felt was how far his paycheck could go, especially in housing costs. Grocery and dining-out bills were considerably lower, too, which made a real impact on his day-to-day quality of life.

When asked about the challenges he faced with the move, he admits that winter here can be a challenge. But, having lived through London winters, he was more prepared for it than some. His advice: break it up with one or two trips away to get some winter sun! The remote working benefit really helps here (we have 30 days per year for this, on top of the normal PTO days).

Regarding accommodation, Marcus found it tricky to rent at first. He took something temporary to begin with, and eventually ended up buying an apartment. The mortgage rates and process are more affordable than what he was used to, and it doesn’t have to be forever.

One of the best things about Berlin for Marcus is how it supports independence. The city is so easy to get around (because the public transport actually works and isn’t crammed full at rush hour), and over time, you notice your life becoming less car-dependent and more free. These days, Marcus mostly gets around by e-bike.

What Marcus learned when he moved to Berlin:

• Moving to a new country and city is a great way to build your confidence and independence
• Cost of living is part of quality of life, not separate from it
• A city can quietly make you more self-sufficient

Wrapping up, here’s why Berlin works so well for designers 

Across all four stories, there’s a pattern that emerges, even when you consider the trade-offs:

Berlin is international by default

That diversity often shows up in your workplace, the people you meet, and the problems you get to design for.

The design community is active and innovative

You don’t need impressive credentials to participate; you just have to show up.

Your improved quality of life fuels your creative stamina 

The city gives you space to really live, not just to work.

The friction is real, but it’s manageable with the right tools

Complex paperwork, finding housing, surviving the cold: once you learn the playbook, it stops being the whole story.

FAQ about relocating to Berlin as a designer

Is Berlin expensive for designers relocating from other cities? 

Not as expensive as it feels from abroad. Marina notes that the work-life balance in Berlin is the best she’s ever experienced. Marcus, who moved from London, found rent and everyday costs like groceries and eating out considerably lower, and even ended up buying an apartment rather than renting once he compared the numbers.

How bad are Berlin winters, really? 

Intense, but manageable. Luana, coming from Brazil, found Berlin’s winter closer to nothing she’d experienced before and adapted by leaning into crafts and self-development at home. Marcus, coming from London, was better prepared, but still recommends breaking it up with some winter sun!

How hard is it to find housing in Berlin? 

Competitive, especially at first. Luana’s advice: get your documents in order before you start looking, take something temporary if you need to move fast, then find your ideal place on your own timeline. Marcus found renting difficult, so buying a property proved the more practical option.

Is the bureaucracy really that bad? 

It’s real, but there’s more support than people expect. Luana points to AI tools and YouTube as genuinely useful for working through German paperwork step by step.

What’s the design community like? 

Active and international. Luis built a 13-year network out of showing up to talks and collaborations. Luana adds that the mix of cultures means you learn how design works across countries just by working alongside your team. Marina notes that the special pull for designers (thanks to Berlin’s Bauhaus lineage) means that there’s always something to spark your creativity.

So, if you’re considering relocating, the most honest summary you’ll hear again and again is this: the offer isn’t just the job, it’s the life you can build around it. If you’re ready for a new adventure, explore our open roles here.