You're forgetting that the avg income in most major German cities that are not Berlin is higher than there. Living costs in Berlin have gone up massively over t

You're forgetting that the avg income in most major German cities that are not Berlin is higher than there. Living costs in Berlin have gone up massively over the last few years, income however has not changed at all. Having worked as a freelancer for a time, there was a big difference in daily rates I could ask for. In Berlin, 300-350 Euros often were considered high already, where 400-450 was quite normal in the south. See e.g. http://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/neue-studie-zu-einkommen-und-wohnen-mietbelastung-in-berlin-fast-wie-in-muenchen/13683428.html http://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/neue-studie-zu-einkommen-u... (German)