I also live in Germany and pay low rent, but keep in mind this is because the contract isn't new and rent/tenants rights are highly regulated in Germany. If you

I also live in Germany and pay low rent, but keep in mind this is because the contract isn't new and rent/tenants rights are highly regulated in Germany. If you tried to rent a new apartment in Berlin/Hamburg/Munich/any of the attractive cities with jobs today you'd pay a lot more in rent than you do on an old contract.