How Much Does a German Course Cost From A1 to B2?
A German course from A1 to B2 costs anywhere from about 0 to 12,000 euros, and the main reason is the type of provider: a state-funded integration course costs 2.29 euros per lesson (about 1,603 euros for the full 700 lessons, and nothing if you qualify for an exemption), public adult-education centres cost around 6 euros per lesson in the example we checked, and private institutes cost roughly 13 to 15 euros per lesson. Online tutoring and apps cost less per hour but do not replace classes for everyone. Below are the prices we could verify, with the date and place, and the arithmetic for a full A1-to-B2 budget.
All figures were checked on the providers’ own pages in October 2026. They are single listings, not market averages. Prices change by city, season and course format, so use them to estimate, not to budget to the euro.
What you actually need to pay for
The Goethe-Institut says B2 takes 600 to 800 lessons of 45 minutes from zero. That number is the base of every calculation below. See our A1 to B2 roadmap and hours to reach B2 for how those lessons convert to months.
Option 1: The state integration course (BAMF)
For people living in Germany, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) runs the integration course. The general course has 700 lessons: 600 in the language course and 100 in the orientation course. It aims at B1: the language part ends with the Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer (DTZ), and the orientation part with the “Leben in Deutschland” test. An intensive variant has 500 lessons.
Cost, per BAMF’s page for EU citizens: 2.29 euros per lesson, so 1,603 euros for 700 lessons, payable in blocks of 100 lessons. Participants may be exempt from paying, for example if they receive basic security benefits, unemployment benefits or social assistance, or earn below set thresholds. The same page says that those who pass the final exams within two years of authorisation can apply to get 50 percent of their contribution back.
Who may or must take part depends on your residence status. BAMF has separate pages for each group (EU citizens, residence permits before and after 2005, and others), so check the one for you. The course stops at B1. Reaching B2 is a separate budget; see our DTZ guide for the exam at the end.
Option 2: Public adult-education centres (Volkshochschule and similar)
These are the cheapest classroom option outside the integration course. Examples from autumn 2026 listings:
| Provider and course | Price | What the page shows |
|---|---|---|
| VHS Vienna, Deutsch A1 Intensivkurs | 470 euros | 81 units, September to October 2026 |
| VHS Munich, Deutsch A1.1 Standardkurs | 370 euros | Standard course, part of A1 |
| VHS Munich, Deutsch A1.1 Intensivkurs | 460 euros | 20 lessons per week |
| VHS Hannover, Deutsch Standardkurs A2.1 | 421.43 euros | October 2026 to February 2027 |
| VHS Hannover, Deutsch Standardkurs B1.1 intensive | 448.86 euros | November 2026 to January 2027 |
| VHS Hannover, telc Deutsch B2 exam-preparation course | 151.43 euros | About three weeks |
The Vienna A1 course works out to 5.80 euros per unit (470 divided by 81). Units there are not the same length as a Goethe lesson, so treat that as a rough guide. A1 and A2 each usually take more than one such block, since the courses are split into parts like A1.1 and A1.2.
Option 3: Language schools and institutes
| Provider and course | Price | What the page shows |
|---|---|---|
| Goethe-Institut Berlin, intensive course | from 739 euros | 2 weeks, 25 lessons per week (50 lessons), accommodation not included |
| Klubschule Migros, Niveau A1 (Aarau) | CHF 580 | 40 lessons of 50 minutes, materials not included |
| Klubschule Migros, Anfänger*innen intensive (Lucerne) | CHF 792 | 60 lessons of 50 minutes, materials not included |
Per lesson that is about 14.80 euros at the Goethe-Institut in Berlin, 14.50 Swiss francs for the Aarau A1 course and 13.20 Swiss francs for the Lucerne intensive course. Of the courses whose lesson counts we could confirm, the Vienna adult-education course had the lowest price per unit.
If you take a Goethe course, the institute gives a 20 percent discount on its exam fees if your course ended no more than six months before the test.
Option 4: Private online tutors
Preply, a tutoring marketplace, shows a range of 3 to 40+ US dollars per 50-minute lesson for German tutors, with listed averages of 35 dollars for tutors from Germany, 36 from Austria and 50 from Switzerland (the page is undated). A weekly 50-minute lesson for a year is about 50 lessons, or roughly 1,500 to 1,800 dollars at 30 to 36 dollars. One lesson a week is not enough for B2 on its own, but tutors are efficient for speaking and writing correction. For a comparison with AI, see AI tutor vs human tutor.
Practise your German out loud with SipLingo, free to try on iPhone and Android:
Option 5: Apps and self-study
Apps range from free tiers to paid subscriptions. We do not list other apps’ prices because they vary by country and change often; check the store. SipLingo costs 7.99 US dollars per month with a 3-day free trial, or 49.99 US dollars per year with a 7-day free trial; check your store for your local price. It is a speaking-practice app with voice conversations and corrections in your language, so it supplements a course rather than replacing one. Our guides on learning German by yourself, Duolingo versus classes and the best apps cover what an app can and cannot do.
Exam fees on top
The Goethe-Institut’s 2026 fees in Germany are 155 euros for A1 (adult), 175 for A2, 259 for B1 and 289 for B2. Fees differ by country and centre, so check the page for your own country. Most people take one exam, at the level their goal needs, which makes the exam a small part of the total. See German exam fees.
A1 to B2: the whole budget, by route
The arithmetic below multiplies the per-lesson rates above by Goethe’s 600 to 800 lessons. It is an illustration, not a quote: units differ, and nobody buys exactly 600 lessons.
| Route | Rate we found | A1 to B2 (600 to 800 lessons) |
|---|---|---|
| Public adult-education centre (Vienna example) | about 5.80 euros/unit | about 3,500 to 4,600 euros |
| Private institute in Germany (Goethe Berlin example) | about 14.80 euros/lesson | about 8,900 to 11,800 euros |
| Private institute in Switzerland (Klubschule examples) | CHF 13.20 to 14.50/lesson | about CHF 7,900 to 11,600 |
| State integration course | 2.29 euros/lesson | 1,603 euros for 700 lessons, to B1 only; zero if exempt |
| Weekly private tutor, 1 year | 30 to 36 dollars/lesson | about 1,500 to 1,800 dollars, as a supplement |
| Speaking app, 1 year | 49.99 dollars (SipLingo) | 49.99 dollars, as a supplement |
How to spend less
- Use the free route first if you qualify. Check BAMF’s page for your group before you pay for private classes.
- Combine one cheap structured course with cheap speaking practice. A public adult-education course or a book plus a tutor or voice app costs less than a full institute programme.
- Book exam-preparation courses only for the final level. The Hannover B2 preparation course in our sample was about 151 euros.
- Sit only the exams you need. If you need B2, you may skip the A1 and A2 fees.
- Ask whether you can stage payment. BAMF lets you pay the integration course contribution in blocks of 100 lessons.
Official sources
For the official details and the latest updates, see:
- BAMF: BAMF: job-related German courses (Berufssprachkurse) – Free/low-cost A2–C2 job courses incl. health professions; €2.56/unit if income >€20k
- Make it in Germany (Federal Government): German language classes: course types and exams – Goethe, integration, vhs, online and job-related courses; recognised exams
Frequently asked questions
How much does A1 German cost?
Examples we found: 470 euros for a Vienna adult-education A1 intensive course (81 units), 580 Swiss francs for a 40-lesson A1 course at Klubschule Migros, and 370 euros for a Munich A1.1 standard course (one part of A1). A private institute such as the Goethe-Institut Berlin charges from 739 euros per two-week course.
How much does a B2 German course cost?
Prices depend on the provider: a Hannover adult-education B2 exam-preparation course was about 151 euros, while a private institute costs roughly 13 to 15 euros (or Swiss francs) per lesson. B2 itself requires hundreds of lessons from zero; Goethe gives 600 to 800 in total.
How much does it cost to learn German?
From zero to B2, roughly 3,500 to 4,600 euros at public-centre rates and 8,900 to 11,800 euros at private-institute rates, based on our examples. The state integration course costs 1,603 euros for 700 lessons and aims at B1.
Is the German integration course free?
Not always free: it costs 2.29 euros per lesson, but people who receive certain benefits or earn below set thresholds can be exempt, according to BAMF. Those who pass the final exams within two years may get half their contribution back.
How much does a German exam cost?
At the Goethe-Institut in Germany in 2026: 155 euros for A1, 175 for A2, 259 for B1 and 289 for B2. Fees differ by country, so check the page for yours.
Add a low-cost speaking block to whichever course you choose: start with one SipLingo voice lesson.
