The Best German Courses in Munich (2026 Review)
Evening German courses in Munich for a whole A1 level, compared on price, hours in class, group size and speaking time, with prices from each school's own website and the best course for each goal.
By Echoa editorial team · Prices checked 6 November 2026
Key takeaways
- Best for an answer to every German sentence you say, at any hour: Echoa
- Best for about the lowest price among the schools and the most class hours for a whole A1: Münchner Volkshochschule (MVHS)
- Best for the lowest whole-A1 price among the private schools: Sprachschule Edeltraud
- Best for a new evening course starting every month: DeutschAkademie
- Best for teaching materials included and 20% off a Goethe exam afterwards: Goethe-Institut München
- Best for the smallest groups among the Munich schools that publish a price: iQ Lingua
The best German course in Munich depends on your goal. Some people need A1 for a spouse visa or a Blue Card, some want two fixed evenings a week with classmates, and some simply want to answer back when a colleague switches to German.
If the goal is speaking German with confidence, a speaking course you can do at any hour is the closest fit. On Echoa you hear an English cue, build the German sentence and say it out loud, and Sam answers every sentence you say: around fifty spoken answers in a 15-minute lesson. In an evening class, the hour is shared with the rest of the group.
This guide is for adults in Munich comparing evening German courses for a whole A1 level by price, hours in class, group size, schedule and speaking time.
How we chose the best German courses in Munich
Each course was compared on the same basis: a whole A1 level, taught in the evening, so the prices can be set side by side. Where a school sells A1 in two parts, both parts are counted.
| Evaluation criterion | What we evaluated |
|---|---|
| Speaking practice | How much of each hour a learner could spend speaking German: at most, the class length divided by the group size |
| Price | The total for a whole A1 level, from each school's own website, and what is extra, such as books |
| Hours in class | How many hours the whole level gives you, and the price per hour that works out to |
| Group size | How many people share the teacher, as each school states it |
| Schedule and location | Which evenings the course runs, whether it meets online or in a classroom, and when you can start |
| Exam link | Whether the course leads to a discount or a route to a recognised exam |
Prices were checked in November 2026 and may change with level, schedule and format; confirm the current price on each school's website before booking. Schools that sell German by the month, or in blocks without saying how many make up A1, are shown with what their price buys. Each course gets a "Best for" label as an editorial recommendation, not an overall ranking.
We compare German courses in Zurich, Spanish classes in Madrid, French classes in Paris, Portuguese classes in Lisbon, Dutch courses in Amsterdam and Italian classes in Rome the same way.
At a glance
Prices are for a whole A1 level in an evening group, unless the row says what else they buy. Echoa is priced by the month.
- EchoaBest for an answer to every German sentence you say, at any hourSpeaking course, on your phone or computer€39 a month · Speaking: around fifty spoken answers in 15 min, each one answered
- Münchner Volkshochschule (MVHS)Best for about the lowest price among the schools and the most class hours for a whole A1Public course€740 · Speaking: group size not published
- Sprachschule EdeltraudBest for the lowest whole-A1 price among the private schoolsGroup classes€770 · Speaking: group size not published
- DeutschAkademieBest for a new evening course starting every monthGroup classes, groups of up to 14€860 · Speaking: at most 4 min an hour
- Goethe-Institut MünchenBest for teaching materials included and 20% off a Goethe exam afterwardsGroup classes, groups of up to 16€800 · Speaking: at most 3 min an hour
- iQ LinguaBest for the smallest groups among the Munich schools that publish a priceGroup classes, groups of 4–6€110 a month · Speaking: at most 10–15 min an hour, by group size
Prices are rounded; each source linked below has the exact prices. Speaking for a group class is 60 minutes divided by the group size the school states, from a full class to the smallest: the most each learner could speak, before the teacher says anything.
Where to take a German course in Munich
1.Echoa: best for an answer to every German sentence you say, at any hour
- CourseSpeaking course, on your phone or computer; German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch and Italian
- Price€39 a month; first 3 lessons free. No card needed
- LessonsAbout 15 minutes, around fifty spoken answers each
- GroupJust you, with Sam answering every sentence you say
- Ideal forPeople who understand more German than they can say, and whose evenings are already spoken for
Lesson 1. By the end you say: “Guten Abend! Ich möchte einen Tisch für zwei Personen, bitte.”
Echoa is a speaking course on your phone or computer, in German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch and Italian: German, accelerated. Each lesson takes about 15 minutes: you hear an English cue, build the German sentence and say it aloud, and Sam answers what you actually said. There is no group, so every answer in the lesson is yours. The course teaches standard German as spoken in Germany, which is the German you will hear in Munich offices and shops, if not always in its beer gardens.
The German course runs from a restaurant first, then meeting people, making plans, saying what happened, sorting things out and having friends round, which brings you to A2. The pieces from lesson 1 keep coming back inside longer sentences, so you end up saying things you were never taught:
- Lesson 1: Ich möchte einen Tisch für zwei Personen, bitte.
- Lesson 4: Ich möchte kein Bier, sondern ein Mineralwasser, bitte.
- Lesson 40: Ich möchte ein Paket abholen, weil ich gestern nicht zu Hause war.
Pros
- Each lesson gets you giving around fifty spoken answers in about 15 minutes, and each one gets a reply.
- Any time of day, so it fits round office hours, the S-Bahn or a late shift.
- €39 a month for every language course; the schools here charge about €740–860 for one A1 level. The first 3 lessons are free.
Cons
- No classroom and no classmates; nobody notices if you skip a week.
- No certificate; for a permit or citizenship, learners sit the recognised exam, as you would after any of these courses.
2.Münchner Volkshochschule (MVHS): best for about the lowest price among the schools and the most class hours for a whole A1
- CourseWhole A1 (A1.1 + A1.2), two evening standard courses
- Price€740, about 120 hours in class
- WhenTwo evenings a week, 18:00–21:00, about 13 weeks per part
- Ideal forLearners on a budget who want plenty of hours in class and can wait for the next term
The evening A1.1 running now is online; the evening A1.2 is in Haidhausen. Books are extra.
The Münchner Volkshochschule teaches A1 in two standard courses, A1.1 and A1.2, each on two evenings a week from 18:00 to 21:00. The two parts come to 120 hours of class time for about €740.
Pros
- About the lowest price among the schools here for a whole A1, and the most hours in class, at about €6 an hour.
- The same organisation runs the integration courses and the Goethe, telc and citizenship exams, so the next step is under one roof.
Cons
- Courses run by term, about 13 weeks per part, so you start when the next term does. The next evening A1.1 listed is online (from 23 November); the A1.2 meets in Haidhausen.
- No published group size, and the book is bought separately.
3.Sprachschule Edeltraud: best for the lowest whole-A1 price among the private schools
- CourseWhole A1 (A1.1 + A1.2), two 8-week evening courses in the classroom
- Price€770, about 95 hours in class
- WhenTwo evenings a week (Mon & Wed or Tue & Thu), 18:00–21:15; 8 weeks per part
- Ideal forLearners who want a private school's evening classroom at close to the city's price
Its site also calls one 64-lesson course "a complete level", but it splits the A1 evening course into A1.1 and A1.2, so we counted both. The book (Wolkenkratzer) is not in the price list.
Sprachschule Edeltraud splits its A1 evening course into A1.1 and A1.2, eight weeks each, on Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday from 18:00 to 21:15. In the classroom, the two parts come to about €770.
Pros
- The lowest whole-A1 price among the private schools here, at about €8 an hour in class.
- A fixed pair of evenings and eight-week parts, so a whole A1 takes about four months.
Cons
- No published maximum group size; a course needs at least eight people to run.
- The coursebook is not in the price list.
4.DeutschAkademie: best for a new evening course starting every month
- CourseWhole A1 (A1.1 + A1.2), two 8-week evening semi-intensive courses
- Price€860, about 95 hours in class
- WhenTwo evenings a week (Mon & Wed or Tue & Thu), 18:15–21:15; 8 weeks per part, a new course every month
- Groupup to 14
- Ideal forAnyone who wants to start next month rather than next term
About €430 is a "from" price per part; the book costs about €23–32 extra.
DeutschAkademie teaches A1 as two eight-week semi-intensive courses, three hours on each of two evenings a week from 18:15. The two parts give 95 hours for about €860, in groups of up to 14.
Pros
- A new course starts every month, so there is rarely a long wait.
- About €9 an hour in class, a little above Edeltraud's €8.
Cons
- The price is a "from" price per part, so check the total for your dates.
- The book and copies cost extra, depending on the course.
5.Goethe-Institut München: best for teaching materials included and 20% off a Goethe exam afterwards
- CourseWhole A1 in one evening course (72 lessons)
- Price€800, about 55 hours in class
- WhenTwo or three evenings a week, three lessons each evening; 8 or 12 weeks
- Groupup to 16
- Ideal forLearners who plan to sit a Goethe exam and want the whole of A1 in one course
Teaching materials are included. The next A1 evening courses listed start in January 2027.
The Goethe-Institut teaches the whole of A1 in one evening course of 72 lessons, about 55 hours, over eight or twelve weeks, for about €800. Groups are up to 16.
Pros
- Teaching materials and the media library are included, and the course earns 20% off a Goethe exam booked afterwards.
- One course for the whole level, with no second part to book.
Cons
- The highest price per hour among the schools here, at about €15, and groups of up to 16, against up to 14 at DeutschAkademie and 4–6 at iQ Lingua.
- The next A1 evening courses listed start in January 2027.
6.iQ Lingua: best for the smallest groups among the Munich schools that publish a price
- CourseClassic evening group course, monthly
- Price€110 a month
- WhenSeveral evenings a week, 19:00–21:15; 4, 8 or 12 months
- Group4–6
- Ideal forLearners who want a teacher's attention more than the lowest price
From about €110 a month, which likely needs the longest booking; the price for 4 months isn't published.
iQ Lingua runs its classic evening course on several evenings a week from 19:00 to 21:15, in groups of 4–6. It is sold by the month, from €110, for four, eight or twelve months.
Pros
- The smallest groups among the Munich schools that publish a price, so the teacher gets round to you often.
- The school says you reach the next level within four months.
Cons
- The monthly price is a "from" price, and the price for a four-month booking is not published.
- A registration fee, whose amount is not stated, and course books come on top.
Online vs. in-person German courses in Munich: which should you choose?
A speaking course online suits people who want to say as much German as possible, at times they choose. An evening class in person suits people who want a fixed routine, a teacher in the room and classmates. Our post on practising speaking German on your own covers the evenings without a class.
| Factor | Speaking course online (Echoa) | Evening group class |
|---|---|---|
| Flexibility | Any time, on your phone or computer | Fixed evenings, usually two a week |
| Individual attention | Sam, Echoa's AI teacher, answers every sentence you say | Shared with a group: 4–6 people at iQ Lingua, up to 16 at the Goethe-Institut |
| Speaking time | Every answer in the lesson is yours | At most the hour divided by the group size |
| Cost | €39 a month, first 3 lessons free | About €740–860 for a whole A1, books often extra |
| Exam | None included; you sit a recognised exam | 20% off a Goethe exam after the Goethe-Institut course; the MVHS runs the exams itself |
| Social side | Just you | Classmates every week |
| Commute | None | To the school, twice a week |
- Choose a speaking course online if you understand more German than you can say, or your evenings are already spoken for.
- Choose an evening class if you learn best with a fixed time, a teacher in front of you and a room full of people in the same position.
Many learners do both: the class for structure and company, and a speaking course on the evenings in between.
Which German course in Munich is best for you?
- Choose Echoa if you want to practise speaking German every day, at any hour, for €39 a month.
- Choose the MVHS if you want about the lowest price among the schools and the most class hours, and can start with the next term.
- Choose Sprachschule Edeltraud if you want a private school's classroom at close to the MVHS price.
- Choose DeutschAkademie if you want to start next month.
- Choose the Goethe-Institut if you plan to sit a Goethe exam and want the materials included.
- Choose iQ Lingua if you want a small group and do not mind paying by the month.
If a residence permit is the reason, check the level it needs in the FAQ below before you book.
Ready to speak German with confidence in Munich?
Real conversations in 20 hours. A2 in weeks, not years. Lesson 1 takes about 15 minutes, and by the end you say this out loud: Guten Abend! Ich möchte einen Tisch für zwei Personen, bitte. The first 3 lessons are free. No card needed.
FAQ
How much does a German course in Munich cost?
A whole A1 level in an evening group costs about €740–860 at the schools above, for 55–120 hours in class, which works out at about €6 to €15 an hour. Echoa is €39 a month for every language course, with the first 3 lessons free. There is also the subsidised route: Integration course modules at the MVHS cost about €230 per 100 lessons with BAMF admission, nothing if you are exempt, and €460 if you pay yourself. Private tutors charge about €24–31 an hour on average on Preply.
How much German do I need for a residence permit in Germany?
A spouse joining a partner needs simple German, with exceptions such as spouses of Blue Card holders, and so does a Blue Card holder applying to settle after 27 months. A settlement permit and naturalisation need sufficient German. In the law's terms: Simple German (einfache Sprachkenntnisse) means A1; sufficient (ausreichend) means B1.
Exam fees at the MVHS:
- €115 for Goethe-Zertifikat A1 at the MVHS (external candidates)
- €180 for telc Deutsch A2-B1 at the MVHS
- €215 for Goethe-Zertifikat B1 at the MVHS
- €25 for the Einbürgerungstest at the MVHS
The integration course is the subsidised route to B1: 600 lessons of language course lead to B1 (DTZ exam). Echoa's German course is speaking practice from lesson 1 up to A2; for the permit itself, you sit the recognised exam.
Can I take an evening German course online?
Yes. Lingoda sells live group classes online, bookable at any time of day, in groups of 3–5: 20 one-hour classes cost about €230 every 4 weeks, about €11 an hour, and the school counts 50 classes per level. The MVHS also runs its evening A1.1 online.
If you are weighing an online school against an app, see Lingoda vs Babbel for German.
How we compared
This page is published by Echoa, one of the options compared. Every price comes from the source linked for it below, the provider’s own website unless named otherwise, on the date shown. The page is drafted with AI from those sources, then checked against them before it is published. Prices are compared on one basis, a whole A1 level in an evening group; Echoa is priced by the month, and any other option priced differently says on its card what its price buys. Options under “also checked” were looked at too and are not compared here, because they are priced on another basis or weren’t picked. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
- DeutschAkademie, checked 2026-11-06
- Goethe-Institut München, checked 2026-11-06
- Sprachschule Edeltraud, checked 2026-11-06
- Münchner Volkshochschule (MVHS), checked 2026-11-06
- iQ Lingua, checked 2026-11-06
Also checked, not picked here: Integration course at the MVHS, Sprachschule Aktiv, inlingua München, Berlitz München, Lingoda.
Other sources: preply.com, mvhs.de, goethe.de, lingoda.com, gesetze-im-internet.de.
Related reading: learn German with Echoa · German courses in Zurich · Lingoda vs Babbel · fide test preparation · German courses in Berlin