In short
Munich has the most expensive housing in Germany, and it is the only city you can leave in the morning to ski or walk in the mountains, on a regional train.
The English Garden is larger than Central Park, and an artificial wave on the Eisbach is surfed there all year, in the middle of the city.
What it really costs
Housing takes more than half the budget and decides everything: the rental market is the tightest in the country, and a room in a shared flat costs what a studio costs elsewhere.
The Deutschlandticket, a flat monthly pass, covers every regional transport service in Germany. It puts the Alps and the lakes within reach at no extra cost, and that is what redeems the rest.
What nobody tells you
Oktoberfest runs from mid-September to early October, not in October. For those two weeks accommodation doubles or triples and is booked a year ahead.
Bavaria has more public holidays than other German states, and many fall midweek. A closed door on a Thursday in May is not unusual.
On Sundays everything shuts, as everywhere in Germany. And plenty of bars and bakeries take cash only.
