Is a one year UK masters cheaper overall than a two year German one?

No, choosing Germany's two year public university masters will likely cost you less overall than a one year UK masters, even though you spend an extra year living abroad. Your German tuition stays close to zero, so the main expense becomes living costs, while the UK route front loads high tuition fees that usually outweigh a full year of European living expenses.

Cost Comparison at a Glance

Why Germany Works Out Cheaper, and Where the UK Wins Back Ground

Germany's savings come from more than free tuition. Your semester fee usually bundles a Semesterticket for discounted regional transit, and Germany lets you work up to 140 full days or 280 half days a year, well beyond the UK's 20 hour weekly cap during term. But the UK gives you an earlier paycheck: you graduate and start earning a full year sooner, which matters if you are repaying an education loan and want to limit compound interest.

• Private German universities charge EUR 10,000 to 20,000 a year, which erases the savings advantage.
• Baden-Wurttemberg public universities, including Heidelberg and KIT, charge non-EU students EUR 1,500 per semester, still cheaper than the UK.

My Advice

If your family can comfortably fund two years of living costs, go with Germany and build your budget around the blocked account requirement first. If you need to start earning fast to service a loan, the UK's one year timeline may still be worth the higher upfront tuition, so run both scenarios past your loan officer before you commit.