Germany vs. Asia
What will surprise you
Foto: Pexels / Aleksandar Pasaric
Many Asian students arrive in Germany expecting 7-Eleven, Watson’s, Alipay and GrabFood around every corner. None of those brands exist here — but there are alternatives for everything. This guide gives you the complete side-by-side comparison so you can hit the ground running.
🛒 Convenience Stores & Kiosks
What you know
7-Eleven, FamilyMart, OK Mart — 24/7, everything instantly available, on every street corner.
What you’ll find here
- Kiosks / Spätis: Small corner shops, usually open until 22:00–midnight
- Petrol stations: Open 24 hours, including Sundays — but prices are higher
- Train station shops (Rewe To Go, BackWerk): Open on Sundays — best Sunday option
The shock
Almost everything is closed on Sundays. Supermarkets typically close at 22:00. There is no ubiquitous convenience food culture.
🧩 Drugstore / Pharmacy
Watson’s (HK/SG/TW/MY) → dm or Rossmann
Similar product range: body care, hair care, cosmetics, vitamins, over-the-counter medicines.
- Differences: No photo printing service, less beauty electronics than Watson’s
- Advantage: dm’s own brand alverde (natural cosmetics) and Balea are very affordable and good quality
💳 Payments — The Biggest Culture Shock
What you know
PayNow, PayLah!, GrabPay, Alipay, LINE Pay — scan a QR code, done.
What you’ll find here
- EC-Karte (Girocard / debit card): The dominant payment method — accepted almost everywhere
- Credit card (Visa/Mastercard): Increasingly accepted, but not universal
- Cash: Still required at many small bakeries, markets and kiosks
- Alipay / WeChat Pay: Accepted in a handful of Chinese restaurants and some Edeka stores — not reliable
- Apple Pay / Google Pay: Growing but not yet universal
📱 Online Shopping
Lazada / Shopee / Taobao → Amazon.de, Zalando, otto.de, Kleinanzeigen.de
- Amazon.de: Same-day with Prime, 1–2 days standard — reliable and fast
- Zalando / otto.de: Fashion, electronics, household items
- Kleinanzeigen.de: Second-hand marketplace (like Carousell or Facebook Marketplace). Perfect for bicycles, furniture, textbooks
🚌 Getting Around
Grab / GoJek / Ola → Uber (expensive!), Taxi (even more expensive), public transport (cheap)
- MRT / LRT / Metro → S-Bahn, Bus, Tram (RMV network): Affordable and reliable
- Uber: Available, but significantly more expensive than in Asia
- Bicycle: Very common in Darmstadt — buy a used one for €50–150 on Kleinanzeigen.de for the cheapest daily commute
🍽️ Food & Restaurants
- Food delivery: No GrabFood or Foodpanda, but Lieferando and Wolt are active in Darmstadt
- Restaurant menus: No QR code menus as standard. Mostly physical menus. Reservations by phone or OpenTable
- Tipping: 5–10 % is expected — unlike Japan or HK where tipping is uncommon
- Smoking: Prohibited indoors, usually allowed outdoors
- Tap water: Safe to drink and free — but not automatically served in restaurants. Ask explicitly for “Leitungswasser”
📲 Communication
- University group chats → WhatsApp groups or Discord: German classmates do not use WeChat or LINE
- Email: Critically important in Germany. Germans communicate formally by email — not messaging apps
- WhatsApp: The dominant messaging app in Germany for informal communication
🔄 Comparison Table: Asia vs. Germany
| What you know from Asia | Germany equivalent | Key differences |
|---|---|---|
| 7-Eleven / FamilyMart | Kiosk, petrol station, train station shop | Almost everything closed on Sundays |
| Watson’s | dm, Rossmann | Similar range, no photo printing |
| Alipay / PayNow / GrabPay | EC-Karte (debit card), cash | Cashless not yet universal |
| Lazada / Shopee / Taobao | Amazon.de, Zalando | Faster delivery, no customs issues |
| Grab / GoJek / Ola | Uber, public transport, bicycle | Public transport cheaper, Uber expensive |
| GrabFood / Foodpanda | Lieferando, Wolt | Same function |
| MRT / Metro / LRT | S-Bahn, Bus, Tram (RMV) | No 24h service, last train ~1am |
| Emergency: 999 / 119 / 120 | 112 | Different number! |
| WhatsApp / LINE / Telegram | WhatsApp, Discord | Germans don’t use WeChat/LINE |
| Pay after meal | Pay after meal + 5–10 % tip | Tipping is expected! |
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Ming’s Supermarkt on Berger Straße stocks Asian groceries, spices and instant noodles. For a wider range, Frankfurt is 20 minutes by S-Bahn with multiple large Asian supermarkets near the main station.
PayNow and GrabPay are not available in Germany. Alipay and WeChat Pay work in a few shops but not reliably. Always carry your debit card and some cash. Get an N26 or DKB account on arrival.
Almost nothing — supermarkets, pharmacies and clothing shops are closed by law. Petrol stations and train station shops remain open. Plan your shopping on Thursday or Friday.
Yes — Lieferando (equivalent to GrabFood/Foodpanda) and Wolt both operate in Darmstadt. Several Chinese, Asian and international restaurants are available.
For the first 6 months yes, with an official certified translation. After that you need to convert it at the local road traffic authority. EU licences are valid without restriction.
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