The New Year is just around the corner and with it the time for good resolutions and planning. Your vacation can be almost two months long if you make clever use of the bridging days! But 2026 also has some changes in store for us in Munich in other areas. The coming year will bring nationwide and local changes that we should be aware of now. An overview of the upcoming changes in Munich in the new year.
The minimum wage is rising
Let’s start with some good news: as planned throughout Germany, the minimum wage is expected to rise to 13.90 euros per hour from January 2026. And the mini-job threshold will also be raised to 603 euros per month. These changes will be particularly noticeable in Munich, where life is already expensive enough and many people work in the catering sector.
Child benefit will also increase slightly to 259 euros. And the tax burden for employees will be reduced because the basic tax-free allowance will be raised to 12,348 euros.
Up and down prices: Electricity and gas
In the energy sector, on the other hand, things are looking less good. In the new year, the price of CO2 will rise to between 55 and 65 euros per tonne. This will increase the cost of fossil fuels, i.e. heating oil, gas and petrol.
On the other hand, there is also a nationwide reduction in grid fees for electricity for precisely this reason : the federal government is subsidizing the fees for electricity transport, which should lower the price. In addition, the gas storage levy is likely to be abolished, which could stabilize the price of gas.
Changes to local public transport
The transport sector faces the greatest challenges in terms of changes in the new year: Dachauer Straße is expected to remain fully closed to car traffic until the end of 2026 due to the construction of the new railroad bridge.
And the MVV discount model is also changing: the previous “pay for 10 months, travel for 12 months” model is being replaced by a new system with a fixed monthly discount. The annual payment will be permanently abolished.
But finally, some good news for all commuters: From the new year, there will be a commuter allowance (38 cents/km). This should provide noticeable financial relief from the very first kilometer.