One of the reasons why Germany is such a cheap place to live compared to other countries is the effect of absorbing of East Germany, the fact is that whilst the former West Germans were relatively well off many from the East certainly weren't. The years of communism had seriously taken the toll. It's now taken over 20 years trying to bring the East up to the same level and stardards of the West and still an on going process. I used to live in Berlin (West Berlin Charlottenburg) and for many years it was by far one the cheapest West European catipal cities to live in. Even today as we are starting to see the beginnings of a property boom in Berlin it remains really a very cheap place to live, not at all what you would expect from a major capital city in one of the world's richest countries. Also it has an amazingly efficient and effective transport system, for a €6.30 ticket you can use the U-bahn, S-bahn and buses all day long. I'd like to see someone do that in london. Also whilst appartment prices are rising rapidly if you wish to buy one, rents are still reasonably affordable, food prices are pretty much the same as in other German cities and even restaurants are cheap, for about €30 - €40 you can have a really nice meal with wine in a quality restaurant, again you'd be hard pressed to do the same for 5 or 6 times that in London or Paris.
Yes it's quite normal to pay to use the toliets in Germany, but this is also quite common across Europe, and indeed would also be the same in England had it not been for a decree by Queen Victoria in the 19th century. But this charge does help to pay for toliet attendants to ensure the toliets are not abused, you'll rarely see bad toliets in Germany, they do maintain standards, as anyone who's ever been to France and presented with a hole in the floor might appreciate.
The idea of standards in general though goes way beyond the toilets, as Germany maintains a most orderly society with cleanliness, hygiene and efficency taken very seriously. Of all the mainland European nations Germany shares the most cultural similarities with the US and UK and yes contrary to popular belief the Germans do have a strong sense of humour.
