As a newcomer you can't live (properly) in a top tier city in any major Western country that I can think of unless you manage to accumulate significant wealth.

I doubt that "every" city in Germany has this problem, but I believe you that all of the ones that I could name as a non-German do.

The 50th percentile Brit can't afford to live in London. Nottingham, well that's easy.

It's the same everywhere.