mmm beer...
 

Are the beers in Germany as big as you see them on tv and in movies? If so, what's the average cost?

Yes and no. The 1 liter mugs you're probably referring to are served only in Bavaria, while other, more civilized regions use smaller glasses. Beer brands are very regional and they often have their own kind of glas in which they are traditionally served (for example the Kölsch in 0.2 liter glases which are replaced without asking when empty as long as you don't signal that you have enough). The most common sizes are 0.3-0.5 liter.
The prizes vary widely depending on the city and the pub. Between 1-1.5 Euro per 0.2 liter is common.

hi there,
the less civilized regions just have that fear to swallow those little tinny glasses so they use the bigger sizes. 
Years ago when asking in Bavaria for "A Halbe" (half a liter) maybe the waitress would ask You to wait till You are thirsty for "A Mass" (one whole liter). But till civilisation came to the south things changes, slowly.

have fun ;-)
Gar

can't go wrong with cheap beer!

One reason you can down more beer in Germany is the relatively low levels of carbonation in the stuff. In the beer halls it is all draft and that "package" is inherently lower in carbonation.

Bottled American Industrial Lagers are highly carbonated for a reason -- just let one go flat and drink it. Ugh!

Is someone perpetuating that old North-South "civilized" thing about the Bavarians? Shame.