Rental prices in German cities: Study finds nearly half of large independent cities exceed €10 per m²
ImmoScout24 analysis shows rental prices in German cities average €9/m²; nearly half of 71 large independent cities list new rentals above €10/m² in Q1 2026.
Germany’s leading online listing service ImmoScout24 found striking variation in rental prices in German cities, with nearly half of the country’s 71 kreisfreie Großstädte (large independent cities) reporting new-lease asking rents above €10 per square metre in the first quarter of 2026. The nationwide average for offered rents in existing apartments stood at €9.00 per square metre, while the combined mean for the eight major metropolises — Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf and Leipzig — reached €13.95. The analysis covered only existing apartments defined as units at least three years old, highlighting a split between high-pressure urban markets and more affordable regional centres.
ImmoScout24 analysis and scope
The ImmoScout24 study examined advertised asking rents across all 71 kreisfreie Großstädte in Germany during Q1 2026 to map where rental prices are highest and lowest. The dataset focused exclusively on bestandswohnungen (existing stock), excluding new-builds, to reflect what tenants typically encounter on the market today. That approach produced a national mean of €9.00 per square metre but also revealed wide intra-country differences driven by local demand, housing stock and regional economic conditions. The portal’s managing director, Gesa Crockford, noted that many of the more affordable cities offer solid infrastructure and services despite commanding lower rents than the major metropolises.
Cities with the lowest asking rents
At the bottom of the ranking, Chemnitz emerged as the most affordable of the 71 cities with an average advertised asking rent of €6.27 per square metre, which translates into roughly €439 for a hypothetical 70-square-metre apartment. Salzgitter and several other eastern and industrial cities also recorded sub-€8.50 averages, with 15 cities overall below that threshold. Nine of those 15 low-cost cities are located in North Rhine-Westphalia, including Gelsenkirchen, Hagen and Oberhausen, underscoring persistent regional pockets of affordability. Magdeburg and Halle (Saale) also feature among the cheapest cities, reflecting slower price pressure in parts of the east.
Metropolitan contrast drives higher averages
The eight major metropolitan areas pulled the upper end of the spectrum upward, producing a combined average of €13.95 per square metre for offered rents on existing apartments. Among them, Leipzig stood out as an exception with an average of €8.90 per square metre, the only metropolis of the eight below the €10 mark in this analysis. Cities such as Munich and Frankfurt continued to show substantially higher asking prices, contributing to the pronounced gap between national averages and metropolitan market levels. This divergence highlights the concentrated nature of rental pressure in Germany’s economic and cultural hubs.
Regional patterns and housing market drivers
Regional economic performance, migration flows and the composition of housing stock help explain why rental prices in German cities differ so markedly. Areas with stronger job markets, international connectivity and limited available housing typically see higher asking rents, while legacy industrial centres or cities with slower population growth often present lower advertised prices. Local policy, vacancy rates and the pace of new construction also affect price formation, with existing-apartment markets responding more slowly to changes in supply than new-build segments. The ImmoScout24 results therefore reflect both structural and cyclical forces shaping city-level rental dynamics.
Practical implications for tenants and policymakers
For tenants and prospective movers, the study underscores opportunities for savings by considering mid-sized and smaller independent cities where rental prices remain substantially lower than in major metros. Families and remote workers who can relocate without losing job access may find better value and more living space outside the headline markets. For policymakers, the data reinforce the need for targeted measures that address supply constraints in high-cost cities while supporting economic revitalisation in lower-cost areas to avoid demographic decline. The split between metropolitan pressure and regional affordability poses distinct policy challenges for housing, transport and local economic development.
Methodology, limitations and next steps
ImmoScout24’s analysis uses advertised asking rents from the first quarter of 2026 and restricts the sample to apartments at least three years old, which limits direct comparison with new-build asking rates or net contract rents. Advertised prices can differ from signed rental contracts after negotiation, and local variations within cities — by neighbourhood or building class — are not captured in a city-wide average. Future updates that incorporate contract-level data, vacancy trends and time-series changes would give a fuller picture of how rental prices in German cities evolve and how quickly market pressures spread from core metros to surrounding areas.
The ImmoScout24 findings make clear that rental prices in German cities are far from uniform: while some urban centres face acute cost pressures, a substantial share of large independent cities still offers comparatively low asking rents, presenting options for tenants and posing strategic questions for urban planners and policymakers.
