Munich held the title of the most expensive city to rent out in Germany for 20 years. But, now, the situation in the real estate market has changed. Stuttgart bypassed the capital of Bavaria.

In Stuttgart, the average net rent (excluding additional costs such as heating and insurance) reaches €10,41 per square meter, according to the German marketing company F + B. Stuttgart has become the most expensive city for tenants in Germany, crowding out Munich to second place. According to the study, rents in Germany continue to rise, although not as much as in previous years. In 2019, rental increased by 1.8%, which is 0.4 percentage points less than in 2018. Rent in Germany averages €7,04 per square meter. Researchers consider the fairest rental rates in Erfurt, East Berlin, Potsdam, Dresden, and Schwerin.

Stuttgart residents pay an average of €10,41 per square meter of net rent, which is 48% higher than the average rental of €7,04 per square meter analysts say. Munich ranks sixth on the list of German cities with the most expensive rents. The net rent in Munich averages €9,74 per square meter.

What is the situation in other German cities?
In Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, and Cologne, rental housing is also much higher than the national average. In Berlin, rents are only slightly higher than the national average of €7,32 per square meter. The 10 most expensive cities for tenants are located in the most prosperous part of the country – in the south of Germany.

Top 20 most expensive cities and municipalities for rental housing are:

1. Karlsfeld (Bavaria, the most expensive municipality);
2. Stuttgart (Baden-Württemberg), the most expensive city);
3. Leinfelden-Echterdingen (Baden-Württemberg);
4. Germering (Bavaria);
5. Dachau (Bavaria);
6. Munich (Bavaria);
7. Tübingen (Baden-Württemberg);
8. Ludwigsburg (Baden-Wurttemberg);
9. Erding (Bavaria);
10. Ditzingen (Baden-Württemberg);
11. Darmstadt (Hesse);
12. Kornwestheim (Baden-Württemberg);
13. Hamburg;
14. Esslingen am Neckar (Baden-Württemberg);
15. Wiesbaden (Hesse);
16. Leonberg (Baden-Wurttemberg);
17. Fellbach (Baden-Württemberg);
18. Konstanz (Baden-Württemberg);
19. Dusseldorf (North Rhine-Westphalia);
20. Frankfurt am Main (Hesse).

The first East German city in the ranking – Jena – takes 90th place. Here, the rent is at an average level in the country.The German marketing company F + B annually compares the net rent for typical apartments of 65 square meters in municipalities and cities with at least 20.000 inhabitants. In 2019, researchers studied rental in 351 cities.