property
Munich, Berlin, Rostock: Where living is particularly expensive
Not only the cities, but also Lübeck and Rostock are among the most expensive places of residence after a study – measured by the local income. The bottom line is Berlin and Munich.
Inexpensive living in the country, expensive metropolises: there is a huge gradient on the German real estate market – but in terms of regional incomes, medium -sized cities such as Lübeck, Rostock and Regensburg are among the most expensive places of residence. This is shown by the Wohnatlas from Postbank and the Hamburg World Economic Institute (HWWI), in which rental and purchase costs were compared to the regional income for the 400 German counties and independent cities.
Accordingly, buyers 2024 had to spend 18.3 percent of the average available household income for credit financing for a 70-square-meter apartment. While the prices for apartments had fallen somewhat fallen, tenants felt a increased burden, according to Postbank: According to the information, they had to spend 14.1 percent of household income on the net rent – after 13.9 percent in 2023.
Berlin as expensive as Munich
25 percent of households live in one of 56 regions with very high purchase prices. Munich is at the forefront, where 43.6 percent of the available household income of estimated 71,534 euros for credit financing. Berlin ends up almost the same at 43.3 percent – the purchase prices are lower on average, but also the middle income, which according to Postbank 2024 was 48,257 euros. Berlin is even ahead of Munich in the rental load (27.1 vs. 25.5 percent).
Hamburg and Frankfurt follow in the top 10 most expensive places of residence. After that, the university cities of Heidelberg and Freiburg as well as Potsdam, where apartment buyers had to spend around 35 percent of the available household income for financing in 2024. In Regensburg, Lübeck and Rostock, there are still over 30 percent for purchase and around a fifth that has to be spent on rent – due to relatively lower income.
Where the cheapest places of residence lie
The very expensive places of residence face many cheap regions in Germany, where, according to Postbank, 23 percent of households live. Among them are large parts of North and East Germany, parts of North Rhine-Westphalia, the western Rhineland-Palatinate and parts of the Black Forest and the Bavarian Forest. In 130 counties and independent cities, less than 15 percent of the average available household income was enough to serve the loan for a 70-square-meter portfolio apartment.
dpa
Source: Stern
