Renting in Bielefeld
A new lease costs 10.00 € per m², the 25th highest of 37 cities, up 2.9% on a year ago in a balanced market.
- 600€/moA 60 m² flat, cold. Half of listings: 8.75 to 11.52 € per m².
- +25%Change over five years. +2.9% in the last 12 months.
- 13.3%Rent burden. Share of what two average residents earn after tax (2023).
- +5.0%Forecast, next 12 months. Likely 10.24 to 10.75 € per m².
The market in brief
The median asking rent in Bielefeld stands at 10.0 €/m², up 2.9 % year‑on‑year and 24.6 % over the last five years, placing the city 23rd of the 37 most expensive markets. The 60 m² reference rent is 600.0 €/month, with a rent‑burden of 13.3 % for two residents, and the market is described as balanced.
Supply is tight: properties stay on the market for about 30 days, only 23 % are let within a week, and the vacancy rate is 1.7 %. Asking rents command a 40 % premium over the 2022 existing rent of 7.12 €/m².
The model estimate forecasts the median asking rent to reach 10.5 €/m² in 12 months, ranging between 10.24 €/m² and 10.75 €/m², implying a 5.0 % increase.
The facts this summary was allowed to use
{
"city": "Bielefeld",
"latest_month": "2026-06",
"median_asking_rent_eur_sqm": 10,
"p25_eur_sqm": 8.75,
"p75_eur_sqm": 11.52,
"rank_of_37_cities_most_expensive": 23,
"yoy_change_pct": 2.9,
"five_year_change_pct": 24.6,
"zensus_2022_existing_rent_eur_sqm": 7.12,
"asking_premium_vs_existing_pct": 40,
"rent_60sqm_eur_month": 600,
"rent_burden_pct_two_residents": 13.3,
"days_on_market": 30,
"share_let_within_week_pct": 23,
"market_balance": "balanced",
"vacancy_rate_pct": 1.7,
"population_growth_5y_pct": 1.6,
"forecast_12m_median_eur_sqm": 10.5,
"forecast_12m_low_eur_sqm": 10.24,
"forecast_12m_high_eur_sqm": 10.75,
"forecast_12m_change_pct": 5,
"mortgage_rate_pct": 4.09,
"recent_anomalies": [
{
"month": "2025-01",
"direction": "drop",
"mom_pct": -2.6
},
{
"month": "2018-03",
"direction": "spike",
"mom_pct": 5.4
}
]
}How Bielefeld compares
Each dot is one of the 37 cities; blue is Bielefeld. Hover a grey dot to see which.
Where rents in Bielefeld are heading
Median asking rent in Bielefeld, € per m²
Monthly, with the 3, 6 and 12-month forecast and its 80% range. Use the menu to compare another city.
How to read this chart
The band widens further into the future because uncertainty grows with time. In back-tests, about 8 out of 10 real outcomes fell inside bands like this one.
Dashed circles mark : moves much larger than in the other cities that month.
Unusual months, in plain words
- In January 2025 asking rents fell 2.6% in a single month, while the typical city moved +1.4%.
- In March 2018 asking rents jumped 5.4% in a single month, while the typical city moved 0.0%.
One month is a small sample, so a flag like this is a prompt to look closer rather than proof of a price change. The longer trend is the better guide.
Not every street costs the same
Rent per 100 m square, Bielefeld
Average net cold rent on existing contracts, May 2022, on a street map. Hover for values; drag to move.
How to read this chart
The colour scale runs from the cheapest 2% to the most expensive 2% of squares, so a few extreme squares don't wash out the rest. A blank area means no or too few rented flats there (parks, industry, water) or the census suppressed the value.
How fast flats are let
A listing in Bielefeld stays online for about 30 days, and 1 in 4 flats are gone within a week. Fewer means more competition: have your documents (SCHUFA, payslips) ready before you view.
The census found 1.7% of flats empty and available (), while the population grew +1.6% in five years. That makes the market balanced on our .
Days a listing stays online
Rolling average over four quarters. Lower means a faster, tighter market.
What would a flat in Bielefeld cost you?
Half of all listings: 530 € to 690 €. Heating and running costs come on top.
That is within the common rule of thumb that rent should take no more than 30% of net income.[1] If the trend holds, the same flat would be listed at about 630 € a year from now (likely between 610 € and 650 €).
It stays within 30% of your income in 36 of 37 cities. Noticeably cheaper options: (370 €) and (450 €).