Renting in Kiel
A new lease costs 11.27 € per m², the 21st highest of 37 cities, up 4.8% on a year ago in a balanced market.
- 680€/moA 60 m² flat, cold. Half of listings: 10.00 to 13.24 € per m².
- +29%Change over five years. +4.8% in the last 12 months.
- 16.2%Rent burden. Share of what two average residents earn after tax (2023).
- +5.5%Forecast, next 12 months. Likely 11.61 to 12.14 € per m².
The market in brief
Kiel’s median asking rent sits at 11.27 €/m² in June 2026, up 4.8 % year‑on‑year and 28.8 % over the past five years, placing the city 21st of the 37 most expensive German markets. The asking premium over existing rents is 48 %, with a typical 60 m² unit costing 676 € per month.
The market remains balanced but tight: properties stay on the market for only 23 days and just 30 % are let within a week. Vacancy is low at 1.6 % and rent‑burden for two residents is 16.2 %, while population growth has been modest at 0.2 % over five years.
A model estimate forecasts the median asking rent to reach 11.89 €/m² in 12 months, ranging between 11.61 €/m² and 12.14 €/m² – a 5.5 % increase from today.
The facts this summary was allowed to use
{
"city": "Kiel",
"latest_month": "2026-06",
"median_asking_rent_eur_sqm": 11.27,
"p25_eur_sqm": 10,
"p75_eur_sqm": 13.24,
"rank_of_37_cities_most_expensive": 21,
"yoy_change_pct": 4.8,
"five_year_change_pct": 28.8,
"zensus_2022_existing_rent_eur_sqm": 7.64,
"asking_premium_vs_existing_pct": 48,
"rent_60sqm_eur_month": 676,
"rent_burden_pct_two_residents": 16.2,
"days_on_market": 23,
"share_let_within_week_pct": 30,
"market_balance": "balanced",
"vacancy_rate_pct": 1.6,
"population_growth_5y_pct": 0.2,
"forecast_12m_median_eur_sqm": 11.89,
"forecast_12m_low_eur_sqm": 11.61,
"forecast_12m_high_eur_sqm": 12.14,
"forecast_12m_change_pct": 5.5,
"mortgage_rate_pct": 4.09,
"recent_anomalies": [
{
"month": "2025-11",
"direction": "drop",
"mom_pct": -5.1
},
{
"month": "2024-06",
"direction": "drop",
"mom_pct": -5.3
},
{
"month": "2023-05",
"direction": "spike",
"mom_pct": 3.9
}
]
}How Kiel compares
Each dot is one of the 37 cities; blue is Kiel. Hover a grey dot to see which.
Where rents in Kiel are heading
Median asking rent in Kiel, € 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 November 2025 asking rents fell 5.1% in a single month, while the typical city moved +1.2%.
- In June 2024 asking rents fell 5.3% in a single month, while the typical city moved -0.1%.
- In May 2023 asking rents jumped 3.9% in a single month, while the typical city moved 0.0%.
- In April 2023 asking rents fell 3.9% 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, Kiel
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 Kiel stays online for about 23 days, and 30% flats are gone within a week. Fewer means more competition: have your documents (SCHUFA, payslips) ready before you view.
The census found 1.6% of flats empty and available (), while the population grew +0.2% 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 Kiel cost you?
Half of all listings: 600 € to 790 €. 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 710 € a year from now (likely between 700 € and 730 €).
It stays within 30% of your income in 36 of 37 cities. Noticeably cheaper options: (370 €), (450 €) and (490 €).