Renting in Cologne
A new lease costs 15.55 € per m², the 4th highest of 37 cities, up 6.1% on a year ago in a balanced market.
- 930€/moA 60 m² flat, cold. Half of listings: 13.16 to 18.50 € per m².
- +29%Change over five years. +6.1% in the last 12 months.
- 19.5%Rent burden. Share of what two average residents earn after tax (2023).
- +5.0%Forecast, next 12 months. Likely 15.98 to 16.72 € per m².
The market in brief
Cologne’s median asking rent sits at 15.55 €/m² in June 2026, up 6.1 % year‑on‑year and 28.5 % over the past five years, placing the city fourth among the 37 most expensive German markets. The inter‑quartile range runs from 13.16 €/m² to 18.5 €/m², while a typical 60 m² unit costs about 933 € per month.
The market remains balanced with a vacancy rate of 1.3 % and listings staying on the market for roughly 22 days; 36 % of units are let within a week. Rent‑burden for two residents is 19.5 %, and asking rents are about 66 % higher than the 2022 existing‑rent level of 9.39 €/m².
The model estimate forecasts the median asking rent to reach 16.33 €/m² in the next 12 months, ranging between 15.98 €/m² and 16.72 €/m², implying a further 5 % rise.
The facts this summary was allowed to use
{
"city": "Cologne",
"latest_month": "2026-06",
"median_asking_rent_eur_sqm": 15.55,
"p25_eur_sqm": 13.16,
"p75_eur_sqm": 18.5,
"rank_of_37_cities_most_expensive": 4,
"yoy_change_pct": 6.1,
"five_year_change_pct": 28.5,
"zensus_2022_existing_rent_eur_sqm": 9.39,
"asking_premium_vs_existing_pct": 66,
"rent_60sqm_eur_month": 933,
"rent_burden_pct_two_residents": 19.5,
"days_on_market": 22,
"share_let_within_week_pct": 36,
"market_balance": "balanced",
"vacancy_rate_pct": 1.3,
"population_growth_5y_pct": 0.3,
"forecast_12m_median_eur_sqm": 16.33,
"forecast_12m_low_eur_sqm": 15.98,
"forecast_12m_high_eur_sqm": 16.72,
"forecast_12m_change_pct": 5,
"mortgage_rate_pct": 4.09,
"recent_anomalies": [
{
"month": "2023-05",
"direction": "drop",
"mom_pct": -3.2
},
{
"month": "2023-02",
"direction": "drop",
"mom_pct": -2.7
},
{
"month": "2019-11",
"direction": "drop",
"mom_pct": -3.9
}
]
}How Cologne compares
Each dot is one of the 37 cities; blue is Cologne. Hover a grey dot to see which.
Where rents in Cologne are heading
Median asking rent in Cologne, € 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 May 2023 asking rents fell 3.2% in a single month, while the typical city moved 0.0%.
- In February 2023 asking rents fell 2.7% in a single month, while the typical city moved +0.1%.
- In November 2019 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, Cologne
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 Cologne stays online for about 22 days, and 1 in 3 flats are gone within a week. Fewer means more competition: have your documents (SCHUFA, payslips) ready before you view.
The census found 1.3% of flats empty and available (), while the population grew +0.3% 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 Cologne cost you?
Half of all listings: 790 € to 1,110 €. 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 980 € a year from now (likely between 960 € and 1,000 €).
On this income, a flat this size stays within 30% in all 37 cities. Noticeably cheaper options: (370 €), (450 €) and (490 €).