German Cities
Purchase price, cold rent and gross rental yield in ten major German cities, side by side. Medians from current apartment listings.
Among these ten cities, Leipzig has the highest gross rental yield at 4.8% and Hamburg the lowest at 3.2%. A square metre costs the most in Munich (€9,167) and the least in Leipzig (€3,004).
The ten cities by gross rental yield
- LeipzigSaxony · 2,001 listings for saleBuy €3,004/m²· Rent €12.00/m²4.8%
- StuttgartBaden-Württemberg · 1,613 listings for saleBuy €4,652/m²· Rent €18.27/m²4.7%
- NurembergBavaria · 802 listings for saleBuy €3,841/m²· Rent €14.71/m²4.6%
- DresdenSaxony · 1,126 listings for saleBuy €3,167/m²· Rent €11.30/m²4.3%
- Berlin13,084 listings for saleBuy €5,671/m²· Rent €19.17/m²4.1%
- DüsseldorfNorth Rhine-Westphalia · 1,765 listings for saleBuy €5,175/m²· Rent €16.67/m²3.9%
- CologneNorth Rhine-Westphalia · 1,814 listings for saleBuy €5,321/m²· Rent €17.01/m²3.8%
- FrankfurtHesse · 1,765 listings for saleBuy €6,661/m²· Rent €20.84/m²3.8%
- MunichBavaria · 4,947 listings for saleBuy €9,167/m²· Rent €25.42/m²3.3%
- Hamburg2,549 listings for saleBuy €6,713/m²· Rent €18.06/m²3.2%
Asking prices and rents from online listings for apartments, as of November 3, 2026. Not notarised sale prices.
How to read the figures
- Price per m²
- The median asking price of apartments for sale in online listings. The price finally paid can differ.
- Cold rent per m²
- The median rent asked for new lettings, without service charges.
- Gross rental yield
- The annual cold rent divided by the purchase price. Closing costs, service charges, vacancy and taxes are not deducted, so the net yield is lower.
Higher yields outside the big cities
The big cities are in demand but expensive. Nationwide these cities lead, each with at least 50 listings for sale:
- 01PlauenSaxony · €867/m²7.6%
- 02ZwickauSaxony · €999/m²7.5%
- 03PinnebergSchleswig-Holstein · €2,915/m²6.4%
Check a specific apartment
A city's median says little about a single apartment. Enter the price and rent to see cash flow, net yield and taxes.
Frequently asked questions
Which major German city has the highest rental yield?
Among the ten major cities on this page, Leipzig has the highest gross rental yield at 4.8%, as of November 3, 2026. Nationwide, smaller cities lead, with Plauen at the top at 7.6%.
Why is the rental yield in Hamburg so low?
Purchase prices there are high relative to rents. A square metre costs €6,713, and the cold rent is €18.06 a month. The price therefore equals about 31 years of cold rent.
Where do the figures come from?
From current online listings for apartments in each city, analysed again every night. They are asking prices and asking rents. Notarised sale prices can differ. The methodology explains how the medians are built.
Is the gross rental yield what I will earn?
No. Service charges, maintenance, vacancy and taxes come off the cold rent, and closing costs raise the capital you put in. The net yield is therefore below the gross yield. For a specific apartment, the analysis works it out.