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The investor ladder

Property by city

Existing-apartment (Bestand) buy price, cold rent, and the published gross rental yield — sorted highest-yield first. Munich is priciest with the thinnest yield (~2.5%); Leipzig is cheapest with the fattest (~5%), but a thinner job market. The national average asking price is ~€3.150/m², gross yield ~3,4%.

Leipzig

Sachsen

5,0%
Buy
€3.130/m²
Cold rent
10,4/m²
New-build
€3.910/m²
Grunderwerbst.
5,5%

Cheapest to buy and rent; fast-growing 'new Berlin'; highest yields — but a thinner/weaker job market than the west.

Stuttgart

Baden-Württemberg

4,6%
Buy
€4.750/m²
Cold rent
16,3/m²
New-build
€5.940/m²
Grunderwerbst.
5,0%

Auto engineering (Mercedes, Porsche, Bosch); strong incomes; one of the better buy-side yields among the big cities.

Berlin

Berlin

4,0%
Buy
€5.590/m²
Cold rent
15,8/m²
New-build
€6.990/m²
Grunderwerbst.
6,0%

Largest South-Asian/expat scene, startups, English-friendly; Mietpreisbremse city-wide; yields swing 3.5–4.8% by district.

Cologne

Nordrhein-Westfalen

3,3%
Buy
€4.740/m²
Cold rent
15,7/m²
New-build
€5.930/m²
Grunderwerbst.
6,5%

Media/insurance; relatively relaxed; large migrant community. Transfer tax 6.5% (highest band).

Düsseldorf

Nordrhein-Westfalen

3,3%
Buy
€5.050/m²
Cold rent
14,8/m²
New-build
€6.310/m²
Grunderwerbst.
6,5%

Business/fashion; very large Japanese + growing South-Asian presence. Transfer tax 6.5%.

Hamburg

Hamburg

3,0%
Buy
€5.614/m²
Cold rent
16,4/m²
New-build
€7.020/m²
Grunderwerbst.
5,5%

Media/logistics/port; stable market. Transfer tax 5.5%.

Frankfurt

Hessen

2,8%
Buy
€5.923/m²
Cold rent
17,7/m²
New-build
€7.400/m²
Grunderwerbst.
6,0%

Finance/ECB hub; very international; high salaries. Transfer tax 6.0%.

Munich

Bayern

2,5%
Buy
€8.275/m²
Cold rent
23,6/m²
New-build
€10.340/m²
Grunderwerbst.
3,5%

Priciest to buy and rent; strongest job market (tech, BMW, Siemens, Allianz); fiercest rental competition — 50–100 applicants per listing.

Financial education — not investment advice. These calculators are illustrative and hypothetical. GermanDost is not a licensed investment adviser and provides no personalized recommendation (Anlageberatung) within the meaning of the German Wertpapierhandelsgesetz (WpHG) or under BaFin supervision. Investing carries risk — your capital is at risk and past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Figures use public rates (e.g. BMF Basiszins, Bundesbank, Deutsche Rentenversicherung) and simplifying assumptions; taxes depend on your situation. We describe how products work and list broad index funds by methodology — we never tell you which specific product to buy. Before investing, opening a Depot, or taking a mortgage, consult a licensed adviser (Steuerberater / Honorar-Anlageberater / Baufinanzierungsberater). Provider links may be affiliate links — see our Terms.

Last updated: 2026-07-18