Cologne tops Germany’s rent hikes with 6% surge in 2026

Cologne has seen the fastest rent increases in Germany in the second quarter of 2026, with asking prices rising six percent year-on-year, according to the Greix rent index from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW). That is double the national average of three percent. Hamburg and Düsseldorf followed closely, with increases of 5.1 percent and 4.1 percent respectively. Overall, across 37 cities and regions, rents rose just 0.8 percent quarter-on-quarter. When adjusted for inflation, the national average increase was a mere 0.3 percent. In contrast, Berlin saw a slight decline of 0.8 percent compared to last year, though the market remains tight for newcomers. Munich remains the most expensive city at €23.70 per square metre.

Article and image source: thelocal.de