Study Reveals Average Cost of Shared Rooms in Berlin Hits EUR650

Finding affordable shared accommodation in Berlin has become increasingly challenging, with the average cost of a room in a shared apartment now standing at EUR650. This figure, reported by the Moses Mendelssohn Institute (MMI) in collaboration with the platform wg-gesucht.de, positions Berlin as one of the most expensive cities for students in Germany, surpassed only by Munich (EUR800) and Frankfurt am Main (EUR665).

In a broader context, Berlin leads the country in rental prices for shared living spaces. Notably, the cost of shared rooms has remained stable over the past year, maintaining the same average price as recorded previously. For reference, the average cost was significantly lower at EUR335 before the winter semester of 2013/2014.

In contrast, Brandenburg has experienced a downward trend in rental prices for shared accommodations. Currently, the average cost for a room in a shared apartment in Brandenburg is EUR466, down from EUR522 six months ago and EUR510 a year ago. This places Brandenburg sixth in the national price rankings, with prices still below the national average of EUR493. Specifically, Potsdam, the state capital, sees an average rental price of EUR500 per room, which exceeds the overall Brandenburger average.

Students relying on the Bafög housing allowance, which is set at EUR380, are finding it increasingly difficult to secure accommodation in both Berlin and Potsdam within this budget. Nationwide, only in 23 cities can students find rooms within this financial boundary, with examples including Chemnitz (EUR265), Magdeburg (EUR330), Dresden (EUR350), Hildesheim (EUR365), Erfurt (EUR370), and Kaiserslautern (EUR380).

The analysis was based on 8,800 listings from wg-gesucht.de, encompassing all university locations with at least 5,000 students. In total, 88 cities were evaluated, which collectively host approximately 90.5% of the 2.7 million enrolled students in Germany. The study focused exclusively on shared rooms in apartments accommodating two or three residents.