Shared Flat Rooms 2026: Average Rent, Deposit and BAföG Check

What a shared flat room (WG-Zimmer) costs in 2026 depends on city, location and semester. In the summer semester 2026, the national average was 512 euros per month according to WG-Gesucht.de, a large German flat-share portal. This guide puts that figure into context and shows you how to check the price of a specific offer.

The Most Important Points at a Glance

• Across Germany, a shared flat room cost 512 euros per month on average in the summer semester 2026, according to WG-Gesucht.de.
• In the summer semester 2025, the average was 493 euros according to the Deutsches Studierendenwerk (German Student Union), and about 800 euros in Munich.
• The BAföG (German student financial aid) housing allowance for students who live away from home is 380 euros per month, valid since 1 August 2024.
• For a standard dormitory place (Wohnheimplatz) run by the Studierendenwerk Göttingen, the deposit (Kaution) is 400 euros according to the rental terms.
• Compared with the national shared flat average, the BAföG housing allowance leaves a gap of 132 euros per month (calculation with an assumption, see below).
• In Göttingen, Kassel and Hamburg, the price of the specific offer matters more than the national average.

What Does a Shared Flat Room Cost in Studies in 2026?

The figures come from different sources, and you should keep that in mind when you compare them. The 2025 values were published by the Deutsches Studierendenwerk (German Student Union). They come from the university city scoring (Hochschulstädtescoring) of the Moses Mendelssohn Institute, produced together with the portal WG-Gesucht.de. The 2026 figure is published by WG-Gesucht.de itself. The sources do not say whether the amounts include utilities (Nebenkosten).

The housing allowance matters for the comparison because the state counts it as the housing share of the BAföG rate. It is only one part of the total rate, though, and it is not paid directly to your landlord.

How Large Is the Gap Between a Shared Flat Room and the BAföG Housing Allowance?

A simple calculation shows what is at stake. Assumption: you live away from home, receive the housing allowance of 380 euros and pay for a shared flat room at the national average of 512 euros.

1. Rent for the room: 512 euros per month.
2. Housing allowance from BAföG: minus 380 euros.
3. Gap per month: 132 euros (calculated).
4. Gap per year over twelve months: 1,584 euros (calculated).

If you still live with your parents, the housing allowance is 59 euros, so the gap is correspondingly larger. How much you are entitled to depends on your income, your assets and your parents’ income, and it can only be clarified in your individual case. Our guide Living with BAföG: the 380 euro allowance against real rent explains how the allowance works in practice.

How Do You Check the Price of a Specific Offer?

The average helps you classify a price, but the individual offer decides. These steps help you avoid unpleasant surprises:

1. Ask whether the price is warm (including utilities) or cold (excluding utilities), and which extra costs are payable.
2. Get the deposit and its payment schedule in writing. The Göttingen dormitory deposit of 400 euros is payable in two instalments of 200 euros, due with the first and second rent.
3. Compare at least three offers in the same city and the same area.
4. Check the term, sublets and furniture in the contract before you sign.

A housing advice service (Wohnberatung) at your university or at the Studierendenwerk can help you review a rental contract. For tips on finding a suitable flat share, read our guide to finding a flat share (in German).

What Are Prices Like in Göttingen, Kassel and Hamburg?

The sources reviewed for this guide do not contain reliable average prices for shared flat rooms in Göttingen, Kassel or Hamburg. A national average says little about a market that varies strongly by city and district. These sources give you a better picture:

• Current offers in your city from the common flat-search portals, filtered by shared room and district.
• The dormitory offers and rental terms of the Studierendenwerk in the city where you plan to study.
• The housing advice service of your university or the Studierendenwerk, which can tell you about local offers and prices.

Our city guides also cover costs and housing: Studying in Göttingen (in German), Studying in Kassel (in German) and Studying in Hamburg (in German).

Dormitory or Shared Flat: Which Costs Are Easier to Plan?

A dormitory place offers clear contract terms. The rental terms of the Studierendenwerk Göttingen set a deposit of 400 euros and a flat-rate rent made up of base rent and a service charge flat rate. The exact amount of the flat-rate rent is set out in the rental contract, so ask for it in each individual case.

In a shared flat, the price depends on the individual offer, which makes comparing offers especially worthwhile. The guide Student dormitory or shared flat: what suits you better? (in German) helps you decide which option fits your daily life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the national average a good benchmark?

It gives you an order of magnitude, but not a price for your city. The gap between the national average of 512 euros and the Munich figure of about 800 euros (summer semester 2025) shows how strongly location shapes the price.

Do I have to pay a deposit for a shared flat?

Whether a deposit is due, and how much it is, is set out in the rental contract. The Göttingen dormitory asks for 400 euros. For a shared flat room, the amount in the specific contract applies, so have it confirmed in writing before you sign.

Is the BAföG housing allowance enough for a shared flat room?

At the national average, the allowance of 380 euros leaves a gap of 132 euros per month (assumption, see above). How you close that gap depends on your income, support from your parents and a possible part-time job.

How much is the broadcasting fee in a shared flat?

The broadcasting fee (Rundfunkbeitrag) is 18.36 euros per month per flat (as of 1 January 2026, Beitragsservice). BAföG recipients who do not live with their parents can apply for an exemption. Our guide on the broadcasting fee exemption (in German) explains the details.

Is there a rent index (Mietspiegel) for shared flat rooms?

Rent indices (Mietspiegel) refer to flats. In the sources reviewed for this guide, no official survey for individual shared flat rooms could be found. Advertised prices, dormitory offers and the reports of the Studierendenwerke are therefore the best available reference points.

What to Do Now

1. Calculate your monthly budget with the rent of the specific offer, not with the average.
2. Compare the gap to the BAföG housing allowance of 380 euros and clarify your entitlement with the responsible office.
3. Check at least three offers and ask specifically about utilities and the deposit.
4. Have all agreements confirmed in writing before you sign a contract.

Related Reading

• Affordable student housing: strategy, portals and costs
• Liability insurance in a shared flat or your own flat
• Student Support Rate (BAföG) 2026: Amounts and Example
• Studying in Göttingen: costs, housing and semester fee 2026 (in German)

Sources: Deutsches Studierendenwerk, press release of 7 March 2025 (as of summer semester 2025); WG-Gesucht.de, Studentische Wohnkosten im Sommersemester 2026 (as of summer semester 2026); Deutsches Studierendenwerk, BAföG rate tables until 2026 (valid since 1 August 2024); Studierendenwerk Göttingen, general rental terms for dormitories (template of 5 May 2021, gender-neutral wording 18 December 2024); Broadcasting fee, information for students (as of 1 January 2026).

Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.